PROJECTS
Our projects aim to travel to different African countries every year and help the children, villages and communities in need.
Project Congo
Our first accomplished project was our travels to The Democratic Republic of the Congo which is one of the richest countries in terms of natural resources, but also one of the top five poorest countries in the world. Many of the schools in the villages of the Democratic Republic of Congo have facilities in poor conditions with several classrooms without desks. This forces a large number of students to sit on the floor during lectures.
Before & After
The school supplies brought by the delegation were also displayed on a table near the desks.Each AKAV member had the opportunity to introduce themselves. Every introduction was inspirational and motivational; encouraging the students to work hard and be relentless in the pursuit of their goals and dreams. The message was well received by the parents as well as teachers.
In addition to the desks and school supplies, one philanthropist member of the board decided to personally provide monetary gifts to all teachers, including the principal, pastor, and the host who helped coordinate the project in Songololo. That was a big relief to the teachers whose salaries are very insignificant. After spending time interacting with the kids and teachers, the delegation left for Matadi to spend the night. The visit in Songololo was a memorable event for all; the students and teachers expressed this was the first time, they received assistance like this and from a group of total strangers. For AKAV, it was the reactions and smiles on the students, teachers, and parents faces; a memory that will continue to fuel their passion to continue this work.
Letter from the Reverend Nsimba Primary School Principal
Good morning!
On behalf of the school and myself, we welcome you. Our Almighty God is the master of time and circumstances, and I am obliged to thank Him for the grace he has granted us to get together. “Unbelievable but true”! To our grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, and mothers who live very far, out of Africa, who have a look at the Congolese people (children) in general and the Central Kongo province in particular, our thanks and flowers are offered for your sacrifice, effort, a manifestation of love, the donations designed to strengthen and improve the quality of education in our school. Our hearts are filled with joy!
Since 2019, we have lived under a system of free education for children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We thank our President, his excellency Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo for his vision. It is good to help parents in difficult conditions to send their children to school. Nevertheless, we are unable to address all the needs of the school because of the operational budget granted to the school by the State. Today the amount is 20,000 Congolese Francs or 86.9 US dollars. Dear brothers and sisters, what you have done, will never be forgotten. It will remain in the history of our school. However, the school buildings where the desks will be placed are unfinished. No doors, windows, or floors. We are victims of continuous theft. We have no offices. The conditions in the classrooms are bad. No tables, desks and closets. In terms of teaching, there is a lack of didactic materials. The school has no computers. In our national program, instructors are expected to teach the use of computers to students from the first to the 6th grade. Unfortunately, we have no computers in school.“Who gives to poor people lend to God”! We wish you a nice stay in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I have said!
Antoine Diibalosa Misenga, Principal
Feeding Homeless Children in Kinshasa
There were several children, ages 5 – 15 living on the streets in Kinshasa near our hotel. The local word used to describe them are “Phaseurs” or “Shegués”. Almost all of them are orphans and literally sleep in the streets and spend days and nights begging for money and food. The hotel where AKAV’s members were staying is located on the 7th street in Limete, Kinshasa; a spot these children will frequently linger around. AKAV members were heartbroken to see kids in these conditions to the point that we decided to feed them even for just one day; we took one of them named Vainqueur (which means winner) to a grocery store and bought food and drinks to be distributed amongst all of them. He wanted us to buy him shoe polish so that he can start polishing shoes and earn some money. This was a very unusual ask which surprised us in a good way; so, we bought him some supplies out of pocket. The next day, we were happy to see him out and about actively looking for customers.
REVIEWS - WORDS FROM OUR VOLUNTEERS
“Volunteering with AKAV meant a lot to me because it was time for me to go back to my homeland. It gave me an opportunity to give back to a place that gave birth to us. I felt empowered because I basically saw a reflection of myself in the kids we helped. It also meant a lot to be in a place where it gave my father a start in life. It was such a rejuvenation in my spirit going to a place that really needed our help. I was able to come back home a better person. It gave me motivation to keep going and to keep giving back to people and children in need. AKAV gave me a wakeup call to remind myself that it’s not only about me but about other people and what we can do for them.”
“Volunteering with AKAV was a wonderful lifetime experience. I met a boy living on the streets of Kinshasa whose name is Vainquer. He was abandoned by his parents. What impressed me the most about him was he didn’t want to beg for money. Instead, he wanted me to buy him shoe polish which would allow him to sit on the street corner and start a business to earn a little money for himself. This is something that I will never forget. Now that I’m back home, I always wondering what he’s up to. I could go on and on about the kids that I met. I am well aware that I cannot help all of them. But, I needed to start somewhere. I truly hope to volunteer again with AKAV to make many more meaningful connections and continue to touch the lives of those in need.”
“One of my major takeaways giving back with AKAV is to “LOVE” God in totality; and one of the ways to Love God is to love our neighbors as ourselves. I demonstrated love by giving to the poor, less privileged children, people, and community as a whole. Our God is the greatest Giver and He wants us to be like Him. Our love for the poor, children, and community must be practical by demonstration and action, not in words but in action. Not as one would read about or hear in church services but witnessing the reality of the project in the lives of the Children. Seeing their smiles and hearing the laughter from the children brought tears to my eyes. My soul rejoiced knowing we I made an impact on the lives of the children, the school, and the community.”