Bring back the smile to Tumaini Letu Drc

Hi, my name is James.

I met Justin Zihindula last summer when he attended a weekend retreat that I was facilitating.

The retreat focused on health issues specifically related to refugees and New Canadians; looking for creative and effective ways to address these important matters.

Justin told me about his background growing up in an impoverished village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and his dream of finding the resources to build a health clinic and classroom there as a way of giving back to that at-risk community now that he is established here in Canada.

Hearing his compelling story made me want to help in any way I could to make his dream come true. I don’t have a background in the health field, but as an elected official here in Guelph and as an independent entrepreneur, I started to think of using my facilitation skills to try and put interested parties together that could make what is now called the TUMAINI LETU DRC Project a reality. I traveled to neighboring Rwanda last month and held a meeting with a health practitioner there, also from the DRC, who has experience with developing this kind of project.

This feels like a very important initiative, one that could save lives and build a future for Justin’s village of Ciruko. In Justin’s words- “we want to contribute to the change that will rekindle the flame of hope in our communities. We want to alleviate poverty and prevent malnutrition with education and programs focused on women and girls”. As you can read in Justin’s compelling story, this part of the DRC is in deep crisis and action is required immediately.

With Patient Beya’s help after the initial meeting in Kigali, a plan is coming together that would begin with Justin, along with Patient’s team from his Kuishi Smart organization, traveling to the DRC to provide initial care and to assess what the immediate needs are with creating a lasting health presence in Ciruko.

The TUMAINI LETU DRC Project is now an official non-profit organization. I am proud to serve on its board of directors.

This is where you come in! This initial GoFundMe campaign is meant to raise the funds necessary to enable the first stage of the Tumaini Project. It has been carefully budgeted and planned out to make the most use of this initial visit. We think this could be done for 12,500 dollars. We’d love to get your help with this. Anything you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

You can make a real difference in this challenging district in the DRC. Please donate what you can, and you’ll receive updates on the project’s progress. Though there’s a long journey ahead, I am excited about the possibilities that will be created with your contribution.

Let’s make this happen together!

Sincerely,

James Gordon

Guelph, Ontario.