RICE - International Relief Organization

RICE International Relief Corporation participated in leadership training here in the Congo- much like Kenya. People came from all over the Congo for this training. Other villagers walked as far as four days, without any shoes, to get there. This leadership training in the Congo was much like the one in Kenya. We taught these people things, so they can go into other places of the Congo and teach to those in need. There were two pastor's teaching and about 150 or more people of the Congo listening and taking in what these two men taught. RICE is planning on returning here in the near future to host a medical clinic. Without our RICE partners and support, this outreach and future outreaches would not be possible. Thank you for your support!

-Pastor Raul Villasenor

Congo Highlights (Source: CIA Factbook):

• The location of the Congo Central Africa, northeast of Angola and is said to be slightly less than one fourth the size of the US.
• The population of the Congo is 68,692,542
• The infant mortality rate is 81.21 deaths/1,000 live births.
• People living with HIV/AIDS in the Congo: 1.1 mil
• Yearly HIV/AIDS deaths in the Congo: 100,000
• The major infectious diseases in the Congo include:
  • Bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, Typhoid Fever
  • Malaria, plague, and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
  • Schistosomiasis
  • Rabies
• Democratic Republic of the Congo is a source and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation
• Most of the trafficking occurs within the country's unstable eastern provinces and is perpetrated by armed groups outside government control.
• Congo is one of Africa's biggest producers in cannabis- mostly for domestic consumption.
• Refugees and IDP's in the Congo: 1.4 million