There never seems to be a shortage of challenges in helping God’s people.
While we have been building, Mother nature has been leveling both the new and the old. On Tuesday March 8 the campus at KMU was struck by a storm of tornado-like strength that uprooted trees, damaged housing units, classroom and administrative buildings, and the pharmacy and clinic. The water supply and food storage were also impacted. We need to alert you to this need at KMU and Mulungwishi.
We are pleased to announce that as of March 2, 2021 the Board of Friends of KMU has made the first monthly payment of $1,500.00 to VodaCom, the internet provider for KMU, for the upgraded internet connection project we announced in December. As we moved forward with this project we learned that the upgrade to the dedicated 3Mbps connection is actually three times their previous connection speed and with their previous connection being a shared connection instead of the dedicated connection of the upgrade the effective speed and access improvement will be even greater. We look forward to updates from staff and students about the positive change this has made for the Theological Seminary and the entire University.
Friends of Katanga Methodist University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Gordon Brandau to our Board. Gordon’s years of medical experience and his administrative expertise have proved invaluable in our efforts to organize and complete the shipment of medicines to Mulungwishi and the surrounding clinics. We look forward to his continued involvement in our efforts ot assist KMU in it’s mission.
We are sorry to announce the passing of Board Member Ed Long Thursday, October 12, 2017 at his home in Stillwater, OK after a brief battle with esophageal cancer. Ed devoted his life to making a better world for all. Always a United Methodist, he went abroad on countless mission trips, but his heart was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where he felt called to serve at age 10. When he visited Katanga Methodist University (KMU) in the DRC in 2005, he was struck by the vast amount of fertile land and the malnourishment of the people. It was after this that he created the "Building Bridges of Peace" scholarship to fund agriculture exchange programs between Oklahoma State University and KMU. Ed was a valued member of our board and a powerful voice in support of KMU and the community of Mulungwishi. His estate leaves an endowment that will fund additional educational opportunities in the School of Agriculture at KMU as well as projects that will increase the country's food production. He will be greatly missed
KMU President Dr Kasap Owan was elected Bishop of Tte United Methodist Church for the South Congo and Zambia Episcopal Area on March 18. On the third ballot he received 238 of 286 votes cast. This is a great honor for Dr. Kasap and Katanga Methodist University. With his election to Bishop he intends to improve evangelism, education and agriculture in his episcopal area. He will be succeded by Kongolo Chijika as President of KMU.
The Poultry Project at KMU has reported the sale of its first flock of chickens. They sold 268 chickens with an average weight just under 3lb for a total of US $1860.00. This generated a profit of approximately US $275.00. With the ability to raise 5 to 6 flocks per year and perhaps expanding the facility this shows promise of becoming become a good source of income for KMU.
There was a loss of 32 chickens (approximately 11%) during the raising of the flock. The students have gained valuable experience in raising poultry and already have an expectation for an even better yield for the next project. We are looking forward to a report on the next flock soon.
ENID, OK - Oklahoma State University international student in animal science Cedrick Shili spoke at the Enid Rotary Club Monday April 17 saying education is the key to helping the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo improve farming efforts. He said an extension program such as the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service would be helpful in educating the farming community in his native country of the Democratic Republic of Congo where over 70% of the agricultural industry is made up of small farms of one or two acres that grow food for themselves or to sell a small amount, earning $1 or less a day. Cedric is an international student in animal science and is working on his master’s degree in swine nutrition and hopes to get his doctorate and become a faculty member in the DRC. Cedric has been in the United States for almost two years and his education is supplemented by the Ed Long Endowment.