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MWINDA means LIGHT.
Mwinda? It means “light” in two of the major languages of Congo– Kituba (Kikongo) and Lingala. (Say Mween-duh.) Psalm 119:30 tells us that the entrance of God’s Word, The Bible, gives light. Truly, this war-weary generation in Congo is urgently in need of that light to lead them in better paths. That’s what the Mwinda Project seeks to do–to bring the light of God’s Word to this and each new generation in Congo.
Why the Mwinda Project ?
We at Every Child Ministries created The Mwinda Project to bring the light of God’s Word through regular Bible teaching to this and upcoming generations in Congo. Many of Congo’s churches are eagerly teaching their youth the truths of God’s Word. Every Child Ministries (ECM)’s emphasis on the importance of children motivates them. Over 7,100 are now using methods learned from ECM trainers in week-long seminars.
MWINDA Project Supports Congo Sunday schools and churches
Hundreds of thousands of children and youth gather each week in churches in their own communities. All are hungry to learn more about the eternal truths of the Bible. Teachers are constantly pleading for Bible lessons geared to children and youth. To meet this need, ECM has developed The Congo MWINDA Project.
The Congo MWINDA Project Goal
The goal of the Congo MWINDA Project is to open the Bible in a way that makes sense to kids in Congo. To do this, we create engaging Bible lessons and supportive resources like music geared to teaching, plus a kid’s radio program.
- We gear each lesson to Congolese children and youth.
- We guide teachers to use active methods to make learning fun.
- We cover all the major events & teachings of God’s Word.
- We create lessons that are true to the Biblical record as real historical events.
- All our lessons are true to the Scriptures, written without error through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- All our lessons point to Jesus in all the Scriptures as the promised Messiah.
- In each lesson, we honor Jesus as the Savior who died for our sins and rose bodily from the dead.
- We explain something of the Gospel and give an opportunity to receive Christ in each lesson. Teachers are trained to do this seriously and carefully.
- Each lesson includes a step of growth for the believing child.
The Congo MWINDA Project Potential
About half the population of Congo are kids.
So there are:
3 Million Kituba-speaking kids
42 Million Kids in all of Congo
Mwinda Project Partnership with Local Churches
Our mission organization, Every Child Ministries, encourages Congolese churches to create Sunday schools to reach children. This enables them to reach their own children as well as the children of their communities. ECM offers training for teachers to enable the churches to do this. Then, ECM’s Congo MWINDA Project makes free Bible lessons available to the churches. Schools, orphanages, hospitals, prisons, and families may also use our teaching materials, but our single biggest users are Sunday schools associated with local churches. Each time a lesson is taught, an average of about 80 children soak in the light of God’s Word. Each time, they learn of the need for repentance and have an opportunity to trust Jesus as Savior.
Six Bold Steps to Bringing the Light of God’s Word to DRC’s Youth–
Gifts to the Congo Mwinda Project are used for :
Step 1-Writing
The Mwinda Project is the brainchild and burden of veteran missionary Lorella Rouster, who also coordinates the project. She writes the lesson guides directly in the Kikongo (Kituba) language of the Kwilu and Kwango Provinces of Congo. Though Kikongo is a second language for her, Lorella is fluent enough to “think” in it, thus eliminating the need for translation.
Step 2-Printing
At Every Child Ministries’ extension office in Columbia, TN (in Lorella’s home), volunteers print quantities of lesson books in the hundreds using a simple printer. They then spiral-bind them using a simple hand-operated machine. Lorella organizes and directs the process. Quantities in the thousands are printed in Congo.
Step 3-Transport to Congo
The lesson manuals created in the U.S. are packed into heavy-duty plastic tubs. Then whenever someone from ECM is going to Congo, they take them along as extra luggage. Lorella commonly takes 20 tubs with her on her annual trips to Congo. The cost is $210 per 50# tub.
Step 4-Distribution in Congo
Once in Congo, ECM staff member John Odimba organizes their distribution to Teachers’ Resource Libraries ECM is developing throughout Congo. Each library loans materials to churches and after use, exchanges them for new materials. The returned materials are then loaned out to others. With care, a set of lessons can be loaned out 12 to 20 times and can last as long as 12 years. New libraries are created each year as the project stretches out to new areas.
Distribution through the Web
The Congo Mwinda Project also posts the lessons on this website under ‘Free Bible Teaching Resources in African Languages.’. Thus we seek to provide teaching and training resources for African churches wherever internet is fund. In 2025, an additional all-French website, www.ecodimafrique.com was also added to make it easier for francophone churches and leaders to access our resources.
Step 5-–Translating into still other Congolese Languages
After Lorella writes the lessons in the Kikongo language, translators in Congo translated them into Lingala, used in Kinshasa and all along the Congo River, in French, the language of government, education and business, and in Tshiluba, used in the Kasai Provinces. ECM regularly prints teachers’ manuals in these three languages. We hope to eventually add Swahili to make resources available throughout the DRC and beyond.
Step 6-Feedback
Veteran missionary Lorella Rouster travels in Congo for several weeks each year to observe the materials in use. She seeks feedback from staff, teachers, pastors, and the children themselves. Lorella uses this feedback in writing and revising the lessons. Her next trip is planned for April-May 2025.
Isn’t the Bible old stuff?
English-speaking people have had the Bible for over 600 years. Kituba-speaking people? Only about 40 years. Lack of availability is also a major problem. Even some Sunday school teachers do not yet have one. (That’s why we place the Scripture for the Bible lesson into the teachers’ manual.) The project also sells Bibles at cost to help increase availability and to keep prices as low as possible.
Kituba Bibles–Lack of availability is a problem.
Congo Mwinda Project Meets a Unique Need
Hundreds of Bible study guides are available to us in the west. Our children’s ministries have a wide choice of publishers and styles. Not so with the lessons created by The Mwinda Project. They are virtually the only ones available to the Kituba-speaking people. The same thing is also true in many of the other languages of Congo.
Look what your partnership can accomplish!
~One book in the hands of a Congolese teacher = Only $10.
~Transport 50# of materials to Congo in tub=$250
~Christmas gifts of encouragement for coordinators of Teachers’ Resource Libraries=$20 each
~Underwriting one staff member on the project for one year=$4,200
~Printing & distributing 1,000 manuals in Congo=$10,000
Do you prefer to give in kind? These items are always useful:
- Felt–Gold or Bright Yellow, Black, Red, White, & Green (Used to make Wordless Books using color symbolism to explain the Gospel to children)
Ship to: ECM Mwinda Project, 1600 Jamie Dr., Columbia, TN 38401 Thank you!
Do you sew? Could you help make Wordless Books to help teachers explain the Gospel to children?
We prefer books made of felt because they are durable, washable, and lightweight for easy transport. Email or write us for easy-to-follow directions.
Lrouster@ecmafrica.org
Remember, NOBODY can do EVERYTHING,
But EVERYBODY can do SOMETHING!
What could YOU do to help us reach more Congolese children for Christ through ECM’s MWINDA Project?
To ensure financial integrity, Every Child Ministries voluntarily submits to the scrutiny of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
Give to The Congo Mwinda Project
What’s the Latest with the Congo Mwinda Project?
Request our Monthly Update by email–called ‘Lorella’s Love and Joy’.