The award-winning PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly provides distinctive, cutting-edge news coverage and analysis of national and international events in the ever-changing religious world. Its correspondents travel around the nation and  the globe to explore how issues of faith, religion and ethics shape both national and international events.

This past week, the program featured a compelling overview of HEAL Africa. It emphasized our focus on whole person health and highlighted the synergy among our programs. Conversations with founders Lyn and [...]]]>

The award-winning PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly provides distinctive, cutting-edge news coverage and analysis of national and international events in the ever-changing religious world. Its correspondents travel around the nation and  the globe to explore how issues of faith, religion and ethics shape both national and international events.

This past week, the program featured a compelling overview of HEAL Africa. It emphasized our focus on whole person health and highlighted the synergy among our programs. Conversations with founders Lyn and Jo Lusi helped to detail the environment within which HEAL Africa operates, particularly the challenges of working in conflict-ridden eastern DR Congo. Interviews with a few of HEAL Africa’s patients underscored individual areas of need and brought home the personal importance that HEAL Africa’s services have for the people of this region. Click here to watch the segment.

HEAL Africa Students Share Their Creativity and Their Voices Through A Unique Children’s Book 

HEAL Africa is proud to highlight a wonderful new children’s book that features the creativity of over 30 young students at the Tungane and Mugunga schools in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The book also highlights the inspirational work of HEAL Africa’s programs in DR Congo and features HEAL Africa’s Lyn Lusi as an inspirational female role model.

NDEZE AND NDAKASI’S NEW HOME [...]]]>

HEAL Africa Students Share Their Creativity and Their Voices Through A Unique Children’s Book 

HEAL Africa is proud to highlight a wonderful new children’s book that features the creativity of over 30 young students at the Tungane and Mugunga schools in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The book also highlights the inspirational work of HEAL Africa’s programs in DR Congo and features HEAL Africa’s Lyn Lusi as an inspirational female role model.

NDEZE AND NDAKASI’S NEW HOME is a touching tale of two orphaned gorillas who are rescued by a Park Ranger and eventually return to the forest where they were born. Published by the nonprofit organization Dot-to-Dot Children’s Books, the book is based on drawings and stories by students at two schools supported by HEAL Africa – the Tungane School at HEAL Africa’s hospital in Goma and the Mugunga Primary School located at the Mugunga Refugee Camp. Dot-to-Dot’s creative writing team selected favorite elements written during the workshop and combined them into a single story, making NDEZE AND NDAKASI’S NEW HOME an expression of the collective creativity of the young students who helped write it.

Join us in giving a global voice to HEAL Africa’s newest young authors and spreading the word about HEAL Africa by sharing NDEZE AND NDAKASI’S NEW HOME with children in your life and recommending it to your friends and family. How about your school library? Teachers you know?

Order information: 20% of sales of NDEZE AND NDAKASI’S NEW HOME will automatically be donated to HEAL Africa and 40% of sales will be donated if you enter promo code HEALAFRICA at the time of purchase. An additional 10% of sales will be donated to the Wildlife Conservation Society to help protect endangered mountain gorillas and their habitat. To learn more or purchase, click here.

All around us, women and men are quietly working to create a more just, healthy and peaceful world. They care for survivors of conflict. They share skills and ideas that strengthen communities. They are today’s unsung heroes.

Every once in awhile, one of these heroes is brought to light. Lyn Lusi, HEAL Africa’s co-founder, was recently awarded the prestigious Opus prize for her work in solving today’s most persistent social problems in Congo. Yet she also represents the tireless efforts [...]]]>

All around us, women and men are quietly working to create a more just, healthy and peaceful world. They care for survivors of conflict. They share skills and ideas that strengthen communities. They are today’s unsung heroes.

Every once in awhile, one of these heroes is brought to light. Lyn Lusi, HEAL Africa’s co-founder, was recently awarded the prestigious Opus prize for her work in solving today’s most persistent social problems in Congo. Yet she also represents the tireless efforts and dedication of countless others.

Doctors, counselors, teachers, engineers – all of them play vital roles at HEAL Africa. Yet there is one member of our family who is an integral part of every patient we treat, every woman we teach. That person is you. You provide the funding that allows our mission to move forward every day in the hands of dedicated staff members like Chief Medical Engineer John Bizi, Dr. Kayumba Bienvenu and Healing Arts teacher Marie Biliya. Step into their shoes for a moment and see how your support makes a difference in the lives of women, men and children in Congo.

We hope you’ll be inspired to make a gift to help our unsung heroes continue their work. Together, we can create a healthy, vibrant Congo.

Marie Biliya remembers her first day at HEAL Africa very well. “There were so many women, and I had to teach them!” Marie might be shy, but her desire to help others won out. She joined HEAL Africa’s Healing Arts program in 2007, teaching hospital patients and other local women how to produce clothing and accessories. With this skill they can earn a living and gain respect in their communities – a goal that resonates with Marie. “Whatever happens in my life, I wouldn’t want to be a burden for somebody else.”

But there were times when Marie did feel like a burden. Her husband, the family’s sole provider, died of an illness in 2000. Left alone with their three children, Marie opened her own tailoring business. Among her clients were several women who worked for HEAL Africa, including Lyn Lusi. When she was invited to be a teacher for Healing Arts, she saw the opportunity to help other women like herself.

One young mother had a daughter who broke her leg; her husband chased them away. She joined the Healing Arts program and now spends every cent she earns from her sewing on her daughter’s treatment. Marie hopes the girl can go back to school like all her own children. “For me it is so touching that these women do everything to care for their children,” she explains. Marie is proud to give them the skills to provide for their families.

John Bizi grew up in Rwanguba, a town not far from Congo’s border with Uganda. As the fifth of 11 children, he worked from the age of 12 to pay his own school fees. Today, John is HEAL Africa’s Chief Medical Engineer.

John met Lyn and Jo Lusi years before he thought of joining HEAL Africa. He recalls eating some fufu (a staple starch) prepared by Lyn Lusi, “My first time to eat fufu made by a white person!” When John got a scholarship to study medical engineering in Kenya for three years, he knew he could help heal the people of Congo. So he joined HEAL Africa’s hospital in Goma after completing his studies in 2006.

John makes sure that the hospital has everything it needs to serve patients effectively, from running water to medical oxygen. “Recently we received a patient who was oxygen dependent. The cost for oxygen is high around here: $80 for an oxygen tank, $1,500 for an oxygen concentrator and $110 for a flow meter. We did not have proper equipment, so I used the flow meter from an old machine and fixed it onto a newer but incomplete tool, and it worked.” Now the patient lives at home and breathes naturally.

At HEAL Africa, John is an engineer who saves lives. He’s honored to have the opportunity, saying simply, “I like the way HEAL Africa works for vulnerable people.”

Dr. Bienvenu joined HEAL Africa in 2008 and provides sexual violence victims with medical care. He admits it is not easy to hear the horrifying stories his patients have to tell. But Dr. Bienvenu relates to his patients with compassion and humility, offering personalized care and a full commitment to their recovery. This commitment can bring him into the hospital at any time of day or night. He recalls going in on a Saturday afternoon recently, on his own time, to operate on a 22 month old baby who had been physically abused by a neighbor. “I felt really moved by this patient and was happy to contribute to her recovery,” he says.

But Dr. Bienvenu did not always see himself as a doctor. “When I was at school, I wanted to become an electrician. I started my studies in that field, but my father – who is also a doctor – encouraged me towards medicine,” he reveals. The first born of a family of five children, he felt he had to follow his father’s wishes. Today, Dr. Bienvenu is glad he did: he loves his work and is devoted to helping people in need of specialized care. “In the three years I have been at HEAL Africa, I have seen many changes in our hospital’s infrastructure and services. I’m proud of the investment the organization makes in people. I only hope for a lasting peace in Congo so that the country can reach a real level of development.”

Dr. Bienvenu, John, and Marie are part of a global community of people who believe a peaceful Congo is possible. They are working on behalf of the vision we all share. They are the power behind Lyn Lusi. And you are the power behind HEAL Africa.

We invite you to make a gift to HEAL Africa this holiday season. Your donation will allow Marie, John, Dr. Bienvenu, and hundreds of others to continue their brave but quiet efforts to create a healthy, vibrant Congo. Join us in celebrating the dedication of Lyn and the entire HEAL Africa family. Together we can bring hope and healing to Congo.

Goma, Nov. 17, 2011– Regardless of the elections and changes in leadership, very little has changed for Congolese families. Just days before people are set to vote in November 28 parliamentary and presidential elections, Congolese in the eastern province of North [...]]]> The study “Les attentes des populations du Nord Kivu aux élections de 2011” (Expectations of People of North Kivu Regarding the Elections 2011), unveils that after years of suffering and neglect, Congolese people are standing up and demanding their rights.

Goma, Nov. 17, 2011– Regardless of the elections and changes in leadership, very little has changed for Congolese families. Just days before people are set to vote in November 28 parliamentary and presidential elections, Congolese in the eastern province of North Kivu express their disappointment with past elections. HEAL Africa’s Media Department conducted a study “Les attentes des populations du Nord Kivu aux élections de 2011” (Expectations of people in North Kivu regarding the elections 2011), which details the people of North Kivu’s dissatisfaction for the way things are, and their demand for their rights, after years of suffering and neglect.

A young man from the village of Kayna says: “Politicians have disappointed us, they did not act in our favor.” Although many people in North Kivu agree with him, they are advocating that after the November 28 elections, the government should begin the business of doing its job: building roads, schools, hospitals, and paying the salaries of government employees, the police and military.

HEAL Africa works with individuals and communities to embrace their rights, and works toward creating increased respect for the law, justice and the dignity of men, women and children within the government and civil society.

The research “Les attentes des populations du Nord Kivu aux élections de 2011”, is available in French at www.healafrica.org and was conducted by Micheline Mwendike. There is no English version available at this time.

Click here for the complete study (PDF in french only).

This humanitarian award is one of the world’s [...]]]> We are thrilled to be able to announce that the Opus Prize Foundation released the news today that HEAL Africa co-founder Lyn Lusi is the winner of the 2011 Opus Prize. The Opus Prize is given annually to recognize unsung heroes of any faith tradition, anywhere in the world, solving today’s most persistent social problems. The prize will be awarded at a ceremony on the Loyola Marymount University campus on November 2nd.

This humanitarian award is one of the world’s largest faith-based, humanitarian prizes for social innovation. Opus Prize winners combine an entrepreneurial spirit with an abiding faith to combat seemingly intractable global issues like poverty, illiteracy, hunger, disease, and injustice. Opus Prize winners demonstrate that change is possible, empowering and inspiring all of us.

Lyn Lusi and her husband Dr. Kasereka (Jo) Lusi founded HEAL Africa together in 2000. As many of you, our long-time supporters, know HEAL Africa is a Congolese-led organization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, working to eradicate poor health, poverty and the oppression of women. To ensure effective assistance, HEAL Africa operates an innovative model for community-based health that works hand-in-hand with local communities and their cultures. Together with communities, HEAL Africa is creating a healthier, safer and brighter future for the people of the DRC.

This prize is tremendous recognition of that work which continues daily, away from the glamor of prizes and press. With your support, the Lusis and the HEAL Africa staff work day in and day out to bring hope and healing to the Congolese people. The funding from this prize will be a significant help to our programs working directly with communities, (in fact it will be the first time that the community mobilization Nehemiah Committees will have a specific and long-term funding base). HEAL Africa has 19 programs that work together; there is still so much more need and so much more to be done! Our programs will continue to need your dedicated partnership and support, especially because this prize has raised visibility and expectation in Congo.

Lyn Lusi is the co-founder and program director of HEAL Africa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, working to transform individuals and communities shattered by the atrocities and gender violence from the war that has been raging for more than 15 years. Lyn and her husband, Dr. Jo Lusi founded what is now known as HEAL Africa in 2000, though they began to work in a small clinic in Goma in 1996. HEAL Africa has performed more than 1,500 post-rape fistula repair surgeries, provided primary care and counseling to almost 40,000 women, established 31 Safe Houses, trained over 90,000 community activists in HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and funded more than 1,500 micro grants for families. HEAL Africa’s medical, social and economic initiatives cultivate peace and development and are grounded in faith, both Lyn’s personal faith and that of the communities with which HEAL Africa works. Lyn Lusi’s belief that each person is created in God’s image has informed her work. The work of HEAL Africa has been to provide training and encouragement for leaders and villagers, based on the belief that lasting change cannot be imposed but comes from within communities themselves.

The Opus Prize Foundation
The Opus Prize Foundation is a private, philanthropic organization. The foundation honors individuals and their organizations that are largely unsung while providing exceptional and unique responses to difficult social problems such as poverty, illiteracy, hunger, disease and injustice in the world’s poorest communities. Beyond supporting the humanitarian efforts, the Opus Prize also seeks to inspire people to pursue service to others. The goal is to provide funds that advance the winner’s work to a new level of impact, provide greater visibility and attract other supporters.

More details can be found at www.opusprize.org.

“Congo was in war”, remembers Michael.*

“Dad wanted to defend our little petrol station when the armed men came. He feared that we would starve without our little business”, tells the 17 year old boy.  When the father realized that it was too dangerous to stay in Sake, he tried to flee the little town in Eastern Congo, and join his wife and their [...]]]> He wanted only to care for his family – and he paid for it with his life.

“Congo was in war”, remembers Michael.*

“Dad wanted to defend our little petrol station when the armed men came. He feared that we would starve without our little business”, tells the 17 year old boy.  When the father realized that it was too dangerous to stay in Sake, he tried to flee the little town in Eastern Congo, and join his wife and their eight children who had already left to find a safe place. But it was too late. Michel never saw his dad again. Somebody killed him.

With the help of HEAL Africa the boy is learning how to live without a father, how to stay honest even if his hungry stomach is driving him crazy. Michel has been in the HEAL Africa’s orphan program for the last four years.  The hardest thing for him was to accept that he would never know who killed his father and where his grave was. In the late nineties, when Congo suffered terrible fighting, dead bodies were often buried quickly and in unmarked graves. Families were left alone. Mothers prostituted themselves to get the means to feed their children. Many women were raped. Human values were abandoned.

“Can you imagine what this means for children?” asks Noella Katembo who is leading the orphan’s program at HEAL Africa. She watches Michael with warmth saying “I have a boy of the same age. I know how desperately those young men need to see good models”. Noella has worked for HEAL Africa since 2003. What she is doing is not just a job to her;. Noella suffers if the children are suffering and she blossoms if the young people she works with manage to live in dignity.

Michael is struggling very hard to do so. His mother has been sick for a long time. He never thought about why his mother got ill. But Noella knows that the reason was also a tragedy of the war: “A mother will do everything to feed their children,” she says. The mother has AIDS.

Michael is not alone. HEAL Africa is caring for 1385 orphans. One of them is Justin. He lost his father in 2002. He died in the hospital of high blood pressure and diabetes. After that his mother became sick, too, and she could not go to the market any longer to sell vegetables. So the family ran out of money and Justin hat to quit school. The HEAL Africa staff in Sake heard about the boy and took him into the orphans program. Now he is 19 years old and it’s him who is caring for his mother and his four older brothers and sister. “I am the only one who went so school” he says proudly. Now he is starting a little shop with other orphans. Every day after school he goes there to earn some money.

Justin and Michael dream of attending university. But so far there is no way to finance their education. For Noella it is hard to see that. “If those boys had a chance for further education they could make a career, support their families and even contribute to the development of Congo”, she says.

*all names of orphans changed

Kasoli’s mother states,  “It all started when we noticed her forearms was getting swollen. We went to a health centre which is near our home in June to get some treatment for my daughter. However, there was absolutely no improvement. Eventually, that [...]]]> “My name is Kasoli and I am 9 years old. I come from Kitumbiro, which is near Butembo (in the North of the North Kivu province). I arrived at Heal Africa with my mum on August 5, 2011.”

Kasoli’s mother states,  “It all started when we noticed her forearms was getting swollen. We went to a health centre which is near our home in June to get some treatment for my daughter. However, there was absolutely no improvement. Eventually, that health center decided to arrange for my daughter to be transferred to HEAL Africa Hospital. They said we should see Dr Lusi in Goma. When we still were at the health centre, my daughter’s arm was operated on, and when we got here in Goma, after the doctor’s consultation, we were told it was a case of bone tuberculosis. Kasoli is being treated. Her treatment costs are provided for by HEAL Africa directly, which is a blessing. In the village, I had to pay for the $30 operation fees, and struggled for it. I am now a widow, I would have needed to ask my husband’s family for help, but it is not certain they would have been able to support this.”

Kasoli continues her story: “I used to go to school in my village, I was in my second year of primary school. I used to have 2 siblings but the oldest died, so now I am left with my little brother. While I am here with my mum, my brother is being looked after by my grandma, back in the village. I attend the hospital classroom and have met some friends, but I do not like it here, I miss my family and the village so much. I do not know when I can go back home; but I only wish I would fully and quickly recover, and I am pleased that I am receiving treatment.”