Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Fides Service)- Kole diocese in central Congo has an exceptionally high infant death rate over 70%. This led women religious of a local congregation the Sister Servants of the Church of Christ to start a a programme to teach feeding methods to mothers and women in general, local Catholic news agency DIA repors.
Despite difficulties caused by civil war the Sisters run three centres in Kole, Lomela Saint-Paul and Lomela Vangu where they teach mothers how to give their children a balanced diet using food available locally.
At the Kole feeding centre, situated in the village Kole Yango, the Sisters guarantee proper feeding for 12 children with a balance of proteins, glucinum and lipids. The sisters face unexpected difficulties. For example hardly any of the families have cups or measuring jugs, so the sisters carve measuring lines on wood cups.
At their centre in Lomela Saint-Paul where malutrition among children is less serious, they work in a straw hut which was destroyed during the war. Determined to carry on working to improve living conditions for people in this areas the sisters rebuilt the hut and resumed service with one nun and two lay women assistants.
Before the war Lomela-Vangu feeding centre had otained good results in the fight against malnutrition, but the consequences of war make it very difficult to carry on.
The feeding centres are coordinated by the mother superior Sr Pauline Lofumbo. The congregation of the Sister Servants of the Church of Christ was founded in 1985 by Bishop Lousi Nkinga Bondala, now Bishop of Lisala. The congregation has 42 sisters and 18 novices and its charisma is to promote universal brotherhood through working for human development.
Besides feeding centres the sisters run two technical schools for girls, one in Kole and the other in Lomela and two health centres in Vangu and Songomboyo. Some of the sisters are nurses at the local hospitals in Kole and Lomela and some are teachers. Sr Pauline Lofumbo also coordinates their AIDS Focal Point project. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 21/9/2005 righe parole)
