About Us

My wife, Mathy, and myself are originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. In September 2005 when we became victims of circumstances that forced us to leave our country. We fled to South Africa for refuge and arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa in November 2005.

Mathy and I got married in September 2003 and in October 2003 I got a job as Provincial Director of a HIV/AIDS NGO at Kisangani in the Eastern Province (Province Orientale), a war zone where my family comes from.

I had a 12 year old daughter who was living with my mother in Kisangani. I decided to call my wife to join me in Kisangani and we stayed together with my daughter and my mother.

During the second day of my routine visit of mobilisation and education on HIV/AIDS in the rural areas, the village was surrounded by a group of rebellion called "MAI-MAI" (who are the civil army that defend their territory against the invasion of Rwanda army and governmental army).

The leader asked me to give him US dollars because he noticed the US flag on my car and assumed I was working with the Americans. Despite explaining that I was not working with the Americans, he refused to believe me. He threatened to kill me in front of my team. Because I didn't give him the money, he decide to execute his menace but by raping my 12 year old daughter in front of me. Oh, what horror and pain! My poor child was bleeding in front of me and I felt powerless. They did not end their dirty work there; they took her away with them and till this day I do not know where she is.

Because I could not give them what they asked for, their leader decided to show me what he was capable of by threatening to rape my wife. I then become really angry. At that moment we heard that the Governmental army was fighting with another group of Mai-Mai between Kisangani and the village where we were. Thanks to the intervention of the chief of the village, who asked them to take the car and leave my wife alone, we were saved and my wife was not raped. At the time my wife was 6 months pregnant with my daughter Onesie.

We could not return in Kisangani because of the war between the governmental army and the groups of Mai-Mai. The chief of the village recommended we leave the village immediately.

We arrived at Kindu, another city of DR Congo which was completely under Mai-Mai control, and I was not psychologically normal, and my wife was so traumatised that she was crying all the time. Another NGO leader whom we used to meet with during conferences or workshops realised that we were troubled psychosomatically. They decided to send us in Lubumbashi for treatment. But, we did not get any help, till other NGO leaders from Lubumbashi decided to send us in South Africa to get treatment. There we got help on three levels: spiritually, psychologically and medically. Today, we are able to stop crying and have a new focus on our life.

With all the skills that we have added to our education, we will be neglectful or cowardly if we can enjoy staying in South Africa as refugees while people are dying every day in the DRC by lack of information, education, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS. God sent us to South Africa not just to live here but also to meet new people and return to our country so that we can share his love and change the lives of His people.

In 2006 we moved to Cape Town and 2007 I was employed at Living Hope, where I am still employed today. Living Hope trained me in the South African knowledge of HIV/AIDS (from information, support, counselling, Anti Retroviral Treatments, HIV/AIDS management, project management). On my side, I expanded my education by getting a diploma in Human Resource Management and Training, which I studied at Varsity College in Rondebosch, Cape Town.

What we went through, even though it is still very difficult, we have since met the Bay Community Church, Living Hope, and many other people who are supporting us in our dream to do something that we were not able to achieve in Congo due to what happened to us. For the sake of my daughter, we decided to dedicate our ministry to her for the glory of the Lord and bring people to know God by changing their heart of wildness to a heart of peace and protection of the young girl, teenager. This is why "GOOD SHEPHERD. ISHARA YA CHRIST. Community Centre" one day intends to develop a youth centre in memory of our innocent daughter.

We strongly believe now that our daughter did not suffer and dye for nothing. As said in Gal 2:20 "through our suffering we have been crucified with Him and now He lives in us". Therefore, we do have a new identity. Our old identity is gone, vanished and our new identity in Christ defines us who we are now.