Campus Conversations: Day 3 - English classes

Nono Ilyempo

Because UCBC's English classes meet every Wednesday and Saturday, they provided opportunity for all students to engage in conversations with our guest experts and facilitators. Nono Ilyempo and Kambere Kahindo (Kahi) joined the team of experts and facilitators on this day. Nono, a UCBC graduate in communications, hosts a local radio program on environmental matters. Kahi is a local artist with a passion to employ art to cultivate appreciation for the natural world and teach about our responsibility to care for it.

Discussions ranged widely across the six English classes. One class considered personal responsibility towards creation and came to the realization that human welfare and the environment are inextricably linked. In a beginning level class, students developed a list of new English words (e.g., sustainability, pollution, climate change). Their teacher later explained, "The new vocabulary helped students during the week. They had direct experience with new words and phrases to help them in other activities. On Scientific Day [held on Friday], students had could follow the presentations because they knew the vocabulary." Another class discussed the significance of communication to sensitize a community to issues of climate change, pollution, and personal responsibility. 

Virunga Park extends along the border
between DRC and Rwanda (Goma)
and DRC and Uganda (north of Beni)

One of the advanced English classes explored the intersection of population growth, economic development, and protection of natural resources. This particular hot button popped up several times during the week, as conflicts in and around Virunga National Park flare from time to time. Virunga, just outside Beni territory, extends along North Kivu’s east border. The park is Africa’s oldest national park. Many people trace landholdings back before there was a national park. Livelihoods depend on access to land for farming. Conservation and human survival often clash with dire consequences. Modern technology and oil-based economies add to the pressures, as deep-pocket businesses maneuver for drilling rights in the park. With these conflicts just next door, many people in the UCBC community are keenly aware of the challenges. Many have been directly affected.

English classes provided space for teachers to question, ponder, and critique alongside their students. One teacher commented, "It was captivating. I never thought about my responsibility from a biblical perspective." Another stated, "I want to organize a conference in our church. I want the youth to know God beyond the walls of the 'temple.' The Creator is in His nature and sees us in His creation."

New vocabulary words

Campus Conversations: Day 2

Tuesday’s activities (May 20) centered around workshops with non-teaching staff. Approximately 25 technical staff (mechanics, carpenters, and ground crew) met with Joel, Elikia, and Ben for sessions on workplace safety, water protection, and managing waste. Faculty and administrative staff often partake of workshops and professional development events, but technical staff have fewer opportunities. One of the strengths of Campus Conversations  was a range of activities to include the entire UCBC community.

Musabao, UCBC driver/mechanic

As educators, we pay attention to “unexpected outcomes”—those nuggets of new knowledge or ideas that pop up and surprise. Several unexpected outcomes popped up from this workshop.

For one thing the grounds crew expressed a desire for a snake guide to help identify venomous snakes. Generally, crew members kill any snakes they encounter. But Elikia and Ben explained the role snakes play in the eco-system, keeping rodents and other “critters” in check.

The team wanted to understand other workplace risks—basic safety matters that generally go unexplained. They were concerned about the dangers of chain-saws, hoes, and machetes, and identified the need to take appropriate steps for protection. Was this creation care? At first I didn't think so. It seemed to me that safe use of tools stands in a category separate from environmental stewardship. But, if creation care is about caring for all creation, then providing physical protection for people who work out in nature is no less important than addressing the human consequences of climate change (e.g., extreme weather changes, flooding, typhoons).

Joel discusses water pollution

The crew expressed interest in serving as ambassadors and managing  the campus as a teaching tool. They discussed the possibility of leading a native tree planting project and making labels to name and describe tree species and their use for medicinal, nutritional, or other purposes.

In the afternoon, Ben, Rachel, and Joel met with administrative and support/office staff to discuss responsible use of resources in the office workplace. Among the topics was how to better manage printing and copying needs to reduce waste and save money. The group also discussed the reality that sometimes doing the right thing is cost efficient. Sometimes it costs more. Environmental stewardship enjoys no respite from the tension between expediency and ethics.

Management of electronic waste also generated discussion. The group did not identify action steps; however, what did bubble up is that there are some students and faculty on campus interested in figuring out solutions. The group did not develop concrete action plans on this matter, but at least that had conversations. 

Campus Conversations: Day 1

After six months of preparation and planning, Creation Care: Campus Conversations launched officially with a special chapel on Monday, May 19. Special for several reasons.

Rachel, Elikia, Joel, Ben (L to R)

First, the entire UCBC community joined together. Usually, only students and faculty attend Monday and Friday chapel services. The technical staffs of grounds crew, mechanics, and construction workers have their own prayer and Bible study time on Saturdays. Second, chapel was conducted in Swahili and English, rather than French and English. Third, we had special guests in attendance. In addition to Jay and Jessica Shewan (brother and sister-in-law of one of our international staff), four experts and practitioners in environmental stewardship rounded out the gathering.  Joel Vwira Tembo (Goma Business Services), Elikia Amani Zahinda (Congolese Foresters Network), Rachel Lamb (Young Evangelicals for Climate Action) and Ben Lowe (Evangelical Environmental Network and Young Evangelicals for Climate Action) had come to join us as teachers and facilitators for the week. 

Honoré set the stage for the week, welcoming our special guests and also UCBC’s technical crew. He reminded us all that we are ONE community. Each of us has a role, a job, a set of responsibilities, talents and gifts. None of these outshines any other. We are all members of one body. To be honest, that message was one that I had hoped would be communicated. UCBC requires students to do manual labor each week. Work Program is one way we teach and remind students that manual labor is a responsibility and its own reward. A university diploma is not “ticket out.” It is a “commitment to.” It’s a commitment to honor and respect those who labor physically and a commitment to share in the physical burdens of all who make up our communities.

Ben teaches, Katsongo interprets

It's too easy to get caught up in one's own concerns and spin daily activities in our own sphere. I know I regularly fail to recognize those whose labors, whether intellectual or physical, spin at the outer edges of my own.

Research and agribusiness meeting
Elikia Amani Zahinda (L) and
Joel Vwira Tembo (R) flank Jon Shaw

After singing, introductions, and an outline of the week's activities, Honoré welcomed Ben to the podium. Katsongo, Theology Faculty Coordinator, translated as Ben gave a brief teaching entitled, "Creation Care: Discipleship and Faithful Witness." 

English teachers
(L to R) Mashauri,  John, Josias

In the afternoon, Ben, Rachel, Elikia, and Joel met with the team heading up UCBC’s initiative to strengthen research capacity through an examination of agri-business education. The purpose of the meeting was to establish professional connections and push the conversation about agri-business, sustainability, environmental stewardship, and agro-forestry. Afterwards, the visiting team and English teachers gathered at my house for afternoon tea.

(L to R) Joel, Rachel, Ben,
Kinangani (director of RTB), and me