CMMC Needs Prayer--and PPE

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Centre Medicale Maman Clementine (CMMC) is urgently requesting prayer and financial help as they prepare to combat the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo.

We recently received the following letter asking for prayer and for financial support to provide personal protective equipment, sanitation supplies, and other needed materials to keep their staff safe and healthy. CMMC is providing critical medical care as the Ebola outbreak continues to grow in DR Congo, with a rise in cases in North Kivu province where Goma is located (see an article posted yesterday by the United Nations here).

The political instability of eastern DR Congo makes standard methods of isolating outbreaks unreliable. Contact tracing and quarantine are incredibly difficult when part of the region, including Goma, is under control of a rebel group and out of touch with DRC's ministry of health. Mourning practices involving family members preparing the deceased for burial also create tension since Ebola victims are extremely contagious after death. Knowing who has been exposed to Ebola is nearly impossible until the individual becomes sick.

This makes supplying medical staff with adequate personal protective equipment even more critical. Below is the full text of the letter, sent by the Medical Director, Dr. Kabazimya Mamboleo Leon, and the Hospital Administrator, Lydie Batende: 

Subject: Urgent Request for Support to Prevent Ebola Virus Disease and Protect Communities in Goma

Goma, May 21, 2026

To: Christ Reformed Presbyterian Church in the USA

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Management of Maman Clémentine Medical Center would like to express its sincere gratitude for the continuous support and valuable assistance that your Church has provided to our healthcare mission serving vulnerable populations and orphans in the city of Goma through our organization.

Following the public health alert concerning the resurgence of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the city of Goma and certain surrounding areas, our community is facing a major public health threat. This situation places vulnerable populations already affected by difficult socio-economic conditions at a particularly high risk of infection.

In our commitment to effectively contribute to disease prevention and to protect the population of Goma, our institution has initiated several urgent interventions, including:

• Strengthening infection prevention and control measures at Maman Clémentine Medical Center;
• Conducting community awareness and sensitization campaigns on preventive measures and hygiene practices;
• Regular disinfection of medical and community facilities;
• Procuring personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, masks, gowns, thermometers, disinfectants, handwashing facilities, and other essential materials;
• Training and protecting medical and community health personnel;
• Establishing a surveillance and rapid referral mechanism for suspected cases to appropriate healthcare facilities.

However, the scale of this emergency exceeds our current human, material, and financial capacities. Therefore, we humbly seek your support once again to strengthen our preventive response efforts and help save lives.

We kindly request support in the following forms:

• Spiritual support and prayers.
• Financial assistance for the implementation of prevention activities;
• Provision of medical and protective equipment;
• Hygiene and disinfection supplies;
• Logistical support for community awareness campaigns;
• Technical assistance or healthcare partnership;

Your support will directly contribute to preventing the spread of Ebola Virus Disease, protecting vulnerable families, and saving lives in the North Kivu Province.

While awaiting your favorable response to our request, please accept, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the expression of our deepest gratitude and highest consideration.

For Maman Clémentine Medical Center

Dr. KABAZIMYA MAMBOLEO LEON
Medical Director / Chief Medical Officer

BATENDE KAHINDO LYDIE
Administrative Manager

If you are interested in helping support the work of CMMC in providing critical medical care to women and children displaced by war and now facing a deadly new virus, you can donate here.

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(More background on CMMC's founding by Congolese refugees to the US and Denmark can be found here. A recent history of Goma and its current occupation by rebel militia M23, likely backed by Rwanda, is here.)

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