The director of the project in Kikimi, Theo, is a pastor by training. It was together that we developed the project in Kikimi, following his vision to help those most in need. He had become pastor of one of Kinshasa’s most prosperous churches, which flourished under his governance. But in 2010, he decided to leave the church after learning and refusing to participate in the dishonest practices of the other pastors. As a result, he lost the salary he was earning at the time, and together with his wife Florence, a registered nurse, devoted themselves full time whole-heartedly to the orphans’ project in Kikimi, where we built a school and then a medical center.

Here’s what Ana, his eldest daughter and a medical student, wrote to us:

“It’s a great testimony for me personally, to see how God directs our lives. Since 2010, when he retired from the church, we’ve been living a miraculous life. No fixed salary, but we make ends meet every month, and God takes care of our family.

Dad often miraculously finds odd jobs. The UPC (Université Protestante du Congo) hired him to teach a Master leadership course in one of its faculties. It’s what he earns that helps us survive as a family. Recently, he received a great distinction during his presentation at the Protestant University in Congo.”

The dean in this university has a system to evaluate the professors by having the students fill out some forms. Below is the outstanding honor he received:

• Content quality : The course content is satisfactory for my career orientation.
• Balance: The course is well balanced between theory, examples and application.
• Activities: I know what activities are expected of me.
• Progression : The activities allow me to check my progress.
• Structure: The teacher presents the material in a clear, structured way.
• Overall satisfaction: We are very satisfied with this course and teacher.

He also organized a visit for his students to our school in Kikimi as part of the practical training to back up the theory. His students got so turned on when they heard about the project Theo’s been running for years for disadvantaged children that they collected a good donation towards the building of a wall around the school property in order to protect it.

Students from UPC visit Kikimi

A group of Theo’s students came to visit the project in Kikimi and they were so impressed and enthusiastic that they have decided to come back and help to build the wall around the premises. In this remote part, most people only speak Lingala, but our school teaches French to the children, which the university students noticed and were impressed by, as speaking French will open better doors for them in the future.

The kids give the students visiting a warm welcome in song:

Theo on the left with his group of students

University student taking a selfie with the kids

This student encourages the kids by relating to them her own background: