ENSEMBLE POUR LA SANTE ET LE DEVELOPPEMENT HOLISTIQUE EN MILIEU RURAL ET PERIURBAIN. (E.SA.DE.R)

WHO WE ARE?

Our mission is summed up in the search for life in abundance (John 10:10) that we will achieve as we contribute to improving in a holistic manner the health and socio-economic well-being of the most vulnerable populations in rural and periurban areas, women, children and young people in difficult situations, whatever their religious affiliations, their races and ethnicities.

ESADER is a Congolese law development NGO founded in 2007 and legalized in 2013. ESADER stands on Christian principles and values: love, compassion, respect, dignity, courage and peace.

Professor SADIKI BYOMBUKA ONESIME/PHD
Chairman of the Board of Directors

Mr. BALIESIMA KADUKIMA Albert /MPH Executive Director

Achille SIBKA-SIBKA /BE
Accountant

WHAT WE DO AND WHERE?

ESADER is involved in the promotion of gender and the fight against gender-based violence, HIV and AIDS through the empowerment of young people, religious and community leaders .ESADER is also involved in the promotion of safer motherhood, access to education for children in disadvantaged areas, the promotion of peace and peaceful cohabitation within and between communities.

ESADER works mainly in the province of North Kivu (Eastern part of DRC) particularly in Beni region, where people have been seriously affected by the violence perpetrated by ADF rebels from Uganda. These rebels have been conducting systematic massacres since 2013 in an indescribable way: slaughtering people using machetes, axes, knives; by burning houses, cars and other serval properties; burning, looting and destroying health facilities, schools; kidnaping girls, children and women, raping them; making them sex slaves and training them in islamo-terrorism related ideology.

From 2018 to 2020, ESADER was among the local NGOs who were fighting Ebola virus disease by building the capacities of the church and community leaders to address rumors, providing Churches, sites for war internal displaced people, hotels and schools with hygiene supplies in Beni territory in general and Kamango health zone particularly.

From 2020 to 2021, ESADER was among the local NGOs to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kinshasa city.

ESADER assisted also some of the victims of the volcano eruption in Goma. Many times ESADER has provided food and non-food items to internal displaced people in Beni region.

Since 2013, ESADER has been implementing a number of projects and a range of activities to support the most vulnerable people, in terms of providing construction materials for rehabilitating war affected health facilities, schools and basic equipment and training for the youth to acquire skills. ESADER is also supporting orphans and vulnerable children to access education. Through some of its WASH activities ESADER is one of the local NGOs that were engaged in the fight against EBOLA in Beni region and against COVID-19 pandemic in Kinshasa City and Beni region.

PROJETS IMPLIMENTED

ESADER providing schools and health centers with iron sheets and nails for the rehabilitation of buildings

Kikingi primary school burned by ADF and rebuilt by the community with the support from ESADER

Kivumbo primary school lacking shelter after it was distroyed by ADF and rebuilt

Matresses being delivered at Kamango general hospital after a partial rehabilitation

Kamango hospital resuming its day to day activities after shifting from Kahondo health center to Kamango

In-patient admitted on the floor due to lack of beds and mattresses (left) at Musali health center, delivery of beds at Musali health centre after returing from displacement

Delivery of basic medical equipment to affected health centers (Kasabinyole in Beni and Kainama

Delivery of teaching materials to schools

The massacres perpetrated by ADF rebels have left behind thousands of widows and hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children whose number has been increasing a day after another with no or very little assistance. Since 2014 ESADER developed a program for helping and attempting to meet some of the needs of the war orphaned children and other vulnerable children who are not able to access education.

Some of the orphans supported by ESADER in their studies

3. WASH and fight against EBOLA and COVID

In 2018, ESADER was among the local organizations accredited by the government for its participation in the response to the Ebola virus epidemic that had broken out in Mangina, territory of Beni (Cfr letter of accreditation attached). ESADER had focused its actions in the town of Beni and especially in the Kamango health zone where organizations were scarced due to the isolation of this area.

ESADER was also able to build a number of water sources and provide churches, public markets in Kinshasa and Beni area with sanitary materials such as hand washing devices, soap, masks etc in order to limit the contamination. Umoja FM community radio was put into contribution in the awareness and prevention activities through a range of broadcasting programs. One of the listeners of Umoja said, “We were already prepared for Coronavirus before it arrived here, as Radio Umoja said it was coming and told us what precautions we should take.”

ESADER staff members teaching Ebola prevention methods at Tamende parish congregation in Beni

Dr Napoleon teaching religious leaders (Kamango diocese) on hand washing technics

Broadcasting Ebola related session at Umoja FM radio in Nobili/Kamango

ESADER is a member of the Global Micah Network. As part of the joint collaborative efforts, a consortium made up of six organizations (World Evangelical Alliance, Global Micah, World Relief DR Congo, Evangelical Alliance of the DR Congo, Micah Network of the DR Congo, and ESADER) was created in order mainly to support the Christian churches of the DR Congo to meet the humanitarian needs of the population and thus contribute to reducing poverty in their respective communities, affected by humanitarian crises due to wars and repeated forms of violence. It is within this framework that the Christian coalition engaged in 2019 in the response against Ebola in the Zones of Masisi, Rutchuru, Walikale and Beni with the financial support of Cornerstorne.

Building the capacities of religious leaders in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic

In 2020 ESADER got involved in building the capacities of religious and community leaders to help them be able to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. During an awareness workshop organized jointly by ESADER through its executive director, Albert Baliesima on one hand, and the Anglican diocese of Kinshasa through Bishop Achille Musthindu, on the other hand, organized an awareness workshop on the basis of the Holy Scriptures (Psalm 91: 1-16; Essay 56:10; Matthew 5: 13-14) . The two leaders urged participants to put the Christian faith into practice during this difficult time of COVID-19 when Christians must show to the world that they are the salt and the light of this world. The servants of God were called not to behave like hirelings by abandoning the sheep to their plight. Participants were also asked not to be too afraid of the pandemic and its contagion, for God reassures us of his protection. They were called to join forces in the fight against this threat and to bring hope and comfort to the people of God as they apply the hygiene measures recommended by the health authorities including the social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands etc. As masks were scarce on the market, ESADER staff could teach religious and community leaders how one can make his own masks.

A couple of weeks following the workshop, ESADER staff members and some members of the Anglican Church endeavored to raise awareness door to door and through sequences of songs on how to prevent the Coronavirus pandemic. The vendors of airtimes and the taxi drivers were not left beside. As the price of the masks has more than doubled in the city since two weeks back, the ESADER staff members have been teaching members of households to make by and for themselves preventive masks

Community sensitization of households, outside vendors and taximenby the ESADER staffmembers

Mr Albert Baliesima and Bishop Achille Mushindo encouraging Church leaders to engage in fighting COVID-19 in Kinshasa by providing hope and confort during the pandemic

Demonstration of the artisanal way of making masks that were rare and expensive

Teaching on correct hand washing technics

ESADER provided 4 public markets ( Kintambo, Camp Luka, Sola, Camp ) and more than 30 churches with sanitation kits in Kinshasa.

Since 2013, in order to address the challenges and damages caused by recurring wars, ESADER has been engaged in the rehabilitation of health centers and schools affected or destroyed by the Ugandan ADF rebels in the rural health zones of Kamango and Oicha, in Beni territory. Due to very limited financial means, we were able to support local communities in their efforts and initiatives to rebuild or rehabilitate schools and health centers by using construction materials available in the local environments.

Through this support, in terms of iron sheets, nails, mattresses, basic medical equipment and sometimes essential drugs, more than 20 schools have been so far rehabilitated and equipped as well as more than 15 health facilities including the Kamango General Referral Hospital (destroyed and looted in 2013). ESADER works in partnership with a German Christian NGO namely Offensive to raising funds to support the community development initiatives and humanitarian purposes.

Using materials available in their environment, community members working together to rehabilitate /Rebuild burned or destroyed schools and health centers

ESADER’s support for orphans is in terms of paying school fees and providing them with school supplies such as uniforms, exercise books, sanitary materials etc. Some of these orphans are already studying at the university level, and others are already in active life.

ESADER providing orphans and vulnerable children with exercise books, pens, bags and uniforms

4. Peace building and reconciliation

Recurring violence has been prevailing in the DR Congo and mainly in the eastern part of the country for the last 2 decades. Violence has left behind conflicts, enmity, and hatred between individuals, families and communities. In order to meet this challenge, Esader has developed a Peace building program where peace building activists organize meetings in the communities where people can talk about practical issues that do hinder individuals, families, clans and communities to live in harmony. More than 8 years back, ESADER sent 3 religious leaders to be trained in Rwanda on peace and reconciliation. Back to DRC, they trained peace and reconciliation activists who have been doing the work in the community through meetings, seminars, preaching and also through radiobroadcast at Umoja FM which has been playing a multi-sectorial role in the community.

5. Vocational workshop

Thanks to financial support from God Cares, ESADER has initiated a vocational workshop that has been helping youth to acquire skills in auto-mechanics, carpentry and masonry. This workshop initiative aims among others objectives to prevent young people from joining rebel or militia groups. Some of the former trainees have been able to start their own business in auto mechanics. Masons and carpenters are able to work in deferent construction sites and projects in the area.

1. The rehabilitation of war affected schools and health facilities

2. Scholastic support to orphans and vulnerable children

Teaching on correct hand washing technics

ESADER staff sensitizing households, outside vendors, motobike taximen on water borne diseases, sanitation and COVID related issues

ESADER providing schools, health facilities and markets with hand sanitary materials

This radio station has helped us through some very dark times, it truly is our friend,” said Jean-Baptiste, a radio listener to Radio Umoja in Nobili, in the beautiful, yet troubled Congolese province of North-Kivu. “Umoja” which means unity, was set up in 2016 by a partnership including local NGO ESADER and UK charity Amplifying Voices, to promote peace and reconciliation, health and wellbeing in the Chieftaincy of Watalinga. Since then it has been a constant voice of hope and peace and reconciliation, throughout wars, the Ebola crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and a refugee crisis.

In July 2023 Amplifying Voices trained the Radio Umoja team and worked with them on plans to increase their local sustainability and extend the reach of the station to outlying areas. The Director of ESADER, Albert Baliesima, said it is very important to relay the station to certain communities who are cut off from vital, life-giving information.

In despite of many challenges, the team at Umoja FM continue to work hard to ensure that they are involving communities and health and development service providers in their daily activities to address the vast needs and many challenges, they continue amplifying the voices of their own communities, to be heard, healthy, empowered and promoting peace and reconciliation across the whole region. A new and beautiful building for UMOJA is now under construction.

New building of Umoja FM under construction (left) and how it will look like when finished (right)