It gives me great pleasure to introduce this blog post by Justin Dunia from Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo which shares a border with Uganda. I met Justin through our mutual friend Ludger who is a fellow supporter of the Kampala Christian Orphanage. It was an extraordinary privilege to be in touch with Justin during the aftermath of the recent volcanic eruption which, of course, was headline news across the world, and to get firsthand information from somebody actually there. Anyway, enough from me! Let me hand over to Justin to tell you a bit about himself, the beautiful city of Goma and his wonderful work there.
Hello, I’m Dunia Karimbogo Justin, a teacher of English from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kinshasa, North Kivu Province, Masisi Territory, Goma Town. DRC is in Central Africa:
With Goma to the East, close to the border with Rwanda:
It’s a beautiful part of the world where we have wonderful landscapes, mountains, parks as you can see:
With its temperate climate, it is like the Europe of Africa.
I was born in Masisi Territory in North Kivu Province in the East part of DRC. My family left for studies, the we moved to Goma Town where we studied at primary school, then for a degree at Goma College. I graduated as an English teacher in 2013, although I don’t currently have a teaching post.
Clearly, you have heard about us due to the recent volcanic eruption. What was that all about? It is Nyiragongo Volcano located in Rutshuru Territory, close to Goma Town. In normal times it is a beautiful part of our local landscape:
The volcano erupted on 22nd May 2021, causing devastation all around:
We were forced to leave the city as people died, children were separated from their parents, with many buildings destroyed or damaged. Many people are currently in a displacement camp because their houses were destroyed by the eruption. There is no food, clean water, or shelter, with many people becoming ill as a result.
So, we are looking to pick up our lives again as soon as we can. For many years now I have been involved with youthwork through our organisation Youth Initiatives for Sustainable Development. Why did we form this organisation? Because we come from a country with many troubles due to many armed groups, with continual fighting between themselves and also with Government forces. Many innocent people get caught in the crossfire, with citizens killed, leaving behind many orphans and marginalised children living in poverty.
We are working to help relieve poverty, including medical treatment, education and creating sporting opportunities:
We organise meetings and discussion groups, bringing together people from different tribes as we look to live in peace and harmony:
So, please help us! We need financial support and also help as move towards NGO status and formal registration in the DRC. If you can help, or would like further information, please contact me directly:
Justin Dunia, email duniajust@gmail.com , WhatsApp: +243 978 327 614.
Thank you for reading from us all!
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