LOCAL PARTNERS
Bisoke Balikenga, DR Congo
Provincial youth worker investing in young people through encouraging them in their education and peacemaking and raising up new leaders
Working with the Anglican Church in Congo, Bisoke started a peace centre in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri province in eastern DRC. Ituri is a region rocked by tribal fighting.
Thousands of people have fled attacks in their villages and travelled to Bunia in search of relative safety – with 200,000 displaced people now in the area.
They are in desperate need of food, water and shelter, and are deeply traumatised. Many women and girls who arrive at the peace centre have suffered sexual violence, and been rejected by their families as a result.
Related prayer news and stories
DR Congo: ongoing discussions
On Tuesday 7 May a roundtable discussion will bring together a number of people involved in making disciples in contexts affected by conflict to consider “The Role of Women and Youth in Implementing Wholistic Discipleship Programmes in eastern DRC”. This gathering will create space to share case studies on the pivotal role played by women… Read more
Kenya: flooding
East Africa continues to be affected by flooding, and this week Kenya has been badly hit. Local partner Rachel Karanja shared that her home village was affected by a nearby dam bursting. She sent this prayer request: “Pray for our friends affected by flooding in Mai Mahiu after a dam burst and swept everything downstream.… Read more
Bisoke’s story
Based in Bunia, eastern DR Congo, Bisoke worked with CMS mission partner Judy Acheson for many years and then took over as provincial youth worker in 2009, when Judy retired. He is Church Mission Society’s longest-standing local partner in Africa.
Bisoke is married to Furaha, and has three children. He has been involved in youth activities since 1989, and studied at Daystar University in Kenya. He describes his vision as reaching “young people with the gospel, enabling them to discern the way forwards and to make informed decisions”.
He is also passionate about raising up young “Christian patriots”, who can contribute to the fight against poverty and work towards the reconstruction of DR Congo and the Republic of the Congo. Bisoke works in several dioceses across these countries, and is committed to training youth workers and promoting youth work throughout the region.
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