In our last update, we shared that the M23 group had issued a statement saying that the International Displacement camps were to be shut down, and that each person had 72 hours to leave and return to their original communities. And so, on 14 and 17 February 2025, after nearly three years of living in these displacement camps, our families from Luhonga and Katembe returned safely to their communities and began the long and difficult process of rebuilding their lives.
Although people were able to go back to their communities, the ‘home’ they returned to was vastly different than the one they left. For many, their houses and fields had been completely destroyed by the conflict. Wanting to help the families restart their lives, the local Hands at Work team in Goma purchased and distributed farming tools and seeds to specific families, and the process of tilling and planting the soil began. Join us in praying that the plants grow and that the harvest is plentiful.
Currently, people are living in the tents they brought from the displacement camps, until the situation settles and the Goma team is confident that it’s wise to support the rebuilding of their homes, and people will not be chased away again.
Miraculously, the Care Points in both Katembe and Luhonga were spared, giving the children a safe place to come and receive their hot and nutritious daily meal, and a place where the Care Workers can meet for Relationship Groups
Erick, a member of the Regional Support Team, says, “By God’s grace they are rebuilding their lives again. We thank God for your prayers from all over the world. For these things to be happening, people went through tough times and were traumatised. But we have seen the Lord doing something great in healing, encouraging and refreshing them.”
As of July 2025, the situation is as stable as it can be. Please continue to pray and we will share more updates as and when the situation evolves.