Our Story and Key Milestones
Najenga Hope Society was founded by Ray and Mary Anne Bale to facilitate collaboration with local leaders (e.g. Najenga Congo, African Revival Ministries Congo) and other non-profits and NGOs serving the people of the Great Lakes Region in Central Africa who are experiencing ongoing violence and conflict. It officially obtained charitable status in January 2023.
Founders: Ray and Mary Anne Bale
1996: Ray’s first trip to Burundi with other members of Vernon Christian Fellowship as part of a work team to address an urgent request from Chrissie Chapman, to build an Infant Refugee Care Center. A relational connection is established which is cemented on subsequent trips with both Chrissie, African Revival Ministries (ARM Burundi) and a local church (Eglise Vivante)
2002: After several trips and much prayer Ray and Mary Anne, supported by Vernon Christian Fellowship and the Salt & Light Network of churches, move to Bujumbura, Burundi to work with an existing Children’s Home (C.R.I.B) led by Chrissie Chapman and to provide support for the local King’s School and Eglise Vivante.
2003: Ecole Shalom was founded and subsequent construction with funding provided by Hope for the Nations is completed. The school begins as a primary school but very quickly a secondary section and sewing school equip young woman widowed due to the ongoing insecurity in the region are added. The school has seen a high of 900 students enrolled and is now the National Exam Center for the south Kivu province in eastern Congo.
2004: New Hope Centre, a second children’s home is founded in Bujumbura, Burundi after a brutal massacre of Congolese refugees in Burundi that left many homeless orphans and widows. At the same time, Boss David, a wounded baby of 3 months of age from the massacre is adopted and becomes part of the Bale family. In 2007 a school is set up in the Bale Compound to educate the younger children who were in the early primary years, teaching them in English and helping to bring healing to those particularly traumatized.
Emmanuel Centre
2009: Emmanuel Centre was started in Marungu, in the High Plateau area of Eastern Congo. Spanning over 200 hectares, it comprised 6 homes, a church, a primary and secondary school, and a flour mill. Over time a carpentry center, and an agriculture project are developed to make the Centre completely self-sufficient through the raising of goats, cattle, chickens, and a tree farm. This was destroyed in 2021 due to armed conflict in the High Plateau forcing the evacuation of the children and families living there. Due to ongoing conflict, it is still not safe to return there.
2013: Najenga Community Centre is located on 3 hectares of fertile land in the Uvira region of Eastern Congo and currently includes agricultural projects, a well, a gathering place for the local church planted in 2017and other community activities. There is also a preschool, literacy, humanitarian outreach and shoebox distribution provided by Team Hope Ireland. An additional 1 hectare is purchased near the village of Kagondo and will be used for future development.
2015: New Hope Centre was moved to Rwanda for safety reasons due to the escalating violence and political instability in Burundi which continues to the present. This Center is currently home for 32 children with 4 “mamas”, a director and a security guard caring for the children. 16 additional children have graduated and a number of those have also completed their bachelor’s degree and are pursuing employment or further education opportunities.
New Hope Centre
New Hope Centre
2019: Ray and Mary Anne leave Africa and resettle back in Canada to allow Boss David to complete his last 2 years of secondary school and transition to college. Ray continued with regular visits including during the COVID crisis, 2-3 times per year.
2021: Emmanuel Centre is destroyed and the children and their carers experience a harrowing journey to escape ongoing armed conflict. Emmanuel Centre is safely reestablished in Uvira, DRC. Currently 39 children are cared for in a large, rented house and compound under the direction of Kadume. The children attend Ecole Shalom, our local school, and funding provides for their care, school fees as well as other basic needs.
Emmanuel Centre
2022: Najenga Hope Society was founded by Ray and Mary Anne Bale and Vernon Christian Fellowship to continue to support the work in Central Africa and to facilitate collaboration with local leaders (e.g. Najenga Congo, African Revival Ministries Congo) and other non-profits and NGOs serving the people of Central Africa and the Great Lakes Region who are experiencing ongoing violence and conflict. It officially obtained charitable status in January 2023. A Board of Directors is formed with Ray continuing as Executive Director providing oversight and support to the ongoing work in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi and Rwanda.
2023: Najenga Community Centre continues to grow with a new well and the establishment of a preschool. Rutemba Christian Fellowship led by Pastor Mathongo plants a second church in 2024.