For decades, many communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have lived with instability that reaches far beyond the headlines. Violence has interrupted daily life, fractured communities, and taken from families one of the most essential gifts a young person can receive: the chance to learn. 

In regions like Rwenzori, the disruption has been especially painful, closing classrooms and halting job-skill training that families depend on to build a stable future. Yet even in hardship, the seeds of hope remain—and in the parish of St. Lazare, those seeds are beginning to grow.

Explore more: Learn about our work in the DRC. 

Standing Firm Amid the Causes of Poverty in Congo

The mission of St. Lazare Parish has persevered since its beginning. In the late 1990s, what was then the Munkamba pastoral center prepared to become a parish. But persistent unrest and violence in the area, with a recent surge brought on by the Kamwina Nsapu rebellion in 2016, isolated the entire community, cutting access to priests and longstanding pastoral life. 

In the midst of this turmoil, a Missionhurst missionary stepped in, helping build the first church and schools so faith, education, and community could continue. In 1998, the pastoral center officially took shape as St. Lazare Parish. Since then, it has grown to include multiple pastoral centers, a nursery school, several elementary schools, two secondary-level institutes, and a small health network. 

Each development has been a step toward restoring stability in an environment marked by poverty and disruption.

But the lasting effects of conflict still shape daily life. Many young people missed years of education. Others never had access to vocational training that could equip them with practical skills to earn a living. The need for safe, functional learning spaces has only increased.

The Urgent Need for Vocational Education in Africa

Education in the DRC is about far more than academic learning. For many families, especially those living in poverty, it provides the practical skills they need to survive independently. Agriculture, construction, sewing, and livestock farming are trades that allow young adults to support themselves and contribute to their households' well-being.

St. Lazare’s own institute, Ditekemena Dietu, offers several technical programs. But their facilities are quickly being stretched beyond capacity. They face several struggles that limit how many students can participate and the quality of instruction they receive, such as:

• overcrowded classrooms
• aging infrastructure
• lack of dedicated machine rooms
• unsafe restrooms

The parish schools currently enroll more than 500 students. Yet essential spaces (such as an office room, a sewing room, and updated bathrooms) are still needed for learning to take place safely and effectively.

Building a Path to Poverty Alleviation in Africa

In response to the challenges facing their community, the St. Lazare parish leaders have launched a hopeful new initiative: expanding vocational training so young people and adults can gain life-sustaining skills after years of interrupted schooling.

With guidance from the head teacher, several dedicated educators, and the parish priest, a committee has been formed to oversee the construction of new training spaces. Their goal is simple but transformative: to give students the facilities they need to build a future marked not by violence, but by capability and dignity.

The project includes:

• two new technical learning rooms (an office automation room and a cutting-and-sewing room)
• improvements to aging parish infrastructure
• new bathrooms to support the growing student population
• safe, functional classrooms where students can learn practical trades

These updates are modest in scale yet immeasurable in impact. Each new space represents restored opportunity for individuals who lost years of education through no fault of their own.

Help Us Sow New Life in the Face of Lifelong Unrest

The story of St. Lazare is one of perseverance through hardship and courage in rebuilding. Today, the parish stands at a turning point. With strengthened facilities, students, once cut off from education,  will have access to the skills they need to support their families and serve their communities.

As St. Lazare works toward this vision, MercyWorks invites you to lift up the DRC in prayer or join us in supporting this initiative. This effort is not about charity alone; it’s about honoring human dignity, empowering families, and helping restore what violence took away.