CHURCH'S COMMITMENT FOR FOOD SECURITY THROUGH ADL-ASSOMPTION

Banana field of Bro Mughongo for Muvinga nzala project,
ei food security NGO

Bro. TEMBO MUGHONGO Jerome, assumptionnist religious, is very committed in Food security as a way and mission of spreading the Kingdom of God. There are several areas where the Church continues the work of salvation that the Lord Jesus Christ handed over to his apostles and disciples. The Church as servant aims at spreading the kingdom of Christ over all the earth for the glory of God the Father and at making all people partakers in redemption and salvation[1]. This emphasizes charity, development, education and transformation of social structures, justice and hope. It is in that line that A.D.L.-Assumption is situated.

    1. Presentation of the A.D.L.: I worked with A.D.L.-Assumption for six good weeks from June to mi-July. I was following its programs according to my interest and orientation from the course of Practical Theology.  A.D.L.-Assumption is an N.G.O. (Non governmental organization) of development founded by the Assumptionist Fathers in order to support and to accompany local people in their aspiration to improve their conditions of life. This N.G.O exercises its activities in the territories of Beni and Lubero in the Province of North Kivu/D.R.C. Its goal is to promote the self-realization of local communities for a strong and participative development.  A.D.L.-Assumption deals with the programs of food security, promotion of health, promotion of youth and the amelioration of rural houses. In that framework, we are using the concept “development” as viewed by Pope Paul VI. According to him, “the development of peoples has the church’s close attention, particularly the development of those peoples who are striving to escape from hunger, misery, endemic diseases and ignorance”[2].  Moreover, I realized without any doubt that A.D.L. is inspired by the demands of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council in the sense that it puts itself at the service of the poor, helping them to “grasp their serious problem in all its dimensions and to convince them that solidarity in action is a matter of urgency”[3].  A.D.L.works in three different sectors: food security, health and caring for the youth.

            The security of food (sécurité alimentaire) with CE.FO.V.A. (Centre de formation et de vulgarisation agricole). The result is more eloquent than words. People who see the result are amazed and ask for the formation. The organization believes that the true development passes through individual and not large groups.

            The promotion of heath: This program deals with “water for life” to facilitate the population to get water suitable for their health.

The program of promotion of youths: This is related to the orphans, the former soldiers and street boys and girls. Among them, we have hairstyle (hairdo), shoe repairer’s (mender’s) painting and sewing (dress-making). It gives joy when one sees a street boy or girl becoming responsible of his or her own life.

2. Conclusion: all in all, we have shown that A.D.L. highlights many factors that promote the mission of the Church as far as life is concerned. A.D.L.-Assumption shows to the people the problems they are facing and reveals to  them that it is urgent to take their own responsibility for the local development. In  so doing, A.D.L-Assomption “exists for the coming of the kingdom since the Spirit of our founder impels us to embrace the great cause of God and of man, to go wherever God is threatened in man and man threatened as image of God” (R.L. n^o 4).

Jean-Marie Mutulirano AA, third Year student at Hekima College, Nairobi

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[1]Cf. PIUS XI, Encyclical letter Rerum Ecclesiae : AAS 18 (1926) p.65

[2]Pope Paul VI, On development of peoples, Populorum progressio (Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 2008), 7.

[3]Austin Flannery, O. P., ed., Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post-Conciliar Documents (Bandra, Bombay : Saint Paul, 1995),  Gaudium et Spes, n^o 67.