In commemoration of the day dedicated to Archbishop Christophe Munzihirwa, a very prominent figure in the ecclesiastical life of Bukavu, one of the AJAN AHAPPY Club member at Collège Alfajiri-DRC, composed a poem inspired by this year’s theme: “A Future for an Empowered Youth: Leadership and Personal Development.”

He did not seek the grandeur of the halls of power;
He preferred the paths where duty was put to the test.
He carried within his soul wounds that seemed beyond hope,
He made of his life a seed of remembrance.

He never confused power with light,
He knew that service demands one’s whole being.
He carried the suffering of a people as a prayer,
He made closeness to others his noblest way of life.

He witnessed a day of sorrow fall upon his fellow human beings;
He left behind a question for every heart.
He reminds us that to serve is to love despite our fears.

He loved the truth, even when it was uncomfortable;
He defended justice when injustice prevailed,
He rejected compromises that his conscience condemned,
He knew that a truthful word is worth more than a pleasing lie.

He looked upon the Congo with deep and heartfelt sorrow,
He saw in the conflicts the wounds of his brothers and sisters;
He dreamed of a land freed from fear,
He longed for peace to blossom once again on earth.

There are men whose deaths challenge history,
There are voices that time cannot silence;
There are lives that become lessons etched in memory,
There are sacrifices that transcend borders.

He lives on in the memories of those who seek the truth,
He lives on in the struggles of those who demand fairness,
He lives on in the hopes of those who dream of brotherhood,
He remains a call to build a reconciled Congo.

By, Rodrigue Cishesa,

AJAN AHAPPY Club member at Collège Alfajiri-DRC.