For Women of Faith, war-displaced persons residing in the city of Uvira are going through a state of advanced precariousness. They have lost almost everything as a result of the clashes that are recorded daily in this part of South Kivu province, which is the motivation for this assistance.

Elima Banze Nadine, national coordinator of this women's organization, believes that this category of people deserves very substantial assistance given the difficulties surrounding them. "We just gave a kit composed of rice, beans, cornmeal, vegetable oil, sugar, salt and soap. As well as a piece of cloth, a face mask and a small sum of money for transportation, which will allow them to return home."

While thanking their donor (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Ms. Elima Banze Nadine notes that the number of internally displaced persons is enormous. However, she sounds an alarm to all humanitarian organizations on behalf of these displaced persons.

According to the representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the distribution of kits by the organization delights them because these are the real victims who benefit from it. Bonanga Botshike Christian, president of this donor church in Uvira, thanks the organization for this good distribution approach while asking the remaining displaced persons to keep their faith in Jesus Christ because all things are possible; they too can be assisted in due time.

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A relief for beneficiaries

The internally displaced beneficiaries are very pleased with this assistance, which they describe as of paramount importance and which has touched several categories of displaced persons who have been in the city of Uvira since 2020 until now. Claude Maseruka, president of war-displaced persons from the high and middle plateaus of Uvira, Fizi and Mwenga, thanks the Women of Faith organization and its financial partner for this charitable aid. "We are truly very happy with the substance of this assistance we just received. However, we are asking the organization to come back because there are many displaced persons and they have several difficulties in the city of Uvira."

City hall authorities confirm that this assistance came at just the right time. It comes after a long period of advocacy. Chakupewa Mutambale Jean d'Arc, who represented the mayor of the city, calls on other humanitarian organizations to follow in the footsteps of Women of Faith to relieve these displaced persons while waiting for peace to be restored in their areas.

It is worth noting that this assistance in food and non-food items for more than one thousand displaced persons comes after a training of agents who carried out the identification of these displaced persons in the city organized on May 24.

Also read: In Goma, the NGO Women of Faith plans to assist 1,500 households affected by the Nyiragongo volcano

Joséphine Mungubi