Eden Mission - Congo, Africa

Causes: Sustainable Remedy to Poverty, Christ-Like Transformation, Church Planting

Kenneth Rwego, CEO

Scroll to bottom of page to see an urgent COVID-19 message

We first met Kenneth over 12 years ago when he was running a multi- million dollar ministry in Kampala, Uganda. Four years ago, God called him to leave this well paid position and move his family to Congo to start Eden Mission. Now they operate in three cities in eastern Congo. Eden Mission focuses on “teaching people to fish instead of giving them fish,” which is a sustainable remedy to poverty and economic hardships. Kenneth, Abigail (his wife), and his team are sacrificial servants that are having an amazing Kingdom impact.

Mission

Our mission is to equip and empower families to LIVE healthy lives, MAXIMIZE available economic opportunities and be Christ-like TRANSFORMERS of society.

In Societies today, many families are hurting and the social and economic challenges have become hindering factors, especially in developing countries. Empowering these families is the long term and sustainable remedy, contrary to support by handouts. At Eden Mission, we believe that God designed everyone to be part of a family and that we can find restoration for families, then a nation through God’s great faithfulness to us. We believe if families are spiritually and economically healthy they will be able to better connect to God, to themselves, to their communities, to their churches, to their purposes, to their potential, and to other families who can walk with them through their journey of restoration. Together we believe these families will bring light and hope to a hurting land. This is why we feel the strong determination to focus on family empowerment.

Economic Empowerment

As our family program progresses, the families determine vocations that they want to be trained in with the goal of becoming financially independent.

Once the perspective, discipleship and vocational training is completed, groups are formed and Eden Mission then offers scholarships for vocational courses. When couples finish vocational training, Eden Mission offers them tools to start working in a vocation.

Health Development

Diseases, infections and medical problems that are easily curable in developed countries can wreak havoc on an individual and an entire family, especially in Congo where healthcare is poor and difficult to access. In addition to teaching our enrolled families healthy practices, we also hold periodic medical clinics and work with a local doctor to help maintain a healthy group.

Spiritual Development

Spiritual development is our primary directive. Eden Mission’s goal is to disciple couples to view the physical world through spiritual eyes. We advocate for a refocusing on the gifts and talents God has given his children to better themselves, their families, neighborhoods and country. In our view, physical or economic development with

out spiritual growth is not true development.

Church Planting

Eden Mission recognizes that the Church is God’s ordained institution. We do all our work through and in partnership with local churches. Since our vision is working with families in some of the hard to reach parts of Africa, Eden Mission facilitates families and members of our program who feel called to plant churches in parts of Africa where the Gospel has not reached.

An urgent COVID-19 message from Kenneth Rwego, CEO

While COVID-19 ravages the world, I want you to know about the incredibly dire situation that is mounting in the areas that Eden Mission serves. In the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, the governments are bracing for the unstoppable spread of the virus and have instituted more and more restrictions in an attempt to curb its spread. We are used to dealing with Ebola, however COVID-19 is much more contagious.

The governments have shut down schools, churches, markets, public transportation, and airports. Social distancing requirements are also being imposed. In our societies, we have a large percentage of people who only have causal jobs like motorcycle driver or selling food at the market. The closures have made it impossible for these workers to earn any money. Most were already surviving on $2 a day or less and now they have no way to provide for themselves or their families. Unlike in America, governments are not willing or able to help average citizens which is creating desperate times for many people. Food is in short supply and prices are increasing rapidly. We are terrified that this will lead to violence as people are trying to survive.

At the Eden Mission offices, we have been receiving phone calls from families asking for help as their kids are starving and they cannot provide for them. These are families that have been in our program and we know them well and have been working with them to better understand their value in Christ and to develop skills to support themselves.

We have decided as a ministry that we want to support these families during the shutdown to provide them with basic food staples comprised of a 25kg bag of rice, 25kg bag of posho (corn flour), and a bucket of beans. This should feed a typical African family for about three weeks if it is rationed appropriately.

In just the past two years, we have served about 500 families which equates to about 4,000 people. In addition to their own families, the husband in each family is a pastor so they have additional pressure to help their congregations. The cost per family will be about $80 to purchase the supplies and distribute it appropriately. Our goal is to provide food staples for all 500 families and more if possible.

We know this is a difficult time financially for many of you as the economic impact of the virus knows no boundaries, however, if you feel led and are able to contribute, the families of Eden Mission will be blessed beyond words. You can give online on our website: https://edenmission.org/donate. Please choose the “Coronavirus Response Initiative” fund. You can also give through PayPal by searching for info@edenmission.net and choose “sending to a friend”.

No matter how dire the situation or what is happening in the world, we are not to fear for God is in control. Our trust is in Him and we pray that he will bring this crisis to resolution.