United Methodists help schools keep operating in Congo

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.