A Decade of Journeying in the Ituri Forest
By Dr Way Alege
Submitted by Noela Elvery (DPG Day 7)
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Pygmies are conventionally called the first occupants or citizens, but it was only in 2022 that an official set of laws was published to protect their rights. These laws stipulate that every indigenous Pygmy has the right to life, physical and psychological dignity, and security. These laws are a significant move in a country where Pygmies are estimated to account for 750,000 (3%) of the total population.
Yet the Pygmies of the Ituri province are still vulnerable. Three decades of ethnic clashes have pushed more people into the forest, creating pressure on natural resource availability. Large-scale cacao farming, timber logging, and gold mining are rapidly depleting forest species, causing negative effects on the ecosystem and reducing the free movement of the Pygmies in the forest. The worst phenomenon is the presence of the Alliance Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group who have caused the displacement of thousands of the Pygmies since 2019.
I first met the Pygmies in 1985 while training to become a Community Health Agent at a Brethren Mission Station located approximately 120km south of Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province. I started building friendships with the Pygmies, but it was not until 2006 that I was culturally immersed in the community by Nzelewa. He built a hut for me near his sister, thereby making me a member of the clan. He also gave me the Pygmy name, Apaefe Apameli. The clan and I shared a meal together and had a dancing ceremony.
After the ceremony, Nzelewa called upon God to accomplish the vision to see a church building, a school, a dispensary, and clean water on land that belonged to the Pygmies. Nzelewa’s prayer was because his daughter had died without any medical care and had been buried in a plastic sack, leaving behind three orphans. The youngest child, Fina, fell sick a few years after the death of her mother, and Nzelewa was worried that his granddaughter would die in the same way.
Shortly after this time, during a workshop attended by all the farmers in the village, including the Pygmies, I asked why they were not able to produce enough food both for their households and for sale. A participant answered that it was due to theft by the Pygmies.
This answer angered the Pygmies, who quietly quit the workshop, mobilized themselves with poisonous arrows, and came to fight us. I was still in the workshop when someone whispered in my ear that the Pygmies were gathering outside ready to wage war. I immediately walked out to meet the furious Pygmies, who became aggressive and hurled insults at us. I kindly asked if we could move into a distant thatched hanger to hold a separate discussion.
When I inquired about the source of their anger, a Pygmy countered with the question, “Who is the bigger thief: one who steals crops from gardens or another who has stolen the land?”
Although the answer was straightforward, I realised that it could spark further discontentment in the other group. So, I asked what the Pygmies suggested. They replied, “Let them return our land as it was before, then we shall farm for ourselves, and they will know whether we are thieves.”
That episode led me to begin building quality and sustainable relationships from 2006 to 2010. In April 2010, with thanks to Noela Elvery and Julie Loudon, I shared in Australia about the difficulties the Pygmies were facing. We began focusing on land acquisition, so that the Pygmies could develop their land identity, become more stable, be trained in different skills, and have access to education, clean water, and spiritual nurturing.
In order to achieve these goals, we used an anthropological approach, whereby passionate people agreed to live onsite with the Pygmies and observe. We organised formal education through which, with teachers and other technical staff members, we build quality relationships with Pygmy children and then with their parents. The most difficult aspect of this approach was finding the right people willing to voluntarily live in very difficult conditions. However, every year, God has been adding to our team passionate people even if others find this task difficult.
We acquired the first portion of land in 2012, and now have approximately 103 hectares in four different villages. This land has led to different blessings. First, we were able to aid the Pygmies with dignity. With substantial assistance from Australia, we provided clean, onsite water for the Pygmies. Before this, they had been competing with others in the community for untapped running water, but this was causing cases of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases.
The Pygmies also planted trees to protect themselves from the hot sun. Other organisations were impressed by this achievement and decided to provide better shelter for the Pygmies. By removing rocks from the ground and placing compost, the Pygmies were able to grow not only vegetables but also crops such as corn and cassava.
One Pygmy, Marcellina, is rated by the Pygmies as a skilled farmer who saves seeds for the second season instead of eating them. This is exceptional, for the Pygmies are known to be hunters and gatherers with a hand-to-mouth lifestyle. Additionally, Marcellina’s husband, Apomu, is the first Pygmy of Ataloholu to plant his own cacao, to harvest and sell.
Having Pygmies living together on the land in Komanda also ensures easy monitoring of the health of children and women. A nurse monitors them and administers routine vaccines. As a result, the Pygmies no longer talk of sorcery, since it is now established that common sicknesses like pneumonia, tuberculosis, anaemia, malnutrition, and malaria all hinge on poor diets. Being on their own property makes it easy to maintain good hygiene.
Sadly, despite many joys, Fina, Nzelewa’s granddaughter, died due to lung failure, and two years later, Nzelewa also died. But by then, all the things he had mentioned in his prayers had been accomplished, and God continues to work.
In Komanda this school year, we registered 52 of the 130 Pygmy children. However, because their parents often move from one place to another to labour, numbers vary every month. Robert Mokili keenly reaches out to the Pygmy children, drawing them to school and adults to church.
The spiritual development of the Pygmies depends mainly on that of field workers, so our staff have made time for prayers and personal spiritual development. Since April 2025, every staff member has embarked on Bible studies using Emmaus courses. We are excited by the responses.
For example, since Dorica received Jesus, the whole community has noticed a change. Dorica’s children’s deaths had sparked division at Ataloholu, because she bore 15 children and lost 10 of them. Since receiving Jesus, none of her children have died in the last six years. Furthermore, her husband, Adjoint, was ranked as the most notorious person in his clan. Along with three other men, they previously engaged in violent behaviour towards their families. These four men have now decided that they should have times of prayer and sharing the word of God, under Robert Mokili’s guidance. We pray that God touches them.
Another example is Papa, who received Jesus two years ago after breaking his leg in an accident. He was taken to Bunia for treatment. The care the staff offered him while he was unable to walk was a life-changing experience for him.
For the last three months, the technical team has decided to make frequent visits to Shaurimoya, Ataloholu and Kangakolo. Regular meetings are also being organised with civil servants and security agents, with the main aim being to get acquainted with the new team of soldiers, police, and Criminal Investigation Police, so that farming can be recommenced. Please pray for the security of the technical team.
Please also pray that we will be able to improve the school infrastructure in Komanda to meet the legal requirements of land ownership. According to the law, a permanent Title Deed will be issued once there is value added to the land by erecting permanent buildings. Please pray that the accommodation for the Pygmy children and female staff is improved.