St. Kizito is operated by the nuns of the Charite´ Maternelle Congregation (Maternal Charity Congregation), or CMC.

Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo

Elyse Pifwa, Program Director

United States 

CKI has no permanent staff in the United States, the Board of Directors and Advisory Committee perform the majority of the work.

ADDRESS

Congo Kids Initiative
491 3rd Street, #3; Brooklyn, NY 11215

A native of Aru in northern Ituri, Congo Kids Initiative's only paid staff member is Elyse Pifwa, A long-term resident of the area, Elyse has deep experience in supporting children with trauma and navigating the complexities of organization building in crisis settings. She provides support to the orphanage nuns, coordinates medical care for children in special need, and assists in monitoring children who have been returned to their home communities to birth parents or foster families. 

For many years, Elyse worked with Marrion P'Udongo, a local minister who's been called the "Oskar Schindler of Congo." In May 2003, as militia sacked Bunia and executed hundreds of their ethnic rivals, the pastor sheltered scores of people in his home and miraculously guided them to safety. Later, "Pastor Marrion" established himself as the ace fixer and interpreter for the world's leading news agencies who covered the conflict, including the New York Times, Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, BBC, PBS, NPR, and ABC's Nightline. In 2010, Marrion suffered massive kidney failure and nearly died. In an effort to save him, several journalist colleagues launched an international campaign to raise funds for a life-saving transplant, which he received in 2011. In addition to his work at St. Kizito, Marrion served at Chrisco church and operates a volunteer ministry inside Bunia's notorious Central Prison.

Tragically, in 2017, we lost Pastor Marrion to kidney failure. His legacy lives on in all we do for children in Congo.

THE STRUCTURE OF CONGO KIDS INITIATIVE

Congo Kids Initiative currently operates under the VII Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization