Why start a daycare in Congo?
1st- Tabitha Centers
There is a ministry called Tabitha Centers that is teaching women different trades. This organization finds women who do not have work and teaches them skills in order to support their families. Many of these women are young girls who are in extreme poverty and have considered or resorted to prositution.
2nd- Babies
Most women in Congo have children at a young age and the area in which we work, many girls have babies and then are left by their significant other (or they were impregnated by a John) leaving them to fend on their own. Many of the women come with their small children to their classes because they have no one to watch them. This would cause many problems and oftentimes, they would just skip their classes due to having to watch their child.
3rd- Where we come in
Our daycare works with a Tabitha Center in one of the poorest slums of Kinshasa. While the women are in classes, we watch their young children. We feed them, play with them and love on them while their mothers are working on lifting themselves out of poverty. We pray to offer a safe space for children and to show them that they are loved by God. We also work with the mothers to teach them how to raise a child in the best way possible.
4th- Where we hope to go
Many women have begged to put their children in this program but right now, we are limited on funds and space. We are praying to grow the daycare in order to help more mothers and after that, to start more daycares near other needy Tabitha Centers.
My heart- SHARISE
I am American by birthright but Congo has my heart. I am a missionary with Every Child Ministries and I live in Kinshasa, which is the biggest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I felt called to the mission field when I was 12 years old and over time, knew that I wanted to work with young children in the Congo. After learning and seeing firsthand how orphanages are not where God created children to live, I knew I wanted to help keep families together. Most children in orphanages have families, but the families cannot support that child so they give them to the orphanage to raise. Some even desperate enough, will sell their children in order to have money to save the rest of their family from hunger. That's why I believe that, if at all possible, keeping a child in their family is the best possible solution. But how can you do that when the family is starving?
That's why I partnered with another ministry who is helping mothers to learn a trade so they can be self-sustainable. We then can offer help to these moms while they are learning to help themselves. Through God's miraculous hand, He led me to Tabitha and their need for a daycare. I pray that one day it is sustainable enough without me, but I know that I will always want to love on these children as much as I can.
Here in Congo we speak Lingala. All our teaching is in Lingala and French, along with all our songs! If you don't understand them, that's why. :) I hope to share some of the songs and lessons soon. In Lingala, our name is Mapamboli Kitoko.
Also, I have chosen that we will do the best we can to not show the faces of these kids. Though they are precious and have the BEST smilies, these are not MY children and putting their picture on the internet for all to see can be dangerous, especially because we work with the most vulnerable women and children. We want to protect them as best we can. We pray you understand.
Testimonies
One mom, who wasn't a regular attendee to her class, said that because she knows her son will get fed, she has a stronger reason to go. Her teacher said she attends class regularly now!
Most families in this area eat very little and struggle to find food for their children. We provide breakfast and a hearty lunch. We've watched children gain weight and become healthier!
We have women's meetings every month to teach them about childrearing. Every other month, we make it an open invitation and allow other women from the church and community to come. Our first meeting had over 50 women! They all want to learn!
The founder and director of Tabitha Ministries has said that this daycare is an answer to prayer. She said that the most common question about their centers is: "What do they do with the kids while the moms are learning?" She said, "Now, we have an answer to that question!. Praise God!"
Mama Claudine, Founder of Tabitha Ministries
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Kinshasa, DRC
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Every Child Ministries
Hebron, Indiana