Church trains young people to promote peace

Key points:

• More than 30 youth leaders in Uvira have been trained to combat juvenile delinquency.
• The program, supported by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, aims to transform young people in eastern Congo into agents of peace in a region destabilized by war.
• Bishop Antoine Kalema Tambwe calls on the Congolese government and church partners to restore lasting peace and access to education, while strengthening psychosocial support for vulnerable families.

As eastern Congo continues to heal the wounds caused by the ongoing war in the region and decades of armed conflict and aggression, The United Methodist Church is working to promote and restore peace.

In Uvira, more than 30 youth leaders recently received intensive training focused on combating juvenile delinquency. The initiative, supported by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, aims to curb delinquency in a region where insecurity pushes many minors into marginalization.

The security situation in Uvira remains fragile, marked by persistent violence and nightly killings. The city still bears the scars of the occupation by M23 rebels, whose presence paralyzed local administration and educational structures before their withdrawal.

Although the front lines have shifted, the security vacuum left by successive waves of occupation has allowed pockets of resistance and urban banditry to emerge. The unrest has uprooted families and turned survival into a daily struggle for thousands of children.

For the Rev. Dumas Balegamire, superintendent of the Tanganyika District and initiator of the program, the stability of the region depends on the supervision of young people.

“To build a healthy society, we must combat anti-values one by one,” Balegamire said. “This is only a first step. We plan to reach other districts, because juvenile delinquency often fuels local insecurity.”

According to the latest reports from the South Kivu Social Affairs Division, juvenile delinquency has reached a critical threshold, now affecting 75% of the region’s young population.

During the training, the Rev. Clément Kingombe Lutala did not mince his words when describing the vicious circle that traps Congolese youth.

“This situation is due to poverty and socioeconomic insecurity, lack of employment, school dropouts, the influence of the street, alcohol, drugs, armed conflict, weak public policies and the economic exploitation of children,” Kingombe said.

Sébastien Kasongo, leader of the United Methodist Youth in Uvira, believes that the training comes at the right time. “If we want harmonious development, we must tackle this delinquency, which is destroying social cohesion. I am personally committed to raising awareness among my peers,” he said.

Mwamini Dorote, a young participant, said she plans to share what she learned with her church’s grassroots church groups.

“It is a privilege to be part of this team of change,” she said. “This team will begin to fight against these anti-values that do not promote good development and social cohesion in our respective communities.”

At the end of the workshop, the participants issued a joint statement in which they pledged to join forces for the integral development of the community.

United Methodist Bishop Antoine Kalema Tambwe, who leads the East Congo Episcopal Area, provided spiritual and strategic support for the initiative.

While encouraging young people to reject delinquency, he made an urgent appeal to international and national authorities.

“I encourage the young people of Kivu to fight with determination. I ask the Church and Society to continue to support us in strengthening family structures and providing psychosocial care,” Kalema said. “Finally, I urge the government of the DRC to guarantee access to education and restore lasting peace in the eastern part of the country.”

Kituka Lolonga is the communications officer for the Kivu Annual Conference.

Media contact: Julie Dwyer, editor, newdesk@umnews.org. To learn more about news from The United Methodist Church, subscribe to free UM News summaries.