I came to Congo in July expecting to be depressed and overwhelmed by the immense problems of this country, but decided to focus on the opportunity to join with my son Spencer and dedicate a center in honor of Dillon Henry. I envisioned sharing stories about Dillon’s spirit with those benefiting from the various programs funded by the Dillon Henry Foundation in partnership with Jewish World Watch.
We did tell stories, but more importantly, we heard the stories of the courageous Congolese who have suffered and survived. I left Congo with a greater understanding of the complexity of the issues facing this country and an enormous appreciation for the resiliency and strength of the Congolese people.
Speaking with one of the patients from Chambucha
I am not naïve — the systemic corruption, decades of leaders pillaging the country’s riches, widespread rape that ravages women’s bodies and souls and destroys families, and the overwhelming poverty, accompanied by woefully inadequate education and virtually non-existent infrastructures, must be resolved. These immense problems that reflect a disheartening reality of life in Congo could easily be my primary take away from my time there. But this trip left me hopeful, despite all of these atrocities, because of the impact JWW is having as its community-based partners work to repair lives and educate a new generation focused on justice, leadership and gender equality.
On this trip I learned a Swahili proverb that translates to “each drop of water will come together to fill the bucket.” And so I choose to focus on the individuals we met, the heroes who are filling the bucket for a better tomorrow. Dr. Mukwege at Panzi Hospital uses his strong heart and gentle hands to save the lives of thousands of women whose bodies have been destroyed by rape and torture. Through his organization BVES, Dr. Namegabe has freed thousands of child soldiers and girls who have been sexually assaulted by armed groups, and provides them with a safe retreat, healthcare, therapy, and the hope of reunification with their families. Camille and Esther Ntoto provide for the most vulnerable children in Goma, many of whom are orphans or liberated child soldiers, with traditional schooling and after-school programs in leadership and civics that encourage these students to dream and strive to transform the very fabric of Congo. And Amani Matabaro, JWW’s partner on the ground, created a school and a program to help pregnant teens in his village in memory of his parents who were murdered, yet he is humbly astonished when students proclaim that he is their hero.
Visiting the Virunga Alliance
Congo is an extraordinarily rich country with the second largest rain forest on this planet, more than 54% of the fresh water in Africa, enough acres of arable land to feed more than two billion people, and minerals essential for technology worth trillions of dollars. The Virunga Alliance is working to utilize natural resources to quadruple the energy for North Kivu, and provide new sources of employment and social services for the million people living in the area. The opportunities that will pave the path to a better future go on and on.
It is so appropriate that Dillon Henry’s favorite book was The Power of One, the story of a boy who, despite a tragic childhood, vowed to survive and conceive heroic dreams and transform lives. We witnessed the power of one in DRC — through each of these heroes, and through the children who are graduating these programs with their own dreams for the future of Congo. These are the drops of water that are filling the bucket in Congo and this is the message of hope that I bring back with me.
I am so honored to have shared this trip with Diana, Vaughan and Michael — all powerful and articulate advocates for JWW. Finally, what mom could ask for more than to share these life-changing two weeks with her son.