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United Methodists help schools keep operating in Congo

Nov. 21, 2005	 News media contact:   * ( ) * {653}

NOTE: Photographs and audio are available at http://umns.umc.org.

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."

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.

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.

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.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

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