Hello friends, I am Polisi Kivava Baudouin. I am based in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where I serve as National Field Staff. In my role, I oversee relief and development work among CBM’s partners in Africa.

The East of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been torn by war and violence for the last three decades. The situation worsened last year when one of the armed groups, the M23 started invading some villages. Despite the different initiatives of ceasefire, the rebels keep occupying new territories. The number of people being killed daily in villages keeps increasing, creating fear and insecurity in rural areas. When people cannot reach their fields due to their own safety, the risk of hunger also increases. People fearing for their lives must flee their villages to move to IDP camps, where they are exposed to hunger and diseases.

Some parts of Kenya have been facing drought since last year. In Embu, where our partner ACC&S is implementing a food security project, rains failed for three consecutive seasons, which is exposing farmers to famine. Finally, we praise God for new partners: the Baptist Convention of Togo and the Liberia Baptist Missionary & Educational Convention (LBMEC). Rev. André Sibomana visited them last year and project discussions are ongoing.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support for our staff, partners and projects in Africa, may God bless you.

Please pray:

• Our partners in Kenya have experienced three consecutive seasons without rain, and the crops they planted last year dried out without producing a harvest. There is a risk of famine. Please pray for good weather conditions so that crops can grow and be harvested. Pray for our partner ACC&S as they implement this much-needed food security project with the local community.
• CBM is starting a new partnership in Togo and Liberia. Pray that those new partnerships may contribute to improving the spiritual growth and livelihoods of our new partners and their ministry.
• The war in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo keeps taking human lives and causing insecurity. In Goma, we live in constant fear of the city being attacked at any time. Further in the North of the country, armed groups keep invading villages and killing hundreds of powerless villagers. As a result, thousands of families must flee from their homes, leaving all their belongings and means of livelihood to live in displacement camps, exposed to hunger and diseases, most of them without assistance. Let us pray for peace so that they may go back to their homes and experience life in abundance as promised by God.