Overview of Mr Raphael lukuaku mpanzu

Jedidiah Foundation is a non-governmental organisation founded in September 2004 by Mr Raphael LUKUAKU MPANZU, to help people in need in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A DCR civil war erupted in 1994 and caused many social and humanitarian problems for the entire population but especially for children abandoned, some of whom were accused of witchcraft. A considerable number of these children were then recruited as child-soldiers, and they fought on both sides of the civil war. Raphael was at the time living and working in the London at Notre Dame de France. His Catholic parish back in the DRC, St Paul’s, brought the plight of these children to his attention. At the same time, he was involved in the Notre Dame Refugee Centre in London, of which he was a founding member. The Congolese visitors at the Centre also spoke to him about the threat hanging over these children. He resolved to act and establish the Jedidiah Foundation and in 2004, he finally managed to achieve this goal. The Foundation received support from the House of Lords, Westminster Abbey, and importantly the backing of Cardinal Mosengo, Bishop Dominique Bulamatari, and the then Catholic Bishop of Brentwood, Thomas McMahon, and it has grown since. He and other supporters of the project, travelled to the DRC to experience the reality of the situation. They first opened a compound in Ngiri-Ngiri to act as a safe place to welcome vulnerable youth. The British Embassy in DRC supported this initiative, the British ambassador becoming a regular visitor and the Embassy provided support for the work. The young people received formation in life, social and wellbeing skills, thus helping them to live a healthy life and to live in and contribute to community and society. The spiritual dimension formed part of this training programme, especially relevant since some of them were accused of witchcraft