DR Congo

Community Small Groups Fairtrade DR Congo Weddings & Baptisms Lent Appeal 2010

We have strong links with the Anglican Church in the NorthEast of the DR Congo. The children in Young Church have regular collections to raise money to send to help certain schools there. Local communities work hard to build schools; they make the bricks, construct the walls and the desks, but providing a fire resistant, long lasting roof is often beyond their means.  The money we send buys iron roofing sheets.  It allows schools to function and helps accreditation from the government One of our number Len Thornton recently visited NE Congo for three weeks. He was overwhelmed by the welcome he received on arrival. " I stayed in the diocese of Aru and worked with the development programme which looks at farming practices and safe water resources. I was struck by the way that faith underpinned al the decisions made within the church was worked out in social witness."   We are delighted that Bishop Ande from the Diocese of Aru, in NE Congo has spoken at our services in Cambourne on a number of occasions and we are very grateful for all our friends there who inform us of the joys and difficulties they face. We continue to remember the people of Congo in our prayers On March 21st 2007 Bishop Ande sent this picture of roofing the Primary School at Aru, DR Congo using money collected at our Education Sunday service and wrote: "Pupils are excited to use the building but we have to finish the work first. This is their first building. Thank you so much and our gratitude to you all." At the beginning of 2009, the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group from Uganda, began attacking villages in the north, destroying buildings, raping women and carrying off children to become soldiers. A hundred thousand people fled their homes.  The diocese of Aru immediately used its resources to respond to their plight and asked its partners to support its efforts. So during lent we have been raising money for the ongoing support of internally displaced people. For more information of the Anglican Church in Congo, visit the Congo Church Association website: http://www.congochurchassn.org.uk/