About Us
Vision and Mission
Education Congo Canada (ECC) emerged out of a passion to help strengthen higher education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo so that Congolese would have the educational resources to respond effectively to the challenges they face.
Vision Statement:
"To strengthen higher education in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through partnership with Congolese universities, empowering students to tackle the nation’s challenges and drive positive change."
Mission statement:
"Education Congo Canada (ECC) is dedicated to strengthening higher education in the DRC by providing transformative scholarships, resources, and opportunities that enable Congolese students to become leaders who can address the nation’s most pressing challenges."
Beginnings
The original members of ECC came from a sister organization in the US with comparable goals. In order to encourage and facilitate Canadian supporters they created a Canada based nonprofit in 2020. In order to maximize available resources ECC operates within the framework of Accountable Development Works, a Canadian based charitable non-profit, with headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Education Congo Canada currently partners with the Denis Mukwege Centre for Excellence, part of the Université Evangélique en Afrique (UEA) in Bukavu, DRC to provide post-secondary educational opportunities through a dynamic scholarship program. The program will expand as appropriate and in conversation with other partners in the DRC.
Board and Management
ECC board members bring strong connections to the Congo, international experience and/or training and skill sets that enhance our capacity to work at effective partnerships with universities in the DRC. Many have direct ties to Congo, having grown up or worked there. Current board members are:
Bruno Baerg
Doug Cardwell
Juliet Lev
Mulanda Juma
Noah McMillan
Charity Schellenberg
John Schellenberg
ECC has a joint ‘Scholarship Committee’ made up of one board member along with the Director and President of the Denis Mukwege Centre for Excellence. This ensures we work in close collaboration with our partners on the ground. Their scholarship recommendations are presented to the ECC Board. The ECC Board (within the Accountable Development Works structure) subsequently makes all final decisions regarding funding allocation, so as to comply with CRA expectations in Canada.
Education Congo Canada understands that its partner universities are sovereign entities, with their own history and purpose, defining their own trajectory of development. Together we engage in a collaborative approach to complex and dynamic issues based on mutually defined expectations and goals.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.