Urgent Appeal: Help Save Baby Grace – A 12-Week-Old Orphan in Goma, DRC

 A 12-week-old baby girl in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, is fighting for her life after a tragedy that no child should ever face.

Teacher Eric Mupika holding the orphaned baby Grace in DRC

Baby Grace lost both her parents just weeks ago when they were shot and killed in ongoing violence in the region. Now orphaned at only three months old, she depends entirely on the kindness and compassion of others for survival.

Grace is currently under the care of Eric Mupika, a respected senior member of Rotaract Université de Goma and a Healing Circle Work teacher in Africa. Eric has stepped forward to ensure that this vulnerable child receives immediate care, protection, and basic necessities.

From Australia, humanitarian volunteer Helen Stokes has joined efforts to raise emergency funds to support Grace’s urgent needs.

Why Immediate Help Is Needed

At just 12 weeks old, Baby Grace requires:

Infant formula milk

Essential medicines and medical injections

Basic healthcare monitoring

Safe shelter and daily care

Without consistent nutrition and medical attention, a baby this young is at serious risk. In a region already facing instability and limited healthcare resources, access to baby formula and medicine can mean the difference between life and death.

Transparency and Accountability

Funds raised will be managed on the ground by Eric Mupika in Goma to ensure:

Purchase of baby formula and nutritional support

Medical consultations and prescribed treatments

Emergency healthcare needs

Helen Stokes, who has worked alongside Eric for over five years, is coordinating support efforts from Australia to ensure safe and accountable assistance reaches Baby Grace.

A Call for Compassion

Grace is described as a beautiful, gentle baby who now depends entirely on community care. No child should begin life with such loss. Yet through collective compassion, her story can change.

This is an appeal not only for financial assistance but for shared humanity.

If you are in Australia and willing to support or learn more about how to assist, please reach out:

WhatsApp (Australia): Helen Stokes – +61 477 999 500

You may also connect directly with:

Eric Mupika on Facebook

Healing Circle DRC

Every contribution, no matter how small, can help provide milk, medicine, and hope.

Together, we can give Baby Grace a fighting chance at life.

God bless you for caring.

For inquiries more information contact Enviro Agri Media Africa on Facebook or through our Contact Us tab on the website! 

WhatsApp Number +27651895839

Crushed Dreams: How Chinese Mining is Wrecking Zimbabwe's Mountains

This mountain you see used to be the same as the one in the background before it was destroyed. If this doesn't stop next generations will only see these mountains on pictures and videos 

The Hidden Cost of Granite Mining

Granite mining in Zimbabwe has been on the rise, and it’s often led by Chinese companies. While granite is a beautiful, strong material used in homes and buildings, the process of getting it comes with a heavy cost. The mountains that have stood tall for centuries are now being destroyed, leaving the environment scarred and communities suffering.

Mountains Don't Grow Back

Imagine a giant mountain that took millions of years to form. Now picture it being blasted apart for rocks. That’s what’s happening in Zimbabwe. These mining operations strip away layers of earth, making it hard for plants to grow back. Nature needs time to heal, and when mountains are destroyed, the landscape changes forever.

Pollution: A Silent Killer

It’s not just about the mountains. Mining brings tons of dust and chemicals that pollute the air and water. Have you ever thought about where your drinking water comes from? When nearby rivers are filled with mining waste, it puts everyone at risk. Families can get sick, and animals can’t survive in polluted streams. This should worry us all.

Lost Homes and Livelihoods

Many local villagers depend on the land for their living. When mining companies come in, they take over these lands and push people out. Imagine losing your home because someone else wants to dig for rocks. People are left with nowhere to go and no way to earn a living. The promise of jobs often doesn’t match reality; many workers face unsafe conditions and low pay.

Environmental Laws in the Shadows

Zimbabwe has laws meant to protect the environment. Unfortunately, these rules aren’t always enforced. Mining companies sometimes get away with cutting corners. It’s like having a safety net that has holes in it. Without strict enforcement, the land and its people continue to suffer.

The Fight for a Greener Future

Local communities are starting to stand up against these mining practices. They know that if they don't speak out, the mountains will vanish, and their families will face even harder lives. Activists are pushing for better regulations and more support for sustainable practices. People are realizing that granite isn't worth the sacrifice of their homes and health.

Conclusion: The Choice is Ours

As consumers, we have the power to make choices that protect our environment. When we think about the products we buy, we should consider where they come from and how they impact the world. If we choose to demand responsible mining, maybe we can save those beautiful mountains in Zimbabwe from destruction. It’s time to stand together for a cleaner, healthier planet.

Environmental Education Short Courses

Lets Protect the environment 

Global Waste Cleaning Network has some amazing Environmental Education Courses 

The courses include 

1: Understanding Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development!

The course introduces you to the basic foundations of Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), including their origins and the educational processes connected to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

2: Strategies to Advance Circular Economy

Circular Economy provides a regenerative framework to design a production and consumption system in which materials are used in cycles of closed loops. The course provides you with an overview of the concept of Circular Economy, its principles and introduces how the principles are being used to shift from a linear economy to a circular economy. 

3: Introduction to Environmental Literacy

This course will introduce you to the basics of Environmental Literacy, by providing you with an overview of the environmental literacy concept and its components. The course, divided into 6 Modules, will also present to you the bases of environmental literacy excellence and how you can create your own logic model for environmental literacy assessment.

These courses will help you as an environmental activist understand the fundamental principles of environmental literacy and equips you with enough knowledge to share during Environmental Awareness Campaigns 

To enrol visit http://www.gwcnweb.org/ and search the courses under the Education tab.

Happy learning!!

NAKIVALE PERMACULTURE TRAINING PROGRAMME AT AN ADVANCED STAGE

 

Permaculture food production

Plans to equip a group of community leaders in the Nakivale Refugee Resettlement  area with Permaculture knowledge are at an advanced stage.

The training course is scheduled to commence on the 31st April to the 4th of May 2022 and will be attended by a number of young community leaders from the refugee community.

Permaculture courses are very essential for the Nakivale communities as they will gradually assist in food sustainability which is key to smooth running of schools that we recently wrote about in our previous articles.

Read:Refugees Cry For Humanitarian Help

Also read:War Could Not Stop His Dreams: The Story of Mugisha Namwanga

Lives of women, children and almost everyone in the camp has become so unbearable with the cost of living going up every day.

This comes as the UN is reported to have reduced the monthly ration for refugees to 13 000 Ugandan Shilling or US $3.50

Facilitated by trainers from Congo and the DRC , The training aims at empowering refugee communities with organic food production skills-reverting back to our African tradition of producing food without chemicals and fertilizers which are a health and environmental hazard.

Poteint Oliver Mayange, one of the members tasked with the planning of this training course said they were in need of the following

Theory /Class Training: We need A tent, Plastic Chairs,flip flops or board markers, note books and pens

Field Work (Practical part of the course): We need a piece of land, Hoes, Water Sprayers/Sprinklers, Jerry Cans, Ropes, Hammers and Nails.

Trainers will bring seeds whilst community members and trainees will have to provide organic manure in form of food waste like banana peels and leaves, egg shells, animal waste like cow dung, rabbit and goat droppings and so on.

The demonstration piece of land will be looked after by the trainees and will work as a prototype that will inspire fellow community members to start similar projects for self reliance and sustainable food production.

The project will result in a boost in food crop production and breeding of chicken, rabbits and goats in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement.

Advocate for Equality and Coordinator  for Australia with Africa who is helping with planning this permaculture training Australian based Human Rights Activist and Consultant Helen Stokes popularly known by the Nakivale Community as Sisii Helen told this publication that she managed to secure some resources needed to get the training started.

For the training course, more organizers are appealing for assistance in any form be it provision of the items listed above or financial assistance.

Helen Stokes can be contacted on the following contact details

Email:stokesh17@gmail.com

Phone:0477999500 (Australia)