Shafe family fund for medical students at Université Protestante au Congo
- mary sanichas
- May 24
- 2 min read
We support Education Congo because we honestly believe every scholarship for every student moves the nation one step closer to stability and prosperity. Education Congo provides just over 100 scholarships each year—yet so much more can be done.
Jan and I got involved with Université Protestante au Congo (UPC) in 2003 because it seemed to us that education is the “50-year solution” to many of the difficulties facing the Congo.
As UPC's medical school was being founded in 2006, we decided to create a named fund in memory of my parents, Rev Chug and Sara Shafe, through Education Congo. They served as missionaries in Congo from 1939 to 1942, when they had to return to the States due to my father’s health. The ocean voyage back to the States was an adventure that involved actually zig-zagging to avoid German submarines!
We had a home fire in 1960 that claimed the lives of my dad and my sister Ceci. After the fire, and once my older brother went off to college, my mother and I returned to Congo—where she served as a teacher of missionary kids from 1964 to 1974. Very simply, Congo was my mother’s happy place.
Ernie Ross, a classmate in Congo and a longtime friend, once commented to me, “Education is one thing that once you have it, no one can ever take it away from you.” That resonated. Jan and I decided our named fund should be devoted to medical students as a way of promoting a healthier Congo.
We are thrilled that three students our fund has assisted have graduated from the UPC medical school. Misenga tells her story in a separate post. The MDs we have helped to educate are helping to save lives in our beloved Congo. I can think of no better way to honor a loved one than through establishing a fund that ensures that future lives are enhanced through education.
Jimmy & Jan Shafe, Decatur, Georgia
Support the education solution to build a stronger and healthier Congo!
Make a contribution to Shafe fund for medical school scholarships. This fund has already reached maturity, so its earnings are paying for scholarships year after year. The fund currently stands at $79,435. That said, the larger the fund, the larger the payout—so please help to keep it growing!
To donate click on the red Donate button in the header, select "Named Funds" then scroll to Shafe (or any other Education Congo named fund to which you wish to donate).
We are also happy to accept donations by check. Note “Shafe” on the memo line and mail to Education Congo, 2216 Elgin Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.
For information about starting your own named fund, please email us at info@educationcongo.org.
