Hope during Ebola and Violence

Hope can be a choice – especially when the odds are stacked against it. For the Baptist Church in Central Africa (CBCA), the UEM member church in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, this hope is not just a theory. It is evident in everyday life: in hospitals, in congregations, in schools, and in conversations with people who are afraid, sick, or have lost loved ones.

The CBCA, headquartered in the rebel-controlled city of Goma, operates in North Kivu and the neighboring province of Ituri, which has been particularly hard hit by the effects of Ebola. Alongside violence, insecurity, and displacement, Ebola poses a serious and immediate threat to the people there. Many know how quickly the disease can spread and how drastically it changes the lives of entire communities. In addition to caring for those who are sick, it is particularly challenging to identify people who have been in contact with infected individuals and, at the same time, to explain to people why social distancing, isolation, and caution are necessary to contain the disease. This is because many people there live in close quarters within families, neighborhoods, and communities; closeness, mutual support, and communal living are part of their culture and daily life. Maintaining physical distance therefore goes against familiar habits and profoundly disrupts social interaction.

That is precisely why the Church has a special role to play. It runs hospitals and schools and is active in the communities. CBCA staff live and work in the communities to which they themselves belong. They know the people, speak their language, and have earned their trust. This enables them to counter rumors and explain which measures protect lives.

The work in eastern Congo takes place under difficult conditions. Conflicts, armed groups, restricted freedom of movement, and overcrowded refugee camps without clean drinking water and adequate sanitation complicate relief efforts. Nevertheless, the CBCA organizes essential medical care, seeks dialogue with various stakeholders, and strives to build bridges so that aid reaches where it is needed.

“Hope is a choice, and we have made a clear decision not to stand still,” says Rev. Dr. Jonathan Kavusa Kivatsi, chairman and legal representative of the CBCA. “We do not shy away; we stand by the people, treat the sick, educate, support families, and create spaces where trust can grow.”

The CBCA demonstrates that hope does not ignore reality. It acknowledges suffering, illness, and fear—and yet chooses closeness, responsibility, and action. This is precisely where its strength lies: hope becomes tangible when people stand up for one another.

 

Further information is available in the UEM International Devotion of 8 July 2026