Elsie Tshimunyi McKee - Cradling Abundance

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Maman Monique speaking at the meeting of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, in Potsdam, Germany, January 2001. Her subject: The Market Economy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

MONIQUE MISENGA NGOIE MUKUNA

WITH ELSIE TSHIMUNYI MCKEE

One African Christians Story of Empowering
Women and Fighting Systemic Poverty

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO

My parents, my mother Maman Bitota Bitshilualua

and especially my father Tatu Ngoie Moise, and to

my late husband, Tatu Mukuna Constantin

Maman Monique

AND TO

my parents, Tatu Ngulumingi Charles

and Maman Anne Ngolela, and my

husband John Munangibue

Elsie

CONTENTS

Abbreviations

AACC	All Africa Conference of Churches
AFDL	Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo, military alliance led by Laurent Kabila
AIC	African Instituted (or Independent) Churches
CCC	Church of Christ in Congo, federated Protestant denominations
CENEDI	The Center for Mentoring Children in Difficulties, Uvira-based nonprofit affiliated with Woman, Cradle of Abundance
CPK	Presbyterian Church of Kinshasa, part of CCC, partner with PC(USA)
FEBA	Femme, Berceau de lAbondance = Woman, Cradle of Abundance
HAW	Hands Across the Water, youth club in New Jersey serving CENEDI, affiliated with Woman, Cradle of Abundance
INEAC	National Institute for Agronomic Study of Congo, where Maman Moniques father worked
IPN	National Institute of Pedagogy, the national university of pedagogy in Kinshasa, Congo
ISP	Institut Suprieur Pdagogique de Gombe / Higher Institute of Pedagogy, the Catholic university where Maman Monique studied
JMPR	Junior/Student MPR; see MPR
MNC	National Congolese Movement, Patrice Lumumbas party
MPR	Popular Movement of the Revolution, President Mobutus party
PCUS	Presbyterian Church in the United States, 18611983, sending church for missionaries to Congo
PC(USA)	Presbyterian Church (USA)
PTS	Princeton Theological Seminary
SP	Security Police in President Mobutus regime
UDPS	Union for Democracy and Social Progress, opposition party led by Etienne Tshisekedi
UN	United Nations
VEM	Vereinte Evangelische Mission / United Protestant Mission, German church aid organization
WARC	World Alliance of Reformed Churches, after 2010 World Communion of Reformed Churches
WCC	World Council of Churches

Prologue

THE PLACE IS ZAIRE (now Democratic Republic of Congo), in the middle of Africa. The time is 1972, under the rule of General Sese Seko Mobutu.

I was just twenty, small and thin, a university student on her way home from the capital for the summer. After boat and train, the last leg of the trip was by truck. My brother and I and quite a lot of people were crowded in with all our baggage. Suddenly, we were stopped by a military barricade across the road. We had suitcases; I had bought clothes and things for my family. On the truck there were people from Katanga with their goods too. The soldiers ordered us to get out and let them search our suitcases or bundles. If we did not have sales slips for each item, they would seize it. I got out, but I was not having any of this theft. If you want the suitcases, get them down yourselves! The soldiers were astonished, and the other people terrified. Maman, why are you doing that? You will get us arrested!

I will not get out my suitcase. Show me your orders. President Mobutu has forbidden barricades on the roads. People know where I am; if you hurt me, they will come and get you. You dont have the right to search peoples belongings. We were speaking Tshiluba, but I switched to French. The soldiers hurried to their commander, in a brush hut. They said, There is a girl hereshe speaks Tshiluba, she speaks French. She is reprimanding us; she says that we dont have the right to put up barricades. They know where she is. The commander said, Bring her to me.

They brought me to him. He said, What! Why are you speaking in front of the soldiers that I sent? I said, Commander, can you show me your orders? If you do, I will obey what you say. He said, What? You are impolite! I said, When the commander speaks impolitely, you answer him impolitely. If you are the commander, you should know that the supreme commander has given orders not to put up barricades. But you have put them here. You should know what awaits you. Even if you kill me today, you will also die. You wont last two days. The commander said, Okay... good thing I called you over here. You must be some personage, but you should not speak like that when we are working. I said, You are ruining what the president said. You should obey the president of the republic. He said, Go! They let all the passengers get back into the truck with their belongings, and we left.

When we got to the stop where my father would meet my brother and me, all the people in the truck told my father, What a child you have, what a daughter! No, she is not a daughter; she is a man! She saved us. My father said to me, That is good! You must always be like that. To them he said, She is educated, she knows things, she is not afraid. Why were you afraid? But they were afraid because they did not know how to defend themselves. The soldiers were going to steal all their things, but I was able to defend them. It was Gods hand on me.

Later on, I founded a nonprofit called FEBA, which also took courage and has delivered many people from trouble. But that is part of the story to come.

Introduction

Why This Book Matters and Where It Fits In

Elsie Tshimunyi McKee

MAMAN MONIQUES STORY

Muoyo webe = life to you! That is the common greeting in Tshiluba, the language that Maman Monique and I grew up speaking. I am Elsie Tshimunyi McKee , and I have the great joy and honor of introducing my best friend, Monique Misenga Ngoie Mukuna , Maman Monique. My job is to set the stage for her and accompany you along the way. I will begin by telling you why I want to share Maman Moniques story.

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