Harper Hill Global Supports Ebola Awareness Training in Congo
The event brought together local church leaders in the Uvira area of South Kivu Province in eastern Congo.
By Philippe Lolonga
Oct. 1, 2026 | UVIRA, Congo
Participants in a recent training session on preventing Ebola are planning to share what they learned to protect their communities – and thanking Harper Hill Global for its support.
The Congo Development Action Program organized the awareness sessions in Uvira, which is in South Kivu Province in eastern Congo. South Kivu has been one of the hardest-hit regions in the current Ebola outbreak. Harper Hill Global provided support for the session, which brought together local church leaders.
“I found this health education session very interesting because it allowed us to learn important things that we can apply directly in our families,” said participant Joseph Mugadja Muberwa. “The discussions also gave us the opportunity to ask questions and share the health challenges we face in our community.”
Muberwa was struck by the importance of prevention and adopting best practices to protect the health of loved ones, he said, and he thanked the Congo Development Action Program and Harper Hill Global.
“We hope that such awareness sessions will be organized regularly in our church so that more people can benefit from this information,” Muberwa said.
Participant Francine Bokeci also expressed gratitude to Harper Hill Global.
“This awareness session allowed me to learn important things about disease prevention and the best practices I should apply in my family,” Bokeci said.
She particularly appreciated the opportunity to share about the health challenges in the communities, she said. She realized that people can help protect their families by adopting best practices and sharing the information they have received with others.
“This awareness session encouraged me to take care of my health and to become a messenger of prevention in my local community,” Bokeci said.
With Harper Hill Global’s support, Gulain Nganya Kikwire, coordinator of the Congo Development Action Program, purchased a laptop, projector, projection screen, phone and a backup battery unit for the awareness sessions. The equipment enables him to show videos on Ebola awareness, he said.
Kikwire is calling for financial support as he plans to expand health education and awareness activities in collaboration with churches, religious leaders, health facilities, local authorities, community organizations and other stakeholders.
He noted that churches serve as important community spaces for outreach to large numbers of people to raise awareness about disease prevention, hygiene, sanitation, nutrition, maternal and child health, and sexual and reproductive health; strengthen community awareness-raising activities in response to epidemics and other health emergencies, particularly through the rapid dissemination of reliable prevention messages; pay special attention to young people, women, children, the elderly and people in vulnerable situations; build a collaborative network between churches and community stakeholders for disseminating health messages; document the experiences and results of activities in order to share best practices with partners; and mobilize additional resources.
The training was held at the Congo for Christ Center Church, a revivalist congregation in Uvira led by Pastor Taunga Kagwa. “I hope that this type of activity can continue on a regular basis,” Kagwa said, “because the church is an important platform for reaching and informing a large number of people.”
The pastor said he plans to share this message every Sunday, since that is a good time to raise awareness about the Ebola virus disease.
“As a pastor, I have a duty to save lives through this presentation, which has been translated into Swahili,” he concluded.
Lolonga is a Harper Hill Global correspondent based in Congo.
Harper Hill Global continues raising money for media and educational distribution throughout impacted and surrounding areas. Your gift can save a life.
Contact: nhicks@harperhill.global or +1(615)260-6945.
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