Eastern DR Congo War Relief
PASTOR EMMANUEL KASHIRA FOUNDATION FOR WIDOWS AND ORPHANS: A MINISTRY OF COMPASSION IN GOMA
(James 1:27)
- UMAMA SOLIDARITY Microcredit Project:
This initiative aims to promote economic independence and restore hope to women affected by poverty. On December 22nd, 100 women from various religious denominations (Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim), identified through this initiative, gathered at the 8th CEPAC/BARAKA church and received loans of $50 for some and $100 for others, repayable within five months, interest-free, to launch their own small businesses in different markets in Goma. One of them called out to me as I passed her small kiosk on the street. She was selling school supplies, energy drinks, candy, and bottled water. “Mimi, God bless my business, I have customers, and everything is going well. I’m sure I’ll repay my loan as promised,” Jose Nyamarita, one of the recipients of micro-loans expressed with a smile. These interest-free loans must be repaid within five months, after which the funds will be transferred to other women. Our waiting list is currently quite overwhelming. The needs are immense.
- Widows’ Relief
As we have done since the beginning of this ministry, we continue to allocate our donations to widows. Depending on the donations received, we visit several churches where each widow receives $5 in financial assistance after the service. As donors, you will be moved to see the positive impact of a generous $5 donation in good hands. I myself was overjoyed. I am aware of the difficult situation and the tense political climate, and yet, it is here that faith and hope meet and, therefore, bring joy.
A. On Sunday, December 7, 2025, the Pastor Kashira Foundation distributed $5 USD per person to 100 widows from the 8th CEPAC/UAMINIFU Church in Goma.
B. On Sunday, December 23, 2025, the Pastor Kashira Foundation team provided $5 USD per person to 100 widows during the Christmas festivities at the 8th CEPAC/MUNIGI Church. The widows received this assistance with songs of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord and to the donors (friends and churches in Canada).
- Aid Relief to Impoverished Pastors
On Christmas Eve, the Pastor Kashira Foundation visited twelve (12) retired, ill, or frail pastors, offering each of them $50 USD in financial support and a moment of human warmth. These men of faith, long devoted to their communities, sometimes live in precarious circumstances and are forgotten. The relief came just in time for food and medications that were needed for this group. “I probably would have been dead by now if I didn’t have access to the clean water and special food that I desperately need to stay alive. Thank you for your financial help.” one pastor said.
“Compassion remains our guide,” explains, still recalling the legacy of the late Pastor Emmanuel Kashira. Thanks in part to the support of friends and churches in Canada, the foundation continues its monthly work to assist vulnerable pastors, launching an appeal for solidarity with orphans, widows, and the elderly. A simple yet powerful gesture that restores faith, smiles, and dignity to those who have dedicated their lives to serving the Lord and others.
- AID TO KARANI WOMEN
The Pasteur Kashira Foundation supported 117 vulnerable women, known as Karanis, from the Alanine market on December 30, 2025. They received $5 USD each in financial assistance on New Year’s Eve. These women, called Karanis, carry heavy sacks of food every day for less than 4,000 Congolese francs. The majority are mothers of large families and live without any other source of income. The foundation explained that this aid aims to enable the beneficiaries to feed their children.
The women welcomed this gesture and expressed their gratitude. On this occasion, the foundation established a Karani women’s committee to identify sustainable solutions, including training and income-generating activities. Who are they? They are the most vulnerable women in Goma, as I mentioned earlier. They are rarely discussed because their social position is so precarious that their very real suffering is almost invisible. They carry heavy loads in the markets. Some are wives and mothers, and they generally earn $1 a day, or even nothing at all. We have now included these Karani women among the beneficiaries whenever funds allow. On December 28, we invited 100 people from a market in Goma to come and collect these $5 gifts. Our budget was only $500, just enough for 100 women, and yet 117 of them showed up. We were able to raise an additional $85, which we distributed to 17 women, as there was no one to refuse anything. That day, these women, who earn a dollar a day or less, rejoiced, singing and dancing to heaven. Their joy and happiness that day made my trip to Goma, during such a difficult time, truly enjoyable.
We have now brought these Karani women together in their own organization, UPENDO, a name they themselves chose. This UPENDO group (Karani Women) will now be part of the Kashira Foundation’s initiatives. Since many of them run their own small businesses and earn more than a dollar a day, we hope they will one day be able to access microloans. For now, we will collaborate with them and ensure they are assessed for their reliability, accessibility, skills, loyalty, and the reliability of the references required to obtain a microloan. Proverbs 11:25: “Whoever gives to others will themselves be refreshed; a generous person will prosper.”
- Aid to Orphaned and Vulnerable Children
On New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2025, the Pastor Kashira Foundation provided humanitarian aid to orphaned children cared for at the Sophie Center in Goma. Victims of war and abandonment, these children received clothing, sheets, blankets, school supplies, and food. In an atmosphere of song, prayer, and deep emotion, Mimi Kashira (myself) and Christine Kashira (my sister and team on the ground), we shared moments of comfort with the children, offering them support and affection. The foundation also launched an appeal for solidarity to provide long-term support for these children and encourage their adoption by loving families. As she hugged me, 11 years old girl named Sophie said with tears in her eyes “It is good to fee a motherly hug again.”
WATOTO MUSICAL SCHOOL: Thanks to donations (musical instruments) from St. Mary Madgelene Anglican Church in Napanee, electric guitars from Al Carlson of KGT, a keyboard from Brian Newman, and acoustic guitars from friends Ann Edwards and Larry Moore, all of the musical equipment have reached Goma without incident on December 2025. God be praised. I also bought a few more acoustic guitars, drums, and an accordion.
By God’s grace, we will open a musical school in Goma for children aged 7 to 14 in the new year of 2026. We’re currently in process of finding a suitable location for rent to launch this initiative for children.
Eastern DRC War Relief
Mimi Kashira Haws
