Partnership Overview

The Alliance Evangelique was originally formed by 10 denominations with the aim of combining efforts for holistic mission to serve the Christian churches in the country. They play a crucial role in the humanitarian context of the Goma region and in order to increase their ongoing impact and sustainability, they feel it is essential to diversify their funding sources and develop internal income-generating capacities. This project addresses this need by proposing entrepreneurial activities aligned with the organization's skills and local opportunities. In addition, these activities integrate a strong social dimension by providing learning and empowerment opportunities to beneficiaries, including the orphans cared for by AE (DRC09a).

This project aims to strengthen the Alliance's financial and operational autonomy by developing sustainable income generating activities. Building on existing expertise and promoting apprenticeships, the project proposes to launch four key initiatives: welding, woodworking, commercial sewing, and garlic and corn farming. 

The expected impact of this project is:
• significant strengthening of the Alliance's financial autonomy
• creation of employment and training opportunities for beneficiaries, including orphans, and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence
• development of technical and entrepreneurial skills within the community
• contribution to the local economy through the production of goods and services
• improving the Alliance's capacity to carry out its humanitarian actions in a sustainable manner 

History of Partnership

BHW's New Partnership Facilitator commenced communicating with Israel Ngirababo following a trip to the DRC in 2019 when he spent a day with him. Again, in August he was in Rwanda and Israel and two of his co-workers, Mupenzi Lumeto and Herman Makoye, his personal secretary who is his son, came across the border to meet him in Gisenyi. They spent a couple of hours chatting and talking about their vision and priorities. Following this visit, in September 2022 BHW commenced providing financial support for the Orphan's Place of Peace (DRC09a) and sewing courses (DRC09b).

In mid-2025 Alliance Evangelique sent through a proposal to commence four income generating activities and following subsequent communication, in October 2025, the BHW Exec approved funding the commercial sewing project in the first instance.  

Beneficiaries

The primary beneficiaries will be the women trained in the sewing factory, but the funds generated from this will assist to financially support both the running of the Orphans' Place of Peace and other operational expenses of Alliance Evangelique. 

What We Like About The Partnership

These people have real potential to have an impact. They are well structured and governed, have a good reputation and proven track record.
The team members appear to be humble and efficient.
They are caring for the most vulnerable people in their community. 
They have a strong desire to generate funds in-country to support their ministry in an effort to reduce the need for international financial support. 

Key People

Rev Israel Ngirabobo (Project Director)

Reverend Israel is a programme professional in the areas of recovery and community development. He has led teams in emergency, protection and assistance projects for internally displaced people (IDPs), refugees and other vulnerable people in partnership with international organizations such as Gateway International Ministries, Medicus del Mundo, UNICEF, ICRC, FICR, MEMISA, etc. He is experienced in the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of programmes and projects.

Israel completed his license in Theological Studies in 2001 at the Evangelical Baptist University of Rwanda. As Project Manager, he added several on-the-job training courses in the areas of Health, Community Awareness, Leadership, Human Rights, Conflict Resolution and Anti-After his theological studies, he was sponsored by the Brethren church to plant the Good News Evangelical Church in DR Congo and became its legal representative. This community has 49 parishes to date.

Currently Rev. Israel is appointed Secretary General of the Evangelical Alliance in DR Congo. As a result of his leadership, the Alliance of Evangelicals of Congo, which at its appointment had 27 member communities from different denominations, has 53 member communities. Its ability to curb conflict has reconciled two rival factions of the Baptist Community that had created a separation based on ethnic cleavage and that to this day have buried the axe of war and become the same community. Following its humanitarian commitment by assisting Internally Displaced People in Mugunga camps as well as prisoners in prisons in eastern DR Congo, the Alliance of Evangelicals has received honours of distinction from government authorities as well as international organizations. 

Sebastien Cirhakarhula Namugurwa 

Sébastien is a human rights activist, a freelance translator, interpreter and communication specialist living in Goma, North Kivu in DRC. He completed a Master's in Journalism for Social changes with the California Berkeley University in 2015, and a Master's in Conflict resolution and Advocacy, a Bachelor +5 in English, African cultures in social sciences at ISP BUKAVU in 2008. He is a community mobilizer and human rights defender invested in creating peaceful communities and environments. He spends time working in advocacy and communication, reporting and drafting, translation and interpretation, with a plus in broadcasts and filmmaking. He is also a member of Translators without Borders (TWB), a worldwide community of translators and interpreters through which he supports humanitarian and nonprofit activities. 

Sébastien brings support in the areas of communication and advocacy with the Alliance of Evangelicals in DRC.  

He was born into a Christian family where his father emphasized to grow under the church. From his childhood he used to go to the Sunday school programs and when he was 14 years old, he got baptised. He represented the youth of his church when he was 21 years old until 25 when he got married. 

Sébastien is married to Claudine Umutesi with whom he has five children, two boys and three girls. Odette, their first daughter is married but the other four are all still living at home.  

Vision And Annual Strategy

Vision 

To increase the financial autonomy of the Alliance Evangelique in order to strengthen the sustainability of its humanitarian interventions. 

Strategy

1) Establish four production units in the welding, woodworking, commercial sewing and agriculture (garlic and corn) sectors.
2) Train and employ a significant number of beneficiaries, including orphans, in each of the production units.
3) Generate sufficient income from entrepreneurial activities to repay the loan from BHW and contribute to financing the Alliance's humanitarian activities.
4) Develop the technical and entrepreneurial skills of beneficiaries in order to promote their long-term empowerment.

The commercial sewing project will use the graduates trained in their sewing courses (DRC09b), who will now be trained for three months at a higher level in clothing, aesthetics and design, and will be able to make ready-to-wear high-end garments that will be available for sale in boutiques at the same location as the training. With this higher level of training, these women will be able to easily get work in any clothing business or set up their own income-generating activity once they leave the programme, producing income with which they can live and be self-sustaining, thus putting an end to dependence and poverty in the community.  

Annual Budget

An interest-free loan of US$15,000, repayable after two years, is being requested for the initial financing of the commercial sewing project.