Nehemiah Initiative |

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.

Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” Nehemiah 2:15 (NIV)

The Nehemiah Initiative is a concept inspired by the Bible's book of Nehemiah. After the destruction of Jerusalem, Nehemiah was given the vision to rebuild the city. This Biblical analogy has resonated well with local communities who have seen their families, villages and landscape torn apart. It has become a tool for peace building and mobilizing local leaders to transform their communities.

Across eastern DRC, village communities develop a Nehemiah Committee who are tasked with rebuilding the fabric of society. Each Committee is made up of different ethnic groups, civic and religious leaders, who are trained to recognize vulnerable groups within their community. Each committee chooses a leader who is responsible for facilitating conflict resolution and advocates for issues related to the socio-economic rehabilitation of its own community members. Nehemiah groups assist with the reintegration of members of the community by helping them settle land ownership disputes, boundary disputes, conflicts between neighbors, and a host of other problems. As members of the same community, Nehemiah leaders have a great desire to see lasting peace in the areas where they live, work and raise their children.

In communities where they are active, HEAL Africa partners with Nehemiah Committees to provide training and guidance to its leaders in creating a support structure for the most vulnerable in their communities. HEAL Africa's goal is to sensitize and mobilize community leaders to care for their vulnerable by supporting foster family programs, reintegrating widows and victims of sexual violence—as well as stimulate economic recovery through local agriculture and small animal husbandry. The concept is also an efficient tool for mobilizing communities during HEAL Africa’s public health initiatives.

Because of Nehemiah Initiative’s efforts to include every tribe and religion, committees have gained the reputation as trustworthy by the community it serves. Since 2000, more than 140 committees can be found throughout the villages of rural Congo.

Other projects organized within HEAL Africa around Nehemiah, address Positive Masculinity and Spirituality.

WABABA

To change the status of women and transform our communities, we must recognize the role of men and their capacity to be agents of change.

Much of the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence programs focus exclusively on women while men are referred to as either indirect victims or perpetrators. HEAL Africa uses the concept of Positive Masculinity to address gender inequality and accountable parenting. The gender and masculinity project, WABABA, targets three categories of men to address violence against women: partners of sexual violence survivors, men who have been exposed to violent behaviors and men who are leaders (or role models) in the community.

HEAL Africa also works with men to assist in the reintegration of people with disabilities back into their communities. Through Positive Masculinity, gender roles in the family have been challenged to benefit women, from domestic responsibilities, family planning, shared financial planning, to a decrease in domestic violence. The concept has also given men opportunity to foster peace and collaboration within and across communities, through economic reinsertion of the most vulnerable community members.

Read more on the concept of positive masculinity

The eastern part of DRC has been the epicenter of conflict for over a decade. As a result, power struggles and exposure to violence have been influential in shaping both soldier and civilian perceptions of masculinity. For most of their lives, Congolese men have been exposed to military culture and human rights abuses to varying degrees, while DRC’s politics protects those who hold power.

Congolese society expects men to be the provider, protector, procreator and head of his household. But due to the region’s history of war and poverty, men have experienced powerlessness, shame, trauma, and loss. Because men who are not in decision-making positions don’t have the advantages of male privilege in a male-dominated society, many react in violence to assert their masculinity; or become victims of different forms of violence, perpetrated by their peers as well as women.

HEAL Africa’s gender and masculinity project, WABABA, targets men to address violence against women. While much of Sexual and Gender Based Violence programs focus exclusively on women, men are referred to as either indirect victims or perpetrators. In April 2013 HEAL Africa began to focus on men as central agents of change. The WABABA project targets three categories of men: partners of sexual violence survivors, men who have been exposed violent behaviors and men who are leaders (or role models) in community.

Through a combination of male group therapy and educational workshops, HEAL Africa fosters positive masculinity while educating men on self-conduct among their relationships. During group therapy, participants practice coping skills in dealing with stress, loss and trauma. Within a safe environment, participants are trained and given the opportunity to question and reflect on their actions. Participants also practice communication skills to improve relationships with their wives and children.

The focus on men has transformed relationships within the households of participants. It has increased communication in participants at home, helped to overcome different forms of violence, and enabled more connections between fathers and children. After her husband joined the ‘’Living Peace Group’’ in the city of Goma, North Kivu Province, DRC, a woman among others, Mrs. Anicet, testified changes in her relationship with her husband:

"If I remember, when the M23 occupied Goma, I slept outside. My husband chased me outside at 1AM. I couldn’t go to disturb neighbors at such time. All that because of boisson (local beer). There was no one to talk to him. He would tell the children, “you are a dog”. If a child is a ‘dog’ so is the mother. The day before yesterday… I called him “sweetheart”. Our children laughed, saying, “mummy has called dad ‘sweetheart’ ”. They didn’t know why I called him so."

Spiritual Ministry & Clinical Pastoral Training

In keeping with our holistic approach, the Spiritual Ministry program serves to meet the spiritual needs of many of our patients. A few times a week chapels are held at the tabernacle. For many of the patients who have traveled far from their villages or have been stigmatized due to their trauma and illness, chapel services also serve as a place for building community, group healing, and even a sense of "normalcy". In addition to patient visitations, HEAL Africa trains chaplains through the Clinical Pastoral Training (CPT).

There are over 500 hospitals in DR Congo without hospital chaplains. As a hospital operating in an environment of absolute poverty and conflict, HEAL Africa has had the privilege of seeing many births. But it has also seen its fair share of deaths, even among our staff. Many have been victims to the ongoing conflict or lost loved ones to preventable illnesses. Overwhelmed with providing medical care, our doctors often carry the burden of addressing persons in crisis. This reality brings urgency to provide trained staff focused on counseling and providing spiritual guidance.

To address this need, HEAL Africa trains and empowers chaplains through the Clinical Pastoral Training program. A critical component of the training is learning to listen effectively and empathize with patients. Graduates of the Clinical Pastoral Training (CPT) are certified to give spiritual guidance to patients and caregivers.