UFAR - Princeton UMC Riverblindness Mission Team
The United Front Against Riverblindness (UFAR) is a ministry whose Executive Director, Dr. Daniel Shungu, is a member of our church. Dr. Shungu, a retired Merck employee, wanted to give something back to the residents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo -- where he was born. Read more about the work of this important ministry which delivers Mectizan (used to prevent new cases and arrest the progress of existing cases of Riverblindness - Onchocerciasis) to the residents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by visiting the Riverblindness website.
It’s through UFAR that the church has been channeling its support. In addition to moral, spiritual and financial support, several church members are using their talents and volunteering as UFAR Board members.
We Have Adopted a Village in the Congo
We have Adopted a Village under UFAR's program. To the right is a photo of the Chief Angiya and his family. Webmaster's Note: Unfortunately I do not know the name of the Village. To learn more about the Adopt A Village Program, please visit this page on the UFAR website.
- Dancers from The Garvey School/Egun Omode Shule, an Africa-centered school in Trenton, who performed. Foreground, the three-year-old daughter of Makeda Kemit (director of the school) and Baye Kemit, principal. Photo by Ron Glover.
African Soiree, March 3, 2012
On Saturday, March 3rd church members and friends were among more than 100 people attending the African Soiree in support of the United Front Against Riverblindness. Guests feasted on African cuisine, bid at a silent auction of Congolese treasures, and enjoyed a fashion show, narrated by event chairman Elsie McKee, presenting dresses made by Femme Berceau de l’Abondance located in Kinshasa of the DRC. PUMC member Susan Lidstone and the Friends of UFAR provided table decor and door prizes. Our Church has also adopted a Village in the Congo.
Report on Dr. Shungu's January 2012 Trip to the Congo
Dr. Daniel Shungu’s recent trip to the Congo, included a first-time visit to the Ituri region of the Congo (on the border with Uganda and Sudan). This region is rife with political conflict and poses unique travel challenges, even in the dry season. In collaboration with Sight Savers International, this region and the Lubutu region will now receive the annual Mectizan treatments. Dr. Shungu traveled to the Aru region of the Congo to monitor Mectizan distributions and found that this year's distribution efforts have been going well and are nearing completion.
Dr. Shungu revisited the orphanage in Lubumbashi, which our Mission Team visited in the summer of 2010. You will recall that many of the children there had parents but had been accused of witchcraft. He took gifts for the children, complements of Nancy and Dick Beatty and spent a meaningful Christmas with the children.
Also during this trip, Dr. Shungu was able to locate and set up a new UFAR office in Kinshasa.
For additional information on this trip and Dr. Shungu's work in the Congo, please visit the United Front Against Riverblindness website.
- Members of our Church on location in the Congo during the summer of 2010.
The 2010 Mission Trip to the Congo
In July 2010, our church sent a group of ten church members and friends to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as part of a mission team to witness the outcomes of the church’s commitment to participate in efforts to control and eradicate the disease onchocerciasis commoly known as Riverblindness.
The main goal of the trip was two-fold: to strengthen the church’s bonds with its sister churches in the Northern Katanga Conference of the United Methodist Church, and to provide to members of the mission team the life-changing experience of seeing firsthand the misery associated with the disease and the joy and hope resulting from years of humanitarian efforts to halt transmission of the disease and achieve its eradication through mass distribution of the drug donated free by its US manufacturer (Merck).
For the first such a mission trip by our church, we believe that the trip was quite successful. Interestingly, the arrival of the team at Kamina, the headquarters of Northern Katanga Conference of the United Methodist Church coincided with the conclusion of the annual conference attended by hundreds of delegates from throughout the region. The very warn and totally unexpected welcoming event at the airfield, the formal presentation of the mission team members to the conference delegates by the presiding Bishop (Nkulu Ntambo), the participation by the team members in the presentation of special awards to selected delegates at bishop’s invitation and the tour of the various current projects under the church sponsorship were all very special, inspiring and unforgettable events that cemented stronger bonds between our churches.
Unable to continue our plans with the visit to one of UFAR’s project areas due to unexpected flight cancellation, the team was very happy and pleased that the good Lord had arranged for the team to have a unique face to face encounter with the same kind of people we have been supporting for four years from thousands of miles in the US. A wonderful opportunity to meet and interact with people already afflicted with riverblindness and those at risk of acquiring the disease in two communities south of the city of Lubumbashi. How warm, moving and fulfilling experience it was to work side by side and door to door with local community workers, distributing Mectizan, the sight sparing drug, and ensuring that everybody in the community receives their once a year dose of the drug! This unique experience was made possible through the generosity and sacrifice of hundreds of loving and caring people both in and outside our church. For that members of the mission team were deeply grateful. Hopefully the second trip will be planned for 2012.
- Top finishers in the 2011 5K race. Photo courtesy of the United Front Against Riverblindness.
In 2011 PUMC continued to support UFAR’s fundraising efforts.
On the evening of March 12, the second annual "African Soiree" was held to raise funds to support the United Front Against Riverblindness. The event included authentic African food – prepared by members and friends of PUMC – and entertainment was provided by a troop or African drummers. The event was held at the Mackay Campus Center, Princeton Theological Seminary.
Parents and children from our church participated in a “performance art parade” at Communiversity on Saturday, April 30. Teams paraded through the streets during Communiversity. The adults pretended to be blind, and the children led them with sticks, and wore sandwich boards with slogans like "Ask Me About Riverblindness." Additionally, PUMC Choir Director, Hyosang Park made and sold hand-made dolls to benefit UFAR.
On Saturday, May 7, the Princeton United Methodist Church, the Princeton Eye Group, and Merck & Co. again sponsored the second annual “May Day 5k Race to Conquer Riverblindness”! The race began at 10:00 a.m. at Princeton Theological Seminary. One 100% of the proceeds from the $25/per participant entry fee went to UFAR and each participant received a urunuseeuhelpUFAR T-shirt design by PUMC member Matthew Ireland.