Faith Leaders in Goma Join Together to Confront a Natural Disaster

Faith Leaders of Goma Join Together to Confront a Natural Disaster

On May 22, 2021, the Nyiragongo volcano, which dominates the city of Goma, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, erupted, and lava flows poured out in all directions with severe consequences.

Much of the local population was evacuated to Saké, located 27 km west of Goma, while dozens of other citizens crossed the border into Rwanda for refuge.

Faced with this natural disaster, the National Council of Religions for Peace in DRC (CNRP) carried out an emergency humanitarian mission. The specific objectives of this mission included strengthening the capacities of the Goma-based religious leaders to respond together. Indeed, an urgent need for a coordinated response in the disaster zone, to assist the most vulnerable victims was this unique effort to bring all the faith communities of Goma to assess priority needs, and co-develop a concerted emergency response plan.

On 23 June 2021, the Secretary General of the CNRP/Religions for Peace-DRC,  the Rev. Kinyamba Armand, convened a meeting to make contact with the focal points of the CNRP which included religious leaders and civil society organizations from the two provinces of North and South Kivu, to better understand the general situation and the aftermath of the volcanic eruption. The group was informed of the very first objective of the emergency mission in Goma which was to assess specific needs and propose a concerted action plan in which all religious deliver humanitarian relief to impacted communities together.

The first workshop included 15 religious leaders in Goma representing major faith groups (Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Kimbanguist Church, Eglise de Réveil and Eglise Indépendante).

The group jointly carried out a SWAT analysis (an assessment of strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats); documented the material damage caused by the eruption (which included 3629 charred houses, 7 charred schools, and 4 charred health centres); and documented missing persons in their community.

The group reiterated the urgent need for coordinated interventions among other humanitarian actors for emergency recovery operations, and committed to ensuring their own institutions coordinated their respective responses in the two provinces impacted by the eruption. The needs, challenges and priority actions were incorporated into a jointly conceived and agreed Action Plan.

CNRP worked with the faith leaders to restructure and strengthen the connectivity between the focal points of the two provinces, such that Me El Hadj Masudi Kadogo of the Islamic Community was assigned for North Kivu, and, Rev. Bafunyembaka Ghislain for South Kivu. Both will play central role(s) in representing the CNRP in their respective provinces. The group committed to regular monitoring and communication with one another, and with CNRP.

At the conclusion of this workshop, the faith leaders thanked the Religions for Peace Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund for the support in bringing together the religious denominations of North and South Kivu to respond to this natural disaster and bring humanitarian relief to the diverse communities of Goma.