Key points:
- The United Methodist Church distributed 97 adapted bicycles to people living with disabilities in Kamina, thanks to support from partner congregations in the U.S.
- This assistance reduces isolation and enables beneficiaries to participate more easily in community life and attend school, work and church.
- Bishop Mande Muyombo sees the initiative as part of the church’s new strategic vision to love and serve the most vulnerable.
In the streets of Kamina, creaking bicycle chains and ringing bells now resonate like a hymn to freedom.
For 97 community members living with disabilities, what was once a dream of mobility has become a tangible reality, thanks to the generosity of The United Methodist Church. The church’s North Katanga Conference recently distributed 97 bicycles adapted for people with limited mobility.
The effort was funded through the initiative of a layperson from St. James United Methodist Church in the North Georgia Conference, with financial support from Dunwoody (Georgia) United Methodist Church, which helped with customs clearance and local transportation costs.
The goal is to break the isolation of people with limited mobility in a region where daily travel is often an insurmountable challenge. Recipients were selected from a variety of denominations.
The initiative draws its inspiration from the roots of the faith, said Bishop Mande Muyombo. He leads the North Katanga Episcopal Area, which includes the North Katanga and Tanzania conferences.
“The Methodist values of extending Christ’s love and grace to the most vulnerable inspired me to take this action for the glory of God,” he explained. “Luke 14:12-14 encourages us to invite the vulnerable to the banquet without expecting anything in return. The blessing of this act of kindness will come from God.”
Muyombo emphasized the importance of interdenominational solidarity.
“I must highlight our sense of ‘connectionalism,’” he said, “as this initiative was financially supported by United Methodist brothers and sisters in the United States of America.”
The Rev. Odette Kyakutala, program coordinator for the elderly and people with limited mobility, oversaw the distribution. The first phase reached almost all parishes in the districts of Kamina Ville and Kamina Cité, as well as the districts of Nord Baluba, Kaniama, Lwena and Kilubi, she said.
“In a climate of despair, men and women found hope by receiving bicycles to make their mobility faster,” she said. “The joy was so great seeing the men and women riding their bicycles and thanking The United Methodist Church for this assistance.”
Muyombo said the gesture goes beyond simple charity; it is central to the region’s development.
“This distribution is part of living out our new vision for The United Methodist Church: to love boldly, serve joyfully and lead courageously,” he affirmed. “In its strategic plan, the North Katanga-Tanzania Episcopal Area aims to positively impact vulnerable and marginalized people living in our communities.”
The Rev. Makonga Mpyana, secretary of the North Katanga Episcopal Area, stated that this gesture is directly in line with The United Methodist Church’s evangelical mission in the region.
“Our mission is to make disciples of all nations for the transformation of the world, in accordance with Matthew 28:19,” he said. “Jesus set the example for us by teaching, preaching and healing the sick. People living with disabilities are created in God’s image and must be loved, accompanied and supported through evangelism.”
Mpyana also announced the development of an expanded ministry project designed to support not only people with disabilities, but also older adults, people in prison and the most vulnerable within United Methodist districts and congregations.
The initiative extended to various local communities, illustrating the church’s openness toward its neighbors.
Among the beaming faces was that of Kabange Wa Sungu Ken, 38. A member of the Kamina Centre congregation, this father of three has lived with a physical disability since 1990.
Before receiving a bicycle, every trip was a struggle. “I walked slowly and was often late for work, the market or even the soccer stadium,” he confided. For him, this gift is much more than a simple means of transportation; it is a tool for dignity.
Ngoy Wa Ngoy Jean, 47, carries heavy responsibility as the local leader for people living with disabilities in Kamina. Yet, this father of six, a member of the Mission of the African Continent, another Christian denomination, had struggled to get around himself since childhood.
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“My mobility has improved significantly,” he said. “I can now easily go to church, my workplace and the market to provide for my family. This support restores hope to those of us who are too often marginalized.”
The ecumenical spirit of this project is embodied by Mwenze Kitobo Gedeon, 42, a member of the Pentecostal Community in North Katanga. The adapted bicycle allows him to fulfill his roles as a father and a believer, particularly by accompanying his daughter or attending morning services. He expressed gratitude to Kyakutala for her inclusive selection process, which looked beyond denominational barriers.
Ilunga Kasongo Bonheur, 18, is the youngest recipient. A member of the Catholic Church, he lives with a congenital disability that previously forced him to move by using his arms, dragging his body along the ground.
“Today, I want to integrate, learn to fend for myself and, above all, go to school like other young people my age,” he confided emotionally. “I am very happy. May God grant the donors a long life so they can continue to support those in need.”
The conference wants to add production capacity.
“In the near future, we plan to renovate our woodworking shop so we can start assembling bicycles on site,” the bishop said.
As the new cyclists rode their first few meters amid cheers from the crowd, North Katanga Conference leaders expressed deep gratitude to their American partners.
“The church hopes that this wave of hope will not stop here,” Kyakulata said. “By transforming physical mobility, The United Methodist Church in our region continues to demonstrate that faith translates into concrete actions that change lives, one kilometer at a time.”
Kisonga is a communicator for the North Katanga Conference.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at newsdesk@umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
