Churches in DR Congo Partner with European Union for €2m COVID-19 Sensitization Program

“First, the religious leaders will be raising awareness on the respect of the preventive measures decreed by the Congolese authorities as well as the World Health Organization (WHO),” Cardinal Ambongo who is also the Vice President of CENCO said.

The churches that are part of the project are also expected to “oversee the construction of individual and collective responsibility in the efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.” 

The leaders of the respective churches will be required to put in place measures that will ensure the keeping of “the good habits acquired after this period of crisis in order to protect against future pandemics,” Cardinal Ambongo who is a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin also said.

In a Tweet after the launch, the EU Ambassador in DRC, Jean-Marc Châtaigner highlighted the value of engaging religious leaders in the fight against the global pandemic.

“The involvement of the churches is essential to convince the population of the importance of different preventive measures, as well as to combat false beliefs,” Ambassador Jean-Marc Tweeted.

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According to the EU Diplomat, the project also aims to “strengthen community mechanisms ahead of the economic recession and the poverty shock that the DRC will experience in the coming months.”

According to a World Bank report about DRC, COVID-19 pandemic “is expected to trigger an economic recession (-2.2%) in 2020, stemming from weaker exports caused by the global economic downturn.” 

Overall, the Eur.2 million project, which has mobilized more than 1,500 volunteers, aims at contributing “to the interruption of the transmission of the Coronavirus in DRC and minimize its health and socioeconomic impact,” Ambassador Châtaigner said.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.