A Return to Their Communities

For the last many years, our families from the communities of Katembe and Luhonga, as well as thousands from the other surrounding communities and towns, have been living in two internal displacement camps called Bulengo and Sam-Sam. Although the conditions of the camp have been horrible and less than ideal, these camps have been their home for the last number of years. On February 6th, the M23 rebels issued a statement saying that the camps were to be shut down and that each person had 72 hours to leave and return to their original communities.

Despite the ongoing instability—military violence, food shortages, and the destruction of homes—we are committed to supporting our families as they begin returning to their villages. Hands at Work leaders, together with the local Hands at Work team in Goma, have been working to develop a plan that will allow people to return while mitigating the immense risks they face. The strategy includes preparing Care Points in the communities to function as temporary refugee camps, providing daily meals, and beginning to plant food crops while the season still allows. By some miracle, the Care Points have remained standing despite the chaos of the war.  

On February 14th + 17th, our families from Luhonga and Katembe returned safely to their communities and are in process of rebuilding their lives. The Goma team is moving forward in faith, trusting that God will make a way even in the face of deep uncertainty.

• Please pray for protection over those who will be returning first. Pray that they will be shielded from harm.

• Pray for wisdom and discernment for Hands at Work leadership and the Goma team as they make critical decisions.

• Pray for provision - of food, resources, and the funds needed to sustain this response.

• Pray for the families who are displaced. Pray that they will experience God’s nearness in their suffering.

• Pray for peace and stability in Goma and that the violence would cease and communities would be restored.

Next Steps Forward

**The photo above is from the mandatory meeting at the stadium in Goma

On January 29th, we shared the update that the M23 rebels (who are backed by the Rwandan government) had taken control of Goma, the major city located in the north-eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. For many days, there was heavy gunfire, looting, and no electricity or access to water, meaning that Hands at Work leaders were unable to be in contact with our local Hands at Work team in Goma.

On February 3rd, Bindu (the coordinator of the Goma team) was able to connect with Hands at Work leadership and share that he was able to meet in Buhimba community with half of our children, Primary Caregivers, and Care Workers from the Sam-Sam internal displacement camp. This is a huge answer to prayer.

Following that, on February 6th, the M23 rebels called a mandatory meeting at the stadium in Goma for everyone who lives in the city. As a Hands at Work family, we urgently joined hands in prayer, as we know that meetings like these, when everyone is in one place, can become violent situations.

By the grace of God, the meeting went smoothly. The M23 asked people to send their children back to school as soon as possible and shared that all activities and work in government offices should resume as soon as possible. They talked of wanting to bring peace and protect people from violence.

• Please pray that the M23 rebels will stay true to their word and bring peace to Goma and the surrounding areas.

• Pray that they will stay true to their word and protect people, not for their own motives, but for the sake of the most vulnerable.

Pray for Goma

**The photo used is a screenshot taken from Aljazeera News Source

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been plagued by decades of war. Hands at Work has served in DRC communities devastated by this unrest since 2006. The north-eastern province around the city of Goma has continued to experience the constant threat of rebel attacks and war. Conflict between the Congolese army and Rwandan-backed M23 rebels has been raging for years. In the last few years, it has escalated, due to an intensifying effort from the M23 rebels, supported by the Rwandan government, to aggressively invade more and more territory in the Eastern DRC, which they managed to do, causing a widespread humanitarian crisis.

First, they took the small towns and communities and eventually moved to take the bigger cities before reaching Goma. Thousands were displaced from their homes, food prices soared, and hunger and disease were rampant. At the start of the war, our people from the Luhonga Community fled to a place called Bulengo, where there is a massive displacement camp. In late 2023, when the war got close to the community of Katembe, the people there fled to a place called Sake, but in February 2024, everyone from the displacement camp in Sake, as well as residents of Sake, fled to the Bulengo camp. Sadly, this camp had no space for them so they found another open piece of land where a new displacement camp called Sam-Sam was formed. The consistent threat of violence for civilians was and continues to be a devastating daily reality.

On Saturday 25th January at 5am, the rebels invaded Goma and took the airport and other key areas. Since then, they have infiltrated every part of Goma and even gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the Congolese troops to surrender or be killed. From there, all electricity and water were cut off and on Monday 27th January at 1pm, Hands at Work lost contact with our people in Goma. At that stage, Goma was being looted and under heavy gunfire.

Currently, we are unaware of what is happening in the displacement camps in Bulengo and Sam-Sam. Some reports indicate that people have fled to Rwanda or are trying to get into Uganda, but it remains unclear. With the little communication that Hands at Work leaders have had, we have encouraged our children, Primary Caregivers and Care Workers not to run, as they have a better chance of survival if they stay in the camps. However, we don’t know if they have stayed, or what the situation is like in the camps.

• Pray for our children, Primary Caregivers and Care Workers, that they will not run and disappear. If they run, there is a chance that we will never see them again. Pray that they will stay and that God will protect them.

• In Goma, Hands at Work has a local team on the ground who have been directly responding to this crisis, working around the clock to ensure the children and their families have a safe place to shelter and providing the essentials of daily meals and basic healthcare. Pray that they will be safe and that God will give them strength, courage and protection. Pray that the M23 rebels will have mercy in the displacement camps and that we can continue with feeding the most vulnerable children.  

•  Lastly, please pray for the women in Goma. For years, rape and sexual abuse have been a regular weapon in Goma and we fear for the women as these foreign soldiers are flooding the city. Pray for God’s divine protection over their lives and that by God’s grace, they will be spared from this additional trauma.

Fleeing to a New Refugee Camp

At the start of the war, our people from Luhonga fled to a place called Bulengo, where there is a massive refugee camp. This is where our Primary Caregivers and Care Workers are now and where they are feeding the children.

When the war got close to the community of Katembe, the people fled to a place called Sake in late 2023. In February, everyone from the refugee camp in Sake as well as everyone who lived in Sake fled to Goma, but the Bulengo camp had no space for them so they found another open piece of land where a new refugee camp is busy forming. This is new refugee camp is called Sam-Sam. It is smaller but still houses tens of thousands of people. The most vulnerable families that we are serving and the Care Workers are among the large number of people who have fled and formed this new camp due to the M23 invasion and bombings in Sake.

We have tried to keep all of our children, their families and the Care Workers from Katembe together. Within this big piece of land of Sam-Sam, we have found one piece on the edge of the area. This is where everyone is building their temporary home (tent like shacks).

There is a small wooden house here which has been turned into a Care Point. This is where we will build a simple fence made of canvas around the house to demarcate the Care Point as a place of safety and we will dig a toilet here. This is that place where we feed the children. They receive porridge in the morning and lunch at the Care Point.