The Démocratique
République du Congo best known by its initials as DRC is one of the 17
African nations that have just celebrated its fiftieth anniversary of
independence. The year 2010 was known as L’année
du Cinqantenaire (centenary year) by its habitants. The president, Mr. Joseph Kabila, in his
speech during this auspicious jubilee celebration on the 30th June,
2010, thanked sincerely, among other personalities, countries and
organizations, a branch of the United Nations, for having been on their side as
a country during the difficult historical moments.
The triple mandate
Growing up, the term mission had an
ecclesiastical connotation. It meant the church, the parish, the place we used
to frequent every Sunday for prayers. Besides, the road that passes next to St.
Teresa’s Cathedral, Kisumu, is known as the mission road. Today this term has a
wider connotation. Mission is no longer Church related, rather it also applies
to the peace keeping activities carried out by the United Nations organization
in the tragedy stricken areas.
The original peace keeping force in DRC was
known as United Nations Organizations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (Monuc). It carried that name until the end of its mandate on 1st
July, 2010, just 24 hours after the centenary celebrations. Thereafter it was
renamed as United Nations Organizations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (Monusco) reflecting the new face of Congo: political
stability, social development and security and peaceful environment.
The Lusaka Ceasefire signed in July 1999 among
six regional countries that border Congo, DRC inclusive, saw the establishment
of Monuc in DRC, which, by then, had triple mandate: the observation of
Ceasefire; disengagement of forces and maintenance of liason with all parties
to the Ceasefire Agreement.
At the service of the mission
Eleven years down the line, among the courageous
men and women consolidating peace, protecting the civilians, facilitating
humanitarian assistance and ensuring proper process of stabilization of DRC are
sons and daughters of the Kenyan soil.
Having nurtured a dream of some day working
outside Kenya, Miss Mary Clara Wamboi, who hails from Central Province, Kiandhini village, is today happily
making this dream a reality. She read a lot of adventurous literatures as a
teenager and now making those adventures herself. She is proud to have been in DRC
since 2003 and enjoys the mission.
On the other hand, Mr. David Paul Ndisi, having
been in DRC for only three years feels satisfied for having put into practice
all the tactics he had acquired as a young scout during his school-going years.
“Jesus accomplished all that he came to do on earth in just three years. Three
was significant and to me, am contented for the services I have rendered to
humanity through the people of Congo and will always be happy.” He ecstatically
affirmed.
Unlike Miss Wamboi who was open minded and was
even ready to spend nights in tents as a marshal despite being in deep shock as
she received her destination to Kisangani
one of the regions in DRC, Mr. Ndisi, a father of five, from Chuda in Bungoma, Kenya, had chains of
sleepless nights to come to terms with the new work destination. This was his
first assignment as a UN civilian and outside Kenya. After thorough
reflections, he took up the task by both hands thanks to his training as a
scout.
Life lived amidst several
challenges
Married and with three kids, Mr. Blastos Olang’
Metto, from Ndhiwa in south Nyanza,
cannot play a direct role of parenting his two daughters and his son. This is
because he is not allowed to have his family in the mission. Luckily with the
present communication technology, he is able to speak with each member of his family
quiet often. Despite the cost incurred,
he feels it necessary to keep in touch so as not to loose both the family bond
and the track of his family’s development.
In this aspect, Mrs. Ann Moraa Ouma, from Nyaribari in Kisii and married to a Luo
man, admits that this is the real challenge. Her two kids always wonder and ask
where mummy lives, for the mother is always the centre of the child’s world. “With
their father alone, my kids miss the motherly touch in their lives and I can’t
do anything to substitute it with my job! It’s a sacrifice for their good and
the good of others. Fortunately, their
father is there to check on their up keep, homework, health and everything a
mother should do.”
Mr. Ndisi admits that families with only one
parent present throughout and the other having a quasi-domicile in the family
is not a bed of roses for the children. Once one figure is missing only to
re-appear for just three weeks after three or four months away in the missions
depending on the time for holidays, can confuse the children. He or she might
come with other principles that the other had rejected and so both the parents
must always dialogue on who and how to form their kids. Mr. Olang’ reveals that
at times the kids might think that they are not loved and that the parent
prefers the job to them, hence they develop low self esteem or even hate
towards the ‘missing’ parent.
Miss Jacinta Wanja tells of having missed
several family gatherings, national ceremonies, weddings, burials etc, which
required her presence. The most recent were the first ever Mashujaa Day and the burial of her grandmother who nurtured her as
a mother since latter passed on while she was still an infant! As for the
national functions, she has a remedy. She makes sure that she follows every bit
from the Dstv. Its maintenance costs her much but it is worth it. She keeps
abreast with the national politics and social developments of her mother
country.
Far away in Bunia,
the border of DRC and Sudan, Mr. Kipng’eno arap Ng’etich, tells of having
difficulties in forming the inmates as well as the community to love each other
as the major way of upholding peace and stability in the society. “It’s not
easy educating the society that the prisoners of war and of other crimes need
equally to be loved and welcomed into the community.” He admits that it is a
hard nut to crack to integrate the inmates to be useful persons in the society.
Discovering the Church
Catholicism is strongly rooted in the DRC. Two
realities are a witness to this: first, the Zairean rite of celebrating the
Mass; and secondly, the two children of the DRC on the way to sainthood:
Blessed Marie-Clementine Anoalite Nengapeta and Blessed Isidore Bakanja. Soon
or later, the Mother Church will proclaim them saints in the Catholic Church.
The Zairean rite, usually celebrated in Lingala,
one of the local languages, for DRC is the home of inculturation, would not be
easy to follow and fully participate in if one has no notion of the local language
or if not interested in learning the language. This rite is loved by most of
the locals and it is in this respect that few parishes would have masses in
other different languages, for instance, English. There are few parishes that
have masses in English. Such include St. Ann, St. Joseph, and St. Luc. The
latter, known as St. Catherine Drexel English community, is animated by the
Consolata Missionaries. Its principle priest, Fr. Symphorien Fumwasendji, is a
Congolais who did his theological studies in Tangaza, Kenya.
Before knowing these English communities, Miss.
Wamboi almost lost her faith as a Catholic Christian. At times she could attend
either the Lingala or French Mass and come out frustrated for not having fully
followed it especially the liturgy of the Word and the Sunday sermon. Luckily
with the aid of the Roman Sunday Missal, which she later bought from Kenya, she
was able to follow the Sunday readings and have her prayers at her house.
“How then did you know of the St. Catherine
Drexel community?” I popped in the question. “It was a life time miracle,” was
the response. One Sunday morning, she went to Church just for the sake of it
and while there, she saw a gentleman in the Kenyan military combat. This
provoked her to inquire whereabouts of this man. The light chat they had after
the celebration revealed to her that indeed he was a Kenyan soldier on a mission,
and a catholic for that matter. He was very well conversant with the Kinshasa
city and even proposed to Miss Wamboi some parishes where she could have the
religious services, Mass and sacrament of Reconciliation celebrated in English.
“This was providential, for since then I have not only increased my faith, but
have also known more about the Church, Consolata Missionaries and other very
good Christians,” she concluded.
On the other hand, Mr. Ndisi, a member of the
Friends Church always feels at home praying with the members of St. Catherine
Drexel. At a glance, one might presume that he is a catholic faithful. This is
the spirit of ecumenism put into practice. According to him, it is always a
moment of sharing the spiritual gifts and life that God has given us as
Christians. “This is the unity that you Catholics pray for always!” he intoned.
Now, since he shares in the spiritual activities and unfathomable riches of
Christ and the Catholic Church, he dedicates some moments to learn the Church’s
doctrines and who knows, he might someday resort to full catechetical
instructions, for he is in the process of discovering the Church.
Various motivations
Miss Wamboi admits that there is no much joy as
seeing a country once torn apart picking up from war. Having witnessed an
attempted coup of its kind in the past, and lived in total fear of the gunshots,
today she may go about her business as if this historical fact never took
place. The prayer for peace and reconciliation in the world finds meaning in
her daily life experience. This peaceful society gives her more hope that the
future is bright ahead in this country.
For Mrs. Moraa, the fact that her family back
home is capable of letting her work away from them is itself a motivation, a
source from where she gets her daily strength to keep the good work in the
mission. “I miss them occasionally and the thought of them letting me work here
gives me extra ordinary powers!”
On the other hand Mr. Kipng’eno’s extra
ordinary powers to continue in the mission springs from the results of his
work. “Seeing the inhabitants drop down the arms and seek dialogue motivates me
more!” He relates this dialogue for peace with that which took place in Kenya
after the 2007 post polls chaos. “It is joyful making people understand the
price of peace especially after an experience of war!”
“I can’t count the number of friends I have
made since I stepped here in DRC!” said Jacinta. “Friends are gifts to each of
us” she continued. “And for me, having friends who are natives is just a great
motivation that keeps me going and living among them!” she concluded.
