On September 6, 2024, AJAN Liaison Officer Fernando Nimbu, SJ, on behalf of AJAN Director Fr. Ismael Matambura, SJ, accompanied by Father Michel Lobunda, who serves as the spiritual guide to CVX Saint Ignace, visited the CVX Saint Ignace community in Kingabwa, Kinshasa, as part of AJAN’s field visits and project monitoring activities. This visit followed the Social Innovation Summit in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where AJAN highlighted the importance of social entrepreneurship.

CVX Saint Ignace is located in Kingabwa, a densely populated neighborhood in Kinshasa, close to the Congo River. This area faces significant social challenges, with a large number of people living with HIV (PLHIV), particularly women. Children and young girls also endure difficult circumstances, including poor road access and a high unemployment rate. This underscores the importance of our project, which focuses on building resilience among women and girls in such vulnerable conditions.

During the visit, a meeting was held with the community women to discuss participation and mutual financial support through a cooperative. Mr. Paul Mwense, the coordinator, opened the session, and Mr. Rémy Ngamba, National Director of CVX, led the agenda. Father Michel encouraged the group members to participate more actively in the ongoing CVX initiatives. CVX had proposed forming a cooperative to foster mutual support among the women and create a fund for financial assistance. This would also enable more women to join the initiative. One key decision was to require the presentation of initial capital before proceeding to the second phase.

The delegation also visited young girls in a sewing program, where literacy and civic education are taught before technical skills. This effort aims to equip girls with practical tools for future self-reliance. AJAN Liaison Officer, Fernando Nimbu SJ conveyed AJAN’s warm greetings and encouraged the girls to view this opportunity as a chance to acquire practical skills that could be turned into a trade.

The young girls expressed their gratitude at the end of the session through their representative. “On behalf of all the learners, I would like to thank the AJAN institution, which you told us about and which has agreed to finance this project. We also thank the CVX for their good faith in helping us, Reverend Father EV AGLE for his support, and the Training Center for their supervision. After 45 days of training, we have benefited from several knowledge areas, including life education, home economics, vocational technology, and French. In just a few days, we have learned to sew by hand with great ease thanks to a very generous and experienced team of trainers who deserve a lot of encouragement.”

In a show of appreciation, the local parish priest, Fr. Blaise Emmanuel Evagle acknowledged AJAN’s collaboration and expressed hope for deeper future exchanges. He said, “Despite the community’s challenges where Juvenile delinquency, drugs, prostitution, and alcoholism are all evils that punctuate the lives of our populations. These young people and adults present here are sons and daughters of God, deserving of love, compassion, and support. It is the spirit of collaboration and strong leadership that has fostered an environment of hope. However, concerns about financial limitations and sustaining engagement remain.”

To strengthen ties and address these concerns, AJAN plans to organize a follow-up Zoom meeting to provide further guidance to local leaders. The visit underscored the need for continued support to ensure sustainable progress in Kingabwa’s vulnerable community.

The discussion and insights gained from the visit highlights both the resilience and needs of the CVX Saint Ignace community as they strive to build better futures. The visit reinforced the importance of AJAN’s support in helping women and girls develop resilience and sustainable livelihoods. By continuing to foster these partnerships and provide necessary resources and encouragement, AJAN contributes to meaningful social change. The strong relationship with the local parish is a key factor in the success of this initiative and will remain essential going forward.

By, Fernando Nimbu SJ.,

AJAN Liaison Officer.