Photo by Finbarr O’Reilly

At the end of every year the Congo Kids Initiative team takes a long moment to reflect on the year coming to an end. We are always honored to have the opportunity to serve children of all ages (right now there are 124 children in the care of St. Kizito, 94 on our campus and 30 with foster families) and grateful for the entire CKI community that makes the work possible.

At the end of every year the Congo Kids Initiative team takes a long moment to reflect on the year coming to an end. We are always honored to have the opportunity to serve children of all ages (right now there are 124 children in the care of St. Kizito, 94 on our campus and 30 with foster families) and grateful for the entire CKI community that makes the work possible.

Each year, the rainy season in Bunia carries with it the scourge of deadly malaria that preys on children and the most vulnerable. In order to reduce the risk of malaria at St. Kizito, this month we’re carrying out a major infrastructure project to drain stagnant water around the compound that acts as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

With COVID-19 now present in DR Congo, the children and staff at St. Kizito face serious danger, not only from the virus but from rapid food shortage. This week Congo closed its borders with Uganda where we get nearly all of our provisions.

As the New Year approaches we are taking a moment to appreciate the gifts of the season and the year to come. As always, we are grateful to be part of the global community that supports the children and staff of St. Kizito Orphanage.

Gokpa, a newborn, recently came to St. Kizito after her mother, Rosine, died one hour after giving birth. Access to medical care during childbirth is always difficult in rural Congo, but recent outbreaks of conflict has made it even more challenging.

This month St. Kizito’s received two babies in need of extreme care. Our first, David Mugisa, is two months old. Last week his mother was working in the fields in Mudzipela, near the displaced camp where the family lives, when she suffered heat stroke and collapsed.

As many of you know, the job of St. Kizito is to provide a home for children without one, but always with the goal of reunifying orphans with their families or finding a new permanent home.

All year long we give each other hugs and smiles and pats on the back and sometimes home baked sweets and treats. But over the December holidays there is a lot of giving of "stuff" - some of which is wonderful and some of which...well, how do you classify those ugly sweaters?

FOR the next few months we'll be profiling the folks who make Congo Kids Initiative and St. Kizito orphanage possible – starting with our single and most important team member,Elyse Pifwa.

OVER the past two months, St. Kizito has taken in three newborns whose parents died fleeing a new spate of militia attacks in the region north of Bunia. Since March, militia have raided around 120 villages in Djugu territory, raping and killing and setting fire to homes.

Home. Each year, the Christmas story reminds us of those around the world who are displaced and in need of shelter and the great miracles they can behold.

Running an orphanage in a country still reeling from decades of war, each month brings highs and lows, small victories along with crushing disappointments.

Congo has many resources - and one of them is sunshine. In addition to being the source of a vast amount of the world's minerals (competition for which have sadly too often led to conflict rather than necessary financial stability for the Congolese people) the DRC is a sunny place to be.

Earlier this year, the CKI family suffered a great loss with the death of Pastor Marrion P’Udongo. In addition to being a dear friend, he was the soul of our organization, possessing both the tenacity and cunningness to make things work in extremely difficult situations.

Across the globe, families are celebrating the harvest season and giving thanks for an abundance of food. At the same time, 795 million people around the world do not have enough nutrition to lead healthy lives, a shortage that particularly impacts babies and children.

As a follow up to Congo Kids Initiative’s back to school September focus on education, we thought it would be helpful to share a bit of background about the work we support at St. Kizito Orphanage in order to understand the broader issues children face in the transition out of conflict.

The back-to-school campaign launched in August has been an extreme success! Everyone at CKI and at the St. Kizito school are extremely grateful for all of those able to contribute to the campaign.