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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.)

Named funds are a lasting way to support higher education in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Funds can be established with a relatively low starting amount, then added to online by anyone and at any time. It's an easy way for groups or families to support one fund in honor of someone or something significant to them. Once the fund reaches $25,000, its earnings begin to pay out the following year—and continue to pay out year after year thereafter. Education Congo takes a disciplined approach to named fund payouts that protects the value of our assets while also providing reliable financial support to its partner universities in the DR Congo, regardless of market fluctuations. Number of Education Congo named funds Named fund assets through June 2025 Annual payouts through June 2025. Blue dots: actual payouts . Red line: average trend. According to the National Philanthropic Trust, "In 2024, the largest source of charitable giving came from individuals… with double-digit growth in gifts for public-society benefit organizations (19.5%), international affairs (17.7%) and education (13.2%)." And in 2025, with the radical reduction in US government support for education and international development, individual contributions are now more important than ever. Education Congo's 2025 named-funds payout Education Congo offers a strong track record for strengthening higher education within the Democratic Republic of Congo—a country with tremendous wealth in natural resources that are of tremendous global significance. If you would like to support higher education to build capacity in this critical country, consider adding to one of Education Congo's existing named funds—or even establishing your own. Scroll down to read about some of our named funds. To donate to any of our 50+ existing funds click here  or email us  if you are interested is starting your own fund. Online donations are processed through our secure portal at DonorPerfect. Thank you.

"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.)

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.)

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! 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.)

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

The only vaccine the Democratic Republic of Congo requires for entry is Yellow Fever within the last 10 years, but there are plenty of other choice diseases there! One of them requires 2 doses administered across a period of months. When I told my companions I was going to skip that one because I wasn't planning on sharing any needles there, I learned that you can get it from a blood transfusion and that it's a particularly nasty disease. I signed up for that one right away. The vaccines with Live virus have to be spaced apart so it requires some planning. Even a booster for polio is highly recommended. Other vaccines are only considered good for a few years. For polio and a few other "outdated" vaccines in doubt I had blood titers done. Turned out I have good immunity in all the titers, so I was spared subjecting myself to several of the shots. Some of the new shots I needed were not available locally but only at a "travel vaccine" place, where they try to sell you everything else imaginable but also give excellent information. And these shots are expensive! Then there are various options for malaria pills, also highly recommended. The other two travel-preparation tasks were getting our visas and airline tickets. Unless you live in Wash DC you can't just trot over to a local DRC Consulate. We had to trust FexEx with our passports, but the passport services place worked out fine. Last thing we are sweating is airline tickets. Flights are a real roll of the dice these days. Last few times I've flown I'd been trotting at full speed for one gate only the receive a text of change of gate and had to trot back the other way. What's less amusing is missing a connection due to a delayed flight. We are trying to converge onto one flight out of Paris to arrive in Kinshasa together. So far they have changed my flights three times without regard for the amount of connection times required. So far this has been the most complicated part of the planning. 1966: Our standard poodle from France with my mother in Congo. Our suburban house abutted a large section of jungle, now totally developed, along with every other inch of Kinshasa. I was 12 years old the last time I flew to the Congo. This was in comparative luxury on Pan Am with my family, my sister's parakeet and our large standard poodle. My mother the nurse had practiced drugging our dog to make sure she had the right dose for sedating him to travel in the belly of the plane. But apparently during the longest leg from New York to Africa the sedation took the opposite effect on him. He went wild, shredded his favorite blanket, bit his way out of his kennel and ran loose, terrorizing everyone who tried to catch him. For the remaining legs of our flight, my father arranged for him to fly in the cabin with us. Joë did not make a peep and stayed under the footrest area (larger in those days!) 1966: My sister Evadne with Joë at our house. A Black Mambo later attacked a Congolese construction worker by bouncing down the steep concrete stairs (at right) toward him. The worker ran backwards down the stairs while at the same time striking it dead with a shovel in a single, very skillful blow. For the return trip two years later, my father made sure Joë could travel with us in the cabin. Unfortunately my sister's parakeet, who was already quite elderly, had died in the Congo. The only thing I remember about the return flight was feeling my heart literally break upon take-off. Physically very painful, unlike anything I've ever felt before.

The service took place in three stages: Bringing the body from the morgue to the church, the service and the interment. I was told that the cathedral can hold up to 7,500 people. My guess is that there were over 3,000 for the service. The activities at the morgue started at 9 am. The internment ended around 4 pm with no breaks to speak of. It was a very long day but also rewarding. They didn't tell me when I was to be called on to speak so I was busy watching other activities before realizing that they were calling on me. Then the translator (from Lonkundo to French) didn't show up, so they had to find someone. In the end, all went well. More people than I can count told me how much they appreciated Education Congo sending someone. They took such great care of me. I would have no idea of what was next, only to find someone there to guide me. So, that is it for now… Short video clip of Ernie speaking at Daniel Ngoy's funeral When Ernie starts speaking in Lonkundo, the crowd responds with a roar of warm applause!

Imagine having to carry your sick child or spouse down a long winding path to the river on a hot humid day in the Congo. After hiring a canoe and pilot you then embark on a 3+ hour journey down a fast flowing river. There is a good likelihood you will need to navigate around areas with hippos or crocodiles on this trip. Eventually you reach the nearest town with a medical facility. The last leg of your voyage involves hiring a taxi to take you to the hospital where you join the long queue of people waiting to be seen by a doctor. You hope you have arrived in time… Photo credit: Bruno Baerg These were the kinds of experiences familiar to Moluamba Clavers as he grew up in a village distant enough from the city of Mbandaka in the DRC that the only way to access medical care was via dugout canoe. After experiencing this reality firsthand, Moluamba became determined to study medicine so that he could make medical care more readily and easily available to the people in smaller more remote villages like the one he grew up in. Moluamba got his start as a nursing student in Mbandaka. Subsequent to nursing school he decided that he wanted to become a doctor. He did not have the financial resources for university studies so he and his family moved to Kinshasa where he worked as a nurse, saving up money as he was able. Once at l’Université Protestante au Congo (UPC) in Kinshasa he found that he didn’t have sufficient funds to complete his studies. He wrote a letter to the university administration asking if there were any scholarships available. UPC was able to grant him a scholarship through Education Congo. Moluamba is now nearing completion of his medical studies! Ernie Ross, president of Education Congo, recently met Moluamba while visiting l’Université Protestante au Congo (UPC) in Kinshasa. Education Congo board members periodically travel to the DRC to engage face to face with our partners on the ground to assess programming and ensure that our mutual goals and vision for education are in alignment. Moluamba is very grateful to Education Congo for the help we’ve given him through our scholarship program. It has made it possible for him to succeed in his studies and thus move towards his goal of providing medical care to more remote communities. Thank you for your support in making Moluamba’s journey as a health practitioner possible!

“Education is to me one of the pillars of the development of my country,” declares Celeste Mujinga Musasa, a 2017 graduate of Université Protestante au Congo's Medical School. A native of Kinshasa, Celeste had imagined becoming a doctor since she was a child. Due to childhood illnesses, she spent quite a lot of time in hospitals and quickly saw the ‘superpowers’ the doctors possessed and wanted to develop the same skills to help others.   Université Protestante au Congo's Medical School’s 8-year program is very comprehensive and requires dedication. Midway through, when the curriculum became focused on medical studies, Celeste was inspired by her professors, particularly Dr. François Lepira, who made the world of medicine come alive. Her decision to study medicine was reaffirmed. Celeste spent her internship year at the rural hospital in Vanga where she found her calling. Witnessing so many children dying of malaria in Vanga had a tremendous impact on her. Influenced by her professor Dr. Thierry Bobanga, she decided to pursue parasitology to participate actively in the eradication of malaria. After completing her Master’s degree in medical microbiology, Celeste continued to plan for the future. She located a Ph.D. advisor and program at Keele University in England that would champion her research in malaria. Early in her medical studies, she realized that despite her ability to treat an ailment, a true advancement in medical interventions in the DRC can only come with years of advanced biomedical research. Celeste strives for a healthy Congo as she continues the fight against malaria.  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.)