United Methodists help schools keep operating in Congo
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A Web-only photo courtesy of Board of Global Ministries Staff and guests pose at The Methodist University of Katanga in this file photo.
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Staff
and guests pose after the inauguration at The Methodist University of
Katanga at Mulungwishi. A Web-only file photo courtesy of the Board of
Global Ministries. Photo #w05174. Accompanies UMNS story #653. 11/21/05 |
Nov. 21, 2005
A UMNS Feature
By Allison Scahill*
Hundreds of United Methodist-affiliated
schools, ranging from primary schools to seminaries, are educating
children in the Democratic Republic of Congo with very limited funds or
supplies.
Most of these schools are almost
completely supported by both the United Methodist Church and the
government, said Robert Mpoyo, executive secretary, Africa Office for
the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
The Advance for Christ and His Church,
the denomination’s second-mile giving program, has had a major role in
helping fund all levels of the Congolese schools, Mpoyo said.
“The Advance is a channel for funds. It helps pay for the salary of the teacher, but it can only do so much,” he said.
Even with the Advance, the schools
require much more funding, said Russell Scott, executive secretary of
Advance coordination for the Board of Global Ministries.
“What you are going to find is that in
the levels of need, the levels of asking are far greater than these
Advance gifts that are received, which in many cases means that the
Advance gifts are oftentimes very critical,” he said. “They make a real
difference as to whether or not teachers get paid.”
Most secondary teachers probably only
make about US$10 per month working in the Congo, Mpoyo said. When
converted, that equals about 3,900 Congolese francs.
“The salary of teachers now has become a
very, very big problem,” he said. “Normally in the Congo and other
places in Africa, education consists of a partnership between the church
and the government. (In) some places, the government provided the
building (of the school) and the salary to teachers. But the pay is not
very consistent.”
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A Web-only file photo courtesy of TESOL A file photo shows the library, computer lab, and upper grade classrooms at The English-speaking School of Lubumbashi.
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This
file photo shows the library, computer lab, and upper grade classrooms
at The English-speaking School of Lubumbashi. A Web-only photo courtesy
of The English-speaking School of Lubumbashi. Photo #w05176. Accompanies
UMNS story #653. 11/21/05 |
In the Congo, Africa’s third-largest country, other problems include
overcrowded classes, lack of transportation, a dearth of supplies, and
no continuing education for teachers, Mpoyo said. In addition, students
often go to school hungry, he said.
Parents will often carry a heavy load in
order to help the teachers survive. They are required to give a monthly
parent contribution, whether it is money, food or whatever they can
find, Mpoyo said.
“Parents have to play a very big role,”
he explained. “That’s why now, because of the impossibility of the state
to fulfill its role of paying the salary to the teacher, that’s why the
burden is put on the parent.”
Through a program called “Sharing the
Costs,” parents have been making contributions for more than 10 years,
said Wilson Nkulu Kiluba, a former teacher in several higher-learning
institutions in the Congo. “So, it doesn’t solve the problem, but at
least it provides a kind of steady income.”
Kiluba said the schools where he worked were supported by the United Methodist Church.
“The Advance is responding to the mission
of the vision, the priority of the people, so we open up the
opportunity for them to present their vision and their goals through a
channel where we can fund-raise to accomplish their vision,” Mpoyo said.
Jeff and Ellen Hoover, visiting
professors of church history at Katanga Methodist University, said they
have been missionaries with the United Methodist Board of Global
Ministries serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1979.
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A Web-only file photo by Russell Scott Missionary Jeff Hoover conducts a seminar on church history at the United Methodist Theological Seminary in Mulungwishi.
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United
Methodist missionary Jeff Hoover conducts a seminar on church history
at the United Methodist Theological Seminary in Mulungwishi, Democratic
Republic of Congo. A Web-only file photo by Russell Scott. Photo
#w05175. Accompanies UMNS story #653. 11/21/05 |
Jeff Hoover said the university in Mulungwishi incorporates the
theological seminary that dates back to 1951, as well as colleges of
information technology and education that have begun since the change of
charter in 2001-02.
“Advance Specials for the seminary have
provided scholarships for almost two generations of United Methodist
pastors, as the seminary served all of the (Democratic Republic of
Congo) from 1956 until around 1980,” he said. The scholarships cover a
good portion of the costs of going to school, he said.
“Since nearly all the students are on
scholarship, the Advance for scholarships in effect supports nearly all
the costs of the seminary, including professors’ salaries, building
repairs, office supplies and other expenses involved in operating a
university,” Hoover said.
Other Advance Special funds have financed
construction projects and library upgrading for bachelor’s and master’s
level programs, he said.
“The Advance is by far the largest
funding source for this institution. Visitors during the last two years
have given (Katanga Methodist University) the evaluation of the
strongest United Methodist seminary in Africa … and as having as good a
faculty as any theological seminary they knew in Western Europe. Almost
all of our living graduates are serving in Congo as pastors.”
The Advance has been raising funds to buy
a building that holds six classrooms for the English-speaking School of
Lubumbashi, a United Methodist international school. About $225,000 is
needed to buy the building.
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A Web-only file photo courtesy of TESOL Students from The English-speaking School of Lubumbashi pose in this file photo.
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Students
from The English-speaking School of Lubumbashi pose in this file photo.
A Web-only photo courtesy of The English-speaking School of Lubumbashi.
Photo #w05177. Accompanies UMNS story #653. 11/21/05 |
The school was formed in 1987 to serve the needs of missionary families
of various denominations, families with nongovernmental organizations,
and others in the community whose children wanted a higher education in
English-speaking countries, said school Director Ellen Hoover.
“The school’s operating budget is
basically self-supporting from tuition. Advance Special funds have been
used for various things,” she said. “During the recent five years of war
from 1998, when people living on the local economy were having great
difficulty paying school fees and many families left Congo, TESOL was
able to offer scholarships for children from several English-speaking
families. The English-speaking School of Lubumbashi (TESOL) is an
interdenominational Christian school serving English speaking
communities in the predominantly French-speaking Democratic Republic of
Congo.
“(The school) now needs additional space,
and the French government has decided to dispose of its property in
Lubumbashi,” she said. “As occupants, TESOL has a wonderful opportunity
to purchase the entire primary and secondary school complex, along with
associated undeveloped land.”
She said the facilities not needed
immediately could help other United Methodist education programs, such
as the Katanga Methodist University, which is starting short-term
computer training and will soon need to place education students in
Lubumbashi schools for internships.
Contributions for The English-Speaking
School of Lubumbashi may be designated for Advance Special #10337A and
placed in church collection plates or sent to Advance GCFA, P.O. Box
9068, GPO, New York, NY 10087-9068.
*Scahill is a mass communications major at United Methodist-related Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan.
News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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Resources
Board of Global Ministries
Advance for Christ and His Church
The English-speaking School of Lubumbashi
Katanga Methodist University
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