An Interview with Congo Family Restoration

Love for Congo is comprised of parents with children from the Democratic Republic of Congo, many of whom are still waiting in DRC to be united with their families. Last month we held a fundraiser and are pleased to announce that we raised 

$500 

 for Congo Family Restoration!  

This money will go a long ways in providing orphaned children in DRC with family, education, food, and medical care. Thank you for participating!

Photo courtesy of Congo Family Restoration

If you haven't read our first post about Congo Family Restoration, please do so here!  Recently, however, we had the pleasure of an interview with Christian Ruberwa to find out more about Congo Family Restoration (CFR).  With the tax year coming to a close, please consider making a donation to Congo Family Restoration; you can do so here.  Remember, just $200 supports a child (with food, medical care, education, and a foster family) for a YEAR.  Now, here's Christian...

Q:  What is your position for CFR?

A: Currently, I am an interim Director of Business and Donor development.

Q:  How did the idea for CFR come about?

A: It all started around 2004-2005 when my younger sister Ruth and my mother thought of the idea to help those in need. At the time, my father had just been appointed VP of the DRC and the country was transitioning out of a five-year civil war that had resulted in 5 million+ deaths within the country. As such, we all saw a need and sought to find a way to help those who were most affected by it.

Q:  How many years has CFR been in existence?  Has the program grown over the years? (If so, how?)

A: CFR was created in 2005 and we started with 50 orphans in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC located on the western side of the country. As the years went on we were convinced that we needed to add 50 more children. In March 2012 we were able to do just that in the town of Goma in Eastern Congo.

Q:  From where are most of CFR's children?

A: Most are from the cities of Kinshasa, Goma and their surrounding areas.

Q:  For how many children does CFR currently provide care?  What is the age range?

A: We currently provide for 100 children. Range goes from 6-24.

Q:  What are the most common reasons children are left orphaned and come to CFR?

A: Parents die due to disease-related sicknesses such as Malaria, HIV, Diabetes, Cancer, etc. Also, there are some who died during the war in the 90’s and early 2000’s.

Q:  CFR operates on the foster care model, which is great!  Does CFR also have a location where all the children gather together?  (If so, please describe what gatherings are like.)

A: We don’t yet have a place for all the children to gather. However, some children gather at the churches that help sponsor them in Kinshasa and Goma.

Q:  What does a typical week look like for a CFR child?

A: Depending on the age of a child we have most children who are in primary and secondary school. Typically, during school days, they go out to school and come back to their foster homes. We have local church members who have agreed to take these kids in.

Q:  What are CFR's biggest needs right now?

A: I think we lack enough people on the ground to help us coordinate. We’ve had several people leave the past few years due to unexpected reasons.

Q:  Where does CFR get its funding? Does it rely solely on donations? 

A: Generous donations. We also have a small wedding dress rental shop that helps us gather funds. Lastly, my parents also take on the responsibility of funding any needs that come along themselves.

Q:  Do you ever have to turn away children?

A: I don’t believe this has happened yet.

Q:  Would more donations mean CFR could care for more children?

A: We believe so. However, we are still working on the logistics and looking for people who we can trust on the ground.

Q:  Explain the emotional, spiritual, and physical changes you have been able to see in children that come into CFR?

A: It really is night and day. I’ll give an example of one kid in Kinshasa named Alpha Sharadi who impressed me so much. Alpha was one of the first kids we had join CFR in 2005 along with his younger brother. They lost both of their parents at a very young age. Now Alpha is in college at the University of Kinshasa and still very involved in the life of his brother. It’s amazing to see him grow up and still want to be active in the life of his brother.

Q:  What is your wish for the future of CFR?

A: I really want CFR to become a great vessel for the kingdom of God in the DRC. This country has suffered a lot since the beginning of the first war in 1996. My wish is for NGO’s such as CFR to exemplify a beacon of hope and a source of strength for those who have been left with out any hope.

Q:  Do you have any specific prayer requests for CFR?

A: Yes, we are looking to expand into building small clinics particularly in Eastern Congo where many people die of curable diseases. Please pray for us as we enter this new stage.

Q:  Is there anything else you'd want the world to know about CFR?

A: We are an imperfect organization looking to make a difference in an imperfect world. It is only by the grace of God that we are able to accomplish what we do.

Thank you Christian!