Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola (IECA)

The Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola (IECA) is a longstanding partner of Global Ministries, founded in 1880 in the Chilume Mission, Bailundo, and Huambo Province.  Since the earliest days of its existence, IECA has paid great attention to social development.  Improvements have been made in the lives of many people through projects of rehabilitation, training, literacy, health, peace, and reconciliation.  Such improvements have helped the lives of many and have been beneficial in building relationships between various groups of the church's people.

Angola has been enjoying peace since 2002 after being ravaged by a 27-year civil war which devastated its people.  Many young people were involved, most often against their wills, as perpetrators and, at the same time, as victims of the violence.  This created a culture of violence among Angola’s young people that has lasted beyond the hostilities and whose impact has now spread throughout the country.  Many young people that served the armies, on both sides, are now demobilized, but they do not have opportunities to face the new challenges that “normal” life demands. 

The people of Angola are currently building up their lives and their country in the face of daunting obstacles, including: poor infrastructure and high unemployment rates; fear of speaking out on politically and socially sensitive issues; and the lack of a well-grounded educational system. 

Very little of Angola’s national budget is spent on education, and a fraction of those funds are spent on primary schools.  Although enrollment in primary education has improved, the percentage of girls enrolled is less than that of boys, and the disparity increases at the secondary level.  World Bank findings also indicate that access to education is vastly different for rich and poor. 

Schooling in Waku Kungo in Cuanza Sul Province is currently available in school buildings that are considered to be of “provisional construction” quality, meaning that they are either in some state of preparation, in need of repair, or are classes that occur “under the trees,” as it is said in Angola.  In Waku Kungo, at the latest reporting, there were just over 36,000 students enrolled in the public schools, but another almost 6,000 children of school age were outside of the school system.  What limits school enrollment is the number of available classrooms.   When the church builds a school building, the government joins the church by providing teachers.   Therefore, by raising funds to construct a four-room school building in the town of Waku Kungo, the church will be able to educate an additional 420 students, including day-time education of children and evening education of adults.

The Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola (IECA) is committed to be an agent of change.  A proposed new primary school in Waku Kungo is one piece of clear evidence of IECA’s commitment to building new schools and renovating destroyed or sub-standard school buildings.  The proposed school will consist of four classrooms, one office for the school’s director, one teacher’s room, and three bathrooms.  Each classroom can accommodate 35 students for a half-day session, for a total of 140 students in the morning and the same amount of students in the afternoon.  With a generator, it could have evening classes for children and/or adults.

Total cost for the construction is estimated at $50,000.  Additional funds will be helpful for school supplies, furnishings, and teacher training.

To read about the Reverend Mike Solberg's Swim across the English Channel to raise funds for this effort, click here:  SwimMikeSwim