Scholarship recipient Merveille Bunangana Bokumo comes from war-torn Eastern Congo. "As soon as I finish medical school, I plan to return to my home in Ituri Province to treat war refugees who can't afford medical care." Merveille Bunangana Bokumo is a 3rd-year medical student at Université Protestante au Congo (UPC) with four more years to go. We met her during our June 2024 trip to Congo. She said she and her parents especially are grateful for the tuition scholarship from Education Congo. She hopes she will continue to be able to receive tuition assistance to complete her medical studies. 1:27 min. video of Merveille speaking in French, June 2024 at UPC in Kinshasa, Congo 56% of the 9,658 students at Université Protestante au Congo were women in 2024   If you would like to support scholarships for women at UPC, consider donating to one of Education Congo's named funds  designated for women: Sue Cardwell Fund —designated for women students from Bolenge Province or Equateur Province who are preparing for careers in teaching Jain-Goel Fund —designated for women medical school students at UPC Sanichas IT Fund —designated for women computer science students at UPC Sanichas Law Fund —designated for women law school students at UPC Jack & Linda Spencer Fund —designated for women medical school students at UPC To donate to a named fund, click the donate button above,  choose "Named funds" to go to our secure donation site, then scroll to choose your preferred named fund. To donate by check,  write the name of the fund on the memo line of the check and mail to Education Congo, PO Box 29, Lamar CO 81052 USA. If you are taking distributions from your IRA,  you might consider making a direct donation from your account to Education Congo. The distribution amount that is paid directly to Education Congo would not be taxable to you and could save you some income tax dollars. Please talk to your financial and/or tax advisors on how to best make this kind of donation. (If you go this route, be sure to notify us with details.)

Grace Banza Ilunga has been a scholarship beneficiary for four years. is in her 4th year studying Management at Université Protestante au Congo (UPC) "I sincerely want to thank those who finance Education Congo scholarships. Without them I would not have been able to pay for or attend this prestigious university. It is an honor to receive this scholarship, and I hope it will continue to encourage young people like us who want to learn but don't have the means to attend a major university like this one. Merci." 56% of the 9,658 students at Université Protestante au Congo were women in 2024   If you would like to support scholarships for women at UPC, consider donating to one of Education Congo's named funds  designated for women: Sue Cardwell Fund —designated for women students from Bolenge Province or Equateur Province who are preparing for careers in teaching Jain-Goel Fund —designated for women medical school students at UPC Sanichas IT Fund —designated for women computer science students at UPC Sanichas Law Fund —designated for women law school students at UPC Jack & Linda Spencer Fund —designated for women medical school students at UPC To donate to a named fund, click the donate button above,  choose "Named funds" to go to our secure donation site, then scroll to choose your preferred named fund. To donate by check,  write the name of the fund on the memo line of the check and mail to Education Congo, PO Box 29, Lamar, CO  81052 USA. If you are taking distributions from your IRA,  you might consider making a direct donation from your account to Education Congo. The distribution amount that is paid directly to Education Congo would not be taxable to you and could save you some income tax dollars. Please talk to your financial and/or tax advisors on how to best make this kind of donation. (If you go this route, be sure to notify us with details.)

Michael Ebongya Bayenge During our trip to Congo in June 2024, we met the student body president of UPC's computer science department (Faculté des Sciences Informatiques, FASI), Michael Ebongya Bayenge . He is in his 4th year at FASI and has been the recipient of an Education Congo tuition scholarship all four years. He is working on a class project that uses algorithms to analyze medical imagery. He is also  in an internship program in his specialty area of cyber security and, like most FASI students, will be assured of employment in Kinshasa upon graduating. Michael lost his father at an early age, but other relatives stepped in to help pay for his education prior to university. He now serves as inspiration to his younger brothers and sisters, who also hope to attend university. Michael believes computer science will be integral to the transformation of his country and has ambitions in politics as well! Support the education solution  to build a stronger Congo! When qualifying students receive named-fund scholarships,  it is for the duration of their studies. This makes a huge difference when you consider that a student could otherwise be obliged to drop out just short of becoming a doctor or lawyer or computer science professional! To donate online on our secure payment portal, click the button below We are also happy to accept donations by check. Note “Sanichas Computer Science” on the memo line and mail to Education Congo, PO Box 29, Lamar CO 81052 USA. If you would like to start a new named fund with the designation of your choice, email info@educationcongo.org If you are taking distributions from your IRA,  you might consider making a direct donation from your account to Education Congo. The distribution amount that is paid directly to Education Congo would not be taxable to you and could save you some income tax dollars. Please talk to your financial and/or tax advisors on how to best make this kind of donation. (If you go this route, be sure to notify us with details.)

Education Congo scholarships Over 90% of donations to Education Congo go directly into tuition scholarships at two leading private Congolese universities. These donations are applied as tuition credit for students who cannot otherwise afford to stay enrolled. With tuition costing only around $1,000 per year in Congo, this would be a dream come true in the United States. But in Congo, $1,000 is about twice the average annual income. This is a country where education is not a "given"—but where people truly believe it is the way forward for their children and for their nation. 2024 UPC interns in Kimpese with Mary Sanichas and Margaret Loewen Other Education Congo support In addition to providing tuition scholarships, Education Congo works closely with our two partner universities to assist with special projects that will provide the highest impact dollar for dollar. One of these vital projects is funding transportation for Université Protestante au Congo (UPC) medical school interns to remote teaching hospitals—where Congo's doctor shortage is felt most acutely. The road to Kisantu during dry season Transportation not a trivial matter The words "transportation" and "remote" take on a whole new meaning in the Congo! It is a vast country (3.5 times larger than Texas) with deeply rutted dirt roads in the remote areas. And a rainy season that defies travel by motor vehicles! The situation is such that embedding medical interns in remote hospitals—where they are desperately needed—is a major undertaking. Bouncy road an understatement… Last June we drove from Kinshasa to Kisantu to visit one group of interns, then, after an overnight stay, on to Kimpese for another group of interns. I tell people that we didn't drive once we got off the main road, we "bounced" there. The road doesn't look as bouncy at this point, but you can see what a firm grip our driver Pierre has on the wheel. The road went on forever and carried vehicles of all sizes. We passed toppled trucks, broken-down vehicles, huge trucks full of colorful cargo from Angola. Passengers were riding in every conceivable place—from on top of truck loads even to astride the hitch! I would have been hanging onto the tie-down rope for dear life, but many passengers actually appeared to be sleeping. Bouncing vehicles from the oncoming direction were preceded by a cloud of red dust. I'd been warned about the long, arduous drive, but for me it was the most amazing drive I have ever experienced. Also I could see why my Education Congo travel companions had been eager to make sure our trip took place before the onset of the rainy season. Once delivered to a remote teaching hospital, interns stay there for a year because transportation is such a major undertaking. They draw straws to determine who gets assigned to which location. Aside from giving interns real-world experience and involvement in communicable disease and other research, one major goal is to introduce these future doctors to parts of the country where they are needed most. Retaining Congolese talent and capacity in Congo The Congolese students whose parents can afford to send them to medical school abroad tend to stay abroad, where they can make more money. By offering scholarships to needy students, Education Congo is helping to retain talent in Congo—where it is needed—rather than exporting it abroad. UPC's Prof. Samuel Mampunza at left with representatives of Education Congo and others at St. Luc's Hospital in Kisantu (south of Kinshasa) Education Congo currently funds transportation for UPC interns to Kisantu, Kimpese, Vanga and Tshikaji. Only a handful of interns are assigned to a local hospital in Kinshasa. By facilitating the transport of interns to remote areas, Education Congo is not only enhancing their value as doctors in Congo, but engaging them in regions where they may not otherwise seek employment. While a few students we met came from remote areas and planned to go back upon graduating, most were from Kinshasa and had never been to these areas. For all these reasons, the rural internship program at UPC is extremely valuable. First UPC interns at St. Luc's Hospital in Kisantu The student elected president of UPC's Kisantu interns 2024 was the first year that UPC had arranged to send about a dozen interns to St. Luc's Hospital in Kisantu, and, as such, they were under scrutiny. We toured the hospital, then met with them as a group. They had elected amongst themselves a president and spokesperson. He explained at length how they had self-organized to help each other out, live together, coordinate work schedules and study. If there was a problem they got together to work it out. Their esprit de corp and pride as a community was really uplifting! Cooperative cleaning schedule on the bathroom door of the Kisantu interns. It reads, "Cleaning is done every other day. Let's respect the schedule please." Later, when we visited the house rented for them by UPC, the interns proudly pointed out their schedule for cleaning the bathroom. They had also collectively hired a cook. I kept thinking of the sociology class I took in college and how the Kisantu interns had created a perfect example of "community"—defined as "a social group with a common territorial base, with the same interests and a sense of belonging to the group." But unlike my carefree days in college, these students did not have the luxury of dabbling in elective classes like sociology. Their parents had to struggle just to pay their way through primary and secondary school. By the time university was an option, they were already laser focused on becoming doctors. Internship rotations We also interviewed the enthusiastic Kisantu interns as a group. We asked each to describe his or her favorite rotation, as this is a time when they are discovering which area of medicine impassions them the most. Video clip (1 minute/30 seconds, English subtitles)—Kisantu intern describes his first experience of surgery One intern described feeling the beating of the patient's heart during surgery as a profound, transcending experience. What he said was very moving. Video above. Before hearing him, I'd thought of surgery as a very messy way to make a living. Later, I asked Margaret (who is an MD) about it, and she confirmed that indeed yes, this is the magic of surgery. Video clip (under a minute, English subtitles)—Kisantu intern talks about the shortage doctors in rural Congo Because of UPC's commitment to retaining Congolese talent within Congo and to recruit doctors to work in remote areas, I asked one intern if she would consider staying in Kisantu to work. When she replied that definitely yes she would because the need was great and it was so calm and peaceful there, the others agreed enthusiastically. Video above. There is quite a difference between life in Kisantu compared to highly congested and polluted Kinshasa, already crowded beyond comprehension with an estimated 15+ million people. As one of the fastest growing megacities in the world, it is projected to reach 58 million by 2075. The interns we met demonstrated their sincere and compelling drive to contribute to the lives of their fellow citizens and to the future of their country. It was a very uplifting experience to meet them! Click the button below to support travel for medical interns at UPC: You can also donate by check,   write "Travel for Interns at UPC" on the memo line of the check and mail to Education Congo, PO Box 29, Lamar, CO  81052 USA. If you are taking distributions from your IRA,  consider making a direct donation from your account to Education Congo. The distribution amount that is paid directly to Education Congo would not be taxable to you and could save you some income tax dollars. Please talk to your financial and/or tax advisors on how to best make this kind of donation. (If you go this route, be sure to notify us with details.) info@educationcongo.org

Daniel Ngoy Boliya Université Protestante au Congo's Rector, Daniel Ngoy Boliya, was a longtime colleague, friend and partner of Education Congo. He died on March 2, 2023, at Centre Médicale de Kinshasa. Ernie Ross was a speaker at Rector Ngoy’s funeral in Kinshasa, which was attended by over 1,000.      Shortly after Rector Ngoy's death, Education Congo board members set up a UPC scholarship fund to honor his 30-year contribution to higher education in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Update as of 12/212023 Additional donors have brought the fund's total up to $19,904. Once the fund reaches $25,000, the following year it will begin paying out earnings to scholarships annually.    Update as of 5/25/2024 Daniel Ngoy's named fund has almost reached maturity. Current balance is $24,114, so only $886 more to go before it will start paying out to scholarships every year! Update as of 10/2024 Good news: the fund in memory of Daniel Ngoy is now fully funded and will begin paying out from next year on. The larger the fund, the larger the payoff—so please help to keep building this fund! Update as of 5/2025 Since January 1, 2025, he Ngoy Named Fund has received $4,520, bringing the total to $32,518. A lifetime contribution to higher education in Congo Rector Ngoy led the university as it built a student body of more than 8,000, over 55% of whom are currently women. He expanded the curriculum, most notably by adding a medical school to train doctors for the rural areas of Congo. He cultivated good relationships with both national and international partners, which enabled his administration to bring UPC to a high level of development in the areas of infrastructure, academic teaching and research programs. Under Rector Ngoy's leadership. UPC signed numerous cooperation agreements with universities at home and abroad. In Congo, UPC signed agreements of cooperation with Université de Kinshasa and Université Catholique du Congo. In Africa, UPC is a leading member of the network of Protestant Universities in Africa (RUPA), and a formal protocol of cooperation was signed by Rector Ngoy and his counterpart at Université Marien Ngouabi in Brazzaville. Numerous other universities are in formal collaboration with UPC as a result of Rector Ngoy’s leadership, including Université Paris-Saclay, the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, the University of North Carolina (UNC), Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Songsil University in Seoul, South Korea. Support the education solution to build capacity in the Democratic Republic of Congo! Make a contribution to Education Congo's Ngoy Scholarship Fund—designated for UPC students. To donate online at our secure payment portal, click the button below: We are also happy to accept donations by check. Note “Ngoy” on the memo line and mail to Education Congo, PO Box 29, Lamar CO 81052 USA. If you would like to start a new named fund with the designation of your choice, email us at info@educationcongo.org If you are taking distributions from your IRA,  you might consider making a direct donation from your account to Education Congo. The distribution amount that is paid directly to Education Congo would not be taxable to you and could save you some income tax dollars. Please talk to your financial and/or tax advisors on how to best make this kind of donation. (If you go this route, be sure to notify us with details.)

During our visit to Université Protestante au Congo (UPC) in June 2024, we'd asked to interview some Education Congo scholarship recipients. We were hoping for in-depth conversations with just a handful of students because surely scheduling would be difficult. Students would be in class and have other obligations. We were busy in meetings with university officials, heads or assistant heads of departments, not to mention auditing/accounting sessions.  Madame Jolie, a highly respected role model as a woman in UPC's administration Our schedule was in the very capable hands of Madame Jolie. It turned out Madame Jolie was not just very capable, but also a miracle worker. She does not just manage the accounting for Education Congo's scholarships, she manages and masterfully inspires the scholarship recipients. But I am getting ahead of myself. Teamwork As for interviewing the students, we were a delegation of four, so I figured I would be the one to take video, someone else would record their names and log the time/date of the video and the other two would ask questions that we'd prepared in advance. I was hoping the students wouldn't feel uncomfortable talking to us and being videotaped—but the complete opposite turned out to be true! Be careful what you wish for The amazing Madame Jolie, who facilitated everything for us during our visit, somehow managed to line up over 40 Education Congo scholarship recipients to meet with us in one afternoon. As I said, we were psychologically prepared to meet only a small sampling of them. And, as it turned out, we were down to a "skeleton crew" of two because two of our comrades were back at the hostel sick. Margaret and I were seated in a small room when Madame Jolie arrived and told us the students were ready. We must have looked perplexed when she opened the door because minutes earlier, the landing and stairwell had been totally empty. Now, magically, the entire area was full of students. I poked my head out, gave a shocked smile to them, took three quick photos and shut the door. The sheer number of them was overwhelming, especially since our two most fluent French speakers were sick back at the hostel. Margaret and I had only about two hours to interview all these students who'd been pulled out of class to talk to us. More scholarship recipients waiting to be interviewed by us. Necessity is the mother of invention Margaret and Madame Jolie let about eight at a time into the small room with us, while the rest waited outside on the landing and down the staircase. They chatted with this group and listed their names while I videotaped each one individually at the other end of the narrow room. [See blog post "Try saying neurochirurgien in French"] Each student was so amazing, but after 30 of them and with all the ambient background noise, it was dizzying. Creative solution for the last group We were running out of time. Margaret and Madame Jolie decided to interview the last group of students together. I asked them to tell us how their generation was different from that of their parents. They were very eager to tell us! Below are some of their answers (translated from French) Medical student speaks eloquently about the Internet English translation: "I'd like to draw a comparison between our generation and the previous generation. I would say that our generation has many more opportunities. Why? Because the generation before us did not have the Internet. They didn't have the possibility of obtaining certain documents and manuals. Especially in medical school, they would have to travel to the library to get documents and anatomy books. Today we have access with our phones or computers. This is really an advantage our generation has. With these technological advances, we have tons of material available to us… but what's a little sad is that with all these advantages our generation can be somewhat oblivious and not take advantage of the resources we can find on the Internet—and instead get more involved in TikTok, WhatsApp and social media. So, I would call on our generation to be conscious and take advantage of what we have. But, also, I would ask our elders from the previous generation to take us young people more seriously and to have more confidence in us. Often when they see us, they'll say, "Oh it's a young person. We don't have confidence in them—all they do is make mistakes." I ask them to have more faith in us!" Economics student talks about the new generation of women in Congo English translation: "In our generation we see the emancipation of women. In the previous generation, our mothers were tied to domestic work at home. But now, here, even our parents and our fathers encourage us to advance in the world and work. I also want to be a role model and to encourage younger women. As you can see, Madame Jolie is a woman who works. Before women did not work. With the emancipation of women, there is improvement. I want to call on young people to take things seriously. To take the time for things that are important instead of using their time on social media and TikTok—while others who want to study do not have the financial means to do so. Also, I want to thank those who donate to Education Congo for your financial help." Video clip with English subtitles (52 seconds) 56% of the 9,658 students at Université Protestante au Congo were women in 2024 Listen to video clips from our 2024 interview with the head of UPC, Prof. Robert N'Kwim, talking about the impressive women students and women alumni from UPC If you would like to support scholarships for women at UPC, consider donating to one of Education Congo's named funds designated for women We are also happy to accept donations by check. Please write the name of the fund on the memo line and mail to Education Congo, PO Box 29, Lamar CO 81052 USA. If you are interested in starting a new named fund with the designation of your choice, email info@educationcongo.org If you are taking distributions from your IRA,  you might consider making a direct donation from your account to Education Congo. The distribution amount that is paid directly to Education Congo would not be taxable to you and could save you some income tax dollars. Please talk to your financial and/or tax advisors on how to best make this kind of donation. (If you go this route, be sure to notify us with details.)

Dr. N'Kwim presents a copy of his new book, The Impact of Leadership for the Transformation of Society , to Douglas Cardwell at Education Congo's 2025 annual board meeting, held in Philadelphia When we first met the new head of UPC in June 2024 in Kinshasa, Rector N'Kwim told us he is a great appreciator of the power of women. He lives in a household of women with his wife, also a PhD in Theology, and their four daughters. Highly accomplished daughters! The eldest graduated from UPC in Economics and works in Finance. The second, also a graduate of UPC, is an MD working in Epidemiology. The third is studying architecture in Canada. The fourth is currently enrolled at UPC in Economics. Dr. N'Kwim and his wife emphasized to their daughters from an early age the importance of studying hard and growing up to contribute to society and their nation. Later last year, at Education Congo's annual meeting in Denver, we videotaped Dr. N'Kwim talking about women at Université Protestante au Congo (UPC) and how they are contributing to building a stronger Congo. 56% of the 9,658 students at Université Protestante au Congo were women in 2024   If you would like to support scholarships for women at UPC, consider donating to one of Education Congo's named funds  designated for women: Sue Cardwell Fund —scholarships for women students from Bolenge Province or Equateur Province who are preparing for careers in teaching Sanichas IT Fund —for women computer science students at UPC

My Dad grew up in Louisville, KY, and went to college (Transylvania, where I also went) and seminary in Lexington. His magnetic personality is perhaps best illustrated by his arrival in Gulfport to interview for the pastorate there. Mother was in the reception group at the train station. When she got home she told her sister that if he came, she would marry him. And he did, and she did.  He was good-natured, loving, thoughtful, loved a good joke and took his calling seriously. The Congolese responded very well to his personality. They soon learned that he loved and respected them, and they loved him back. Whenever he went into the backcountry he took his shotgun and filled the stewpots of his meat-starved hosts. He saw his job as training the people who would become the leaders of a self-governing church, and the early leaders were mostly former students of his.  Walter Cardwell during his return visit to Congo When he went back for a brief visit in 1990, former students and associates came from miles around to greet him and relive old times. When my parents moved back to the US permanently, he spent the rest of his career traveling around the country for the mission board spreading the word about the growing church in Congo and its need for assistance. To donate online at our secure payment portal, click the button below: We are also happy to accept donations by check. Note “Walter Cardwell Fund” on the memo line and mail to Education Congo, PO Box 29, Lamar CO 81052 USA. If you would like to start a new named fund with the designation of your choice, email info@educationcongo.org If you are taking distributions from your IRA,  you might consider making a direct donation from your account to Education Congo. The distribution amount that is paid directly to Education Congo would not be taxable to you and could save you some income tax dollars. Please talk to your financial and/or tax advisors on how to best make this kind of donation. (If you go this route, be sure to notify us with details.)

My academic journey started in 2009, when I had just graduated from state school in Kananga. I was 18 years old and wanted to apply for enrollment at Université Protestante au Congo (UPC) in medical school. I had so dreamed of attending UPC because I knew about the excellent training given there. But since studies were expensive there, my parents had resolved to enroll me in the University of Our Lady of Kasai. As it turned out, there were no more places for new candidates in medicine there when I applied. We were discouraged.    One day, my parents were invited to a wedding party. Mom could not attend so I accompanied Dad to represent her. We met IMCK Tshikaji Administrator Kabibu, and he told us about someone who worked with a nonprofit (Education Congo) supporting the studies of young women. We subsequently got to know Mr. Shafe and applied for Education Congo scholarship assistance through UPC. Education Congo agreed to support me from the preparatory through my final year of medical school [through the Shafe Family Fund]!  My dream was to become a gynecologist and public health expert, and I did not want to give up my dream. However, in my third year I experienced difficulties—needing just one more point in Physiology to be promoted. If I'd had to drop out, I would have been unemployed after spending three years in medical school.  Mireille Ntumba,  2022 medical school graduate of UPC In 2015, I enrolled in Medicine at the Vaal University of Technology in South Africa. But as medical studies are very expensive, my parents wanted me to study nursing for four years instead. Determined to become a doctor, I could not be convinced to pursue any other career. My parents and I decided that I would return to the Congo. I wanted to continue with medicine at UPC, but I thought that Education Congo had forgotten me and that my scholarship had been given to someone else. To my surprise, my name appeared on the scholarship list, and I realized that I had not been forgotten! When I returned to UPC to reintegrate into the 3rd degree in medicine, my South African colleagues laughed at me and said that I had made the wrong decision.  I have now completed my studies as a general practitioner. I want to express my feelings of gratitude to the Shafe family and Education Congo for supporting me so much during my long academic journey!!!   3 years later—June 2025 update Mireille performing surgery at the small hospital in Moma village. Education Congo Executive Director Phil Kliewer [born and raised in Congo] "This is great to see: It shows how a student supported by Education Congo donors is contributing much needed medical skills in a remote village. Education is the long game in nonprofit work . Charities showing the need for immediate triage appeal to the heart of donors for immediate short-term relief, but when Education Congo appeals to donors for scholarships, that requires a bit more trust on the part of the donor. This photo rewards that trust—and Dr. Mireille is just one of many." Mireille is working in Kasaï-Central province Mireille practices general medicine and surgery at Moma Hospital, owned by the Presbyterian Church of Congo. Originally built as a dispensary in the 1930s, it was rebuilt and modernized in 2012. It provides services in pediatric, internal medicine, surgery, OB/GYN and general medicine, commonly treating malaria, malnutrition and communicable diseases. The village of Moma is located in the Kasaï-Central province in southern Congo. 56% of the 9,658 students at Université Protestante au Congo were women in 2024   If you would like to support scholarships for women at UPC, consider donating to one of Education Congo's named funds  designated for women: Sue Cardwell Fund —designated for women students from Bolenge Province or Equateur Province who are preparing for careers in teaching Jain-Goel Fund —designated for women medical school students at UPC Sanichas IT Fund —designated for women computer science students at UPC Sanichas Law Fund —designated for women law school students at UPC Jack & Linda Spencer Fund —designated for women medical school students at UPC To donate to a named fund, click the donate button above,  choose "Named funds" to go to our secure donation site, then scroll to choose your preferred named fund. To donate by check,  write the name of the fund on the memo line of the check and mail to Education Congo, PO Box 29, Lamar, CO  81052 USA. If you are taking distributions from your IRA,  you might consider making a direct donation from your account to Education Congo. The distribution amount that is paid directly to Education Congo would not be taxable to you and could save you some income tax dollars. Please talk to your financial and/or tax advisors on how to best make this kind of donation. (If you go this route, be sure to notify us with details.)

"The scholarship from Education Congo really helped me because my parents had financial difficulties… and I'd had to stop my studies. To be helped by people I didn't even know taught me a lot of things—and when I can, I too will try to help people like you have. I thank you not only for myself but for the other scholarship recipients." Education Congo scholarship recipient Rose Bolia Mbita expressed heartfelt thanks to some of our board members during their visit to Congo in June 2024. Rose is in her 2nd year at UPC's economic sciences department. Upon graduating she plans to work first in Kinshasa, but eventually plans to return home to Equateur Province to help people start small businesses there, where this help is badly needed. Her other goal is to create a foundation to support the education of young girls in Equateur. 56% of the 9,658 students at Université Protestante au Congo were women in 2024   If you would like to support scholarships for women at UPC, consider donating to one of Education Congo's named funds  designated for women: Sue Cardwell Fund —designated for women students from Bolenge Province or Equateur Province who are preparing for careers in teaching Jain-Goel Fund —designated for women medical school students at UPC Sanichas IT Fund —designated for women computer science students at UPC Sanichas Law Fund —designated for women law school students at UPC Jack & Linda Spencer Fund —designated for women medical school students at UPC To donate to a named fund, click the donate button above,  choose "Named funds" to go to our secure donation site, then scroll to choose your preferred named fund. To donate by check,  write the name of the fund on the memo line of the check and mail to Education Congo, PO Box 29, Lamar, CO  81052 USA. If you are taking distributions from your IRA,  you might consider making a direct donation from your account to Education Congo. The distribution amount that is paid directly to Education Congo would not be taxable to you and could save you some income tax dollars. Please talk to your financial and/or tax advisors on how to best make this kind of donation. (If you go this route, be sure to notify us with details.)

Six months ahead of my trip to Congo, I tried speaking French and discovered my mouth was no longer physically capable of performing the gymnastics. I had plenty of time so I decided to “train” by reading a children’s book out loud in bed every night before falling asleep. Nothing challenging, just a few easy pages. Set myself up for success. Stop while I’m ahead so that each session ends on a positive note—that’s how we train horses… I randomly picked a French book from childhood years in France—one with a horse on the cover because I am still horse crazy. 1961 French children's book I started reading the story out loud at bedtime. My mouth remained persistently rusty, but I soldiered on. Then I started running into difficult vocabulary words… Reading out loud was not only difficult for my mouth but was proving challenging for my brain as well. As the story progressed, I began to visualize the author lurking behind the pages like the teachers my sister and I had experienced as children in France. If I wanted to enjoy the story, I would have to learn annoying vocabulary words at the same time. One day the city boy is riding the horse in the woods and gets lost in a storm. The horse spooks. He hangs on for dear life at the gallop, falls off, gets back on, then finally arrives back to the chateau hidden in the woods. He is totally wet and scraped up.  He and the ancient groom are taking the saddle off the horse, when suddenly the groom cries out “Il cherche à se sécher!” ("he is searching to dry himself"—meaning “look out, he’s about to roll”—which is what wet horses do to dry off.) But “Il cherche à se sécher!” is nearly impossible to say! It was deliberately designed to twist the tongues of even the most proficient French speakers who are reading out loud to their children. The author had thrown down the gauntlet. No one can say this! I tried once, twice. The third time I tried I had to get out of bed because I was laughing so hard. I went to get a drink of water and kept trying to say it in the kitchen. In fact I am still trying to say it a year later.  I have been closely involved with horses for the past 30 years. When the horse is about to roll before you can get the saddle off, you don’t cry out, “He is searching to dry himself” even if you are French. This was planted deliberately there, maybe even as a plot against Americans who might be trying to read this book out loud.  “Il cherche à se sécher” turned out to foreshadow the tongue-twister moment I would encounter on my trip to the Congo.  Six months later I am interviewing and at the same time videotaping beautiful young Congolese scholarship recipients one at a time. The fitness of my French-speaking mouth has not particularly improved. The loud environment and the fluorescent lighting are the least of my worries. I had planned for my companions to do the interviewing while I videotaped, but two of them are back at the hostel sick in bed. Also we were never expecting 40 students to show up all at once.  Scholarship recipients pulled out from class and waiting for us to interview them We’re in a small room at the university. The students are waiting outside on the landing and all the way down the stairs. As I said, there is a tremendous amount of background noise. Margaret and Madame Jolie are busy listing the students in the order interviewed and lining them up for me. So I stand in my corner, I put each student against the wall one after the other, lifting my iPhone to within what seems like three inches from their noses. I know that’s what it takes to overcome background noise. People are talking. It sounds like the classroom next door is having some kind of celebration. But I still manage to get spectacular video. Mainly because these students have worked so hard to get to where they are, for the most part they are not at all self-conscious. They are focussed on their education and on what they are going to do for their country with their education. The women are focussed helping other women. They understand that being videotaped is an opportunity to tell others about their work and about the importance of scholarships. And to express their gratitude. To have gotten this far they are the crème de la crème and highly motivated. I am holding up my arm approximately two minutes for each student (2 mins. x 40 students = 80 mins. total for my arm and same amount of time intensely concentrating on 40 faces at very close range). Margaret and Madame Jolie have them lined up so efficiently I hardly have time to lower my arm before the next one is in position. I am locking them in with eye contact so they won't be intimidated by a phone in the face. Being so close to their faces and doing my best to listen hard and be present was incredibly intense. But equally inspiring to be so intimately in communication for 1-2 minutes at a time with so many students. Maybe this is what speed dating is like, except that I fell in love with almost all of them! It was so impressive, “I am in 3rd year of law school” or “I come from Ituri Province [God knows how remote that is] studying Management.” Future "neurochirurgien" Then a small young woman with a dazzling smile stepped into place. Charisma! Or as my Greek father used to tell me when explaining that half the English language comes from Greek, HHHA-rees-ma. It comes from the Greek HHHA-rees-ma. HHHA-rees-ma! At least I recognized it when I saw it. Even though here I was with a stiff arm and somewhat traumatized from having to speak French to about 23 students before her. I pulled down my stiff arm, switched to photo mode, put my arm back up and clicked 3 times. Three beautiful photos! I have discovered that when interviewing people and they give a short answer then grind to a halt, all you have to do is repeat the last word they said. This sparkling young woman said she was going to be a surgeon and, because she wanted to be something that is rare and desperately needed in Congo, she said wanted to become a neurosurgeon ("neurochirurgien" in French). Then she came to a halt. Astonished, I repeated, or rather tried to repeat “neurochirurrr…” As impossible to say as “Il cherche à se sécher”! But I didn’t have to say the whole thing. She beamed, gave an enthusiastic “oui” and repeated “neurochirurgien.” In French, when a Oui is enthusiastic it can have a whistling sound. Hers was a whistling Oui. She continued on without any further stalls. After we recovered from the day's events, Margaret and I scrutinized her list to figure which student our future neurosurgeon was. Then we carefully crafted an email in French asking Madame Jolie to schedule a follow-up interview with her. To be continued… [After this we faced even more daunting public-speaking-in-French challenges… but I eventually concluded that the joy and rewards of being able to communicate with such inspiring Congolese students and faculty members far outweighed any crimes I'd committed against the French language.] If you would like to support scholarships for women medical students at UPC, consider donating to one of Education Congo's named funds designated for women medical students: Jain-Goel Fund —designated for women medical school students at UPC Jack & Linda Spencer Fund —designated for women medical school students at UPC To donate to a named fund, click the donate button above and choose "Named funds" to go to our secure donation site. Then use the scroll-down menu to select your preferred named fund. To donate by check,  write the name of the fund on the memo line of the check and mail to Education Congo, PO Box 29, Lamar, CO  81052 USA. If you are taking distributions from your IRA,  you might consider making a direct donation from your account to Education Congo. The distribution amount that is paid directly to Education Congo would not be taxable to you and could save you some income tax dollars. Please talk to your financial and/or tax advisors on how to best make this kind of donation. (If you go this route, be sure to notify us with details.)

The capital city Kinshasa is a marvel of self-organizing traffic, however "embouteillage" (bottleneck traffic jam) is the operative word. The good news is that every single vehicle on the road is crammed full to maximum possible capacity. There are many small yellow buses (public transportation is a good thing!), and most of the motorcycles are "moto-taxis" where up to 3 passengers squeeze onto the motorcycle behind the driver. If "lanes" were to exist and there were to be "carpool" lanes in Kinshasa, all vehicles would qualify! It's true that getting from one place to the next is a jolting, loud and polluted experience. Plus pedestrians and motorcycles are flowing in every possible direction and through every inch of space between cars, trucks and small buses. On the other hand, the reflexes and athleticism involved is amazing to witness, and, for the most part, this extraordinary dance is accomplished calmly—accompanied by constant signaling of beeps of all kinds, indicating "I am here behind you" or "cutting in front of you now" much like sonar, but at point-blank range. More intensity at intersections, where laying on of the horn does occur, as in this video. There's plenty to look at while in an embouteillage. Photo credit: Mary Sanichas