Democratic Republic of the Congo: Another sound of Africa – Johnny’s dream becomes reality
Johnny grew up in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but moved to North Africa to study at university. One evening he attended an event for musicians organised by the local IFES movement, and he felt God speaking to him. Over dinner, three questions raced around his mind:
– Why are the sounds I hear from Africa often the sounds of guns?
– As a student architect, what other sound can I bring?
– What role can education play in the development of Africa?
That evening, a dream was birthed in Johnny’s heart: to see Congolese society transformed through education, that another sound might be heard in Africa.
20 years later, Johnny has opened a new university in the DRC. Another Sound of Africa University (ASAf). It is located in the poorly developed eastern part of the country. Programs include Christian formation, as well as research and practical projects in the surrounding town. Johnny believes that students should not wait until they graduate to start transforming society, but should start from day one on campus.
Let’s pray for Johnny and the work of ASAf:
- Thank God for Johnny’s vision, hard work and courage in starting ASAf. Thank God for the students already studying at the university.
- Pray for the new GBU group (the IFES movement in the DRC) on campus – pray that they would live holy lives and be passionate to see their friends know Jesus.
- Pray that through ASAf, many students would be raised up with vision, skills and a godly character, to transform society. Current challenges include Ebola, political instability and violence.
Thanks for praying with us!
Johnny was part of the IFES Engaging the University Scholars’ Track at World Assembly 2019. The gathering aimed to develop a sense of shared vision among African scholars, who believe that their faith should not be divorced from their lecturing or research.
