Living with Joy | Cyrille Mouanda’s Story

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” -Romans 15:13

REPUBLIC OF CONGO – Running an ethical business in the Republic of Congo is challenging; Congo is listed as nearly last (183/190) globally for “ease of doing business.” Cyrille Mouanda rises to that challenge every day.

Before joining HOPE Congo, Cyrille worked tirelessly to support his three children and two nephews through his business, where he turned paper into other office materials such as notebooks and registers. During this time, he struggled to build trustworthy relationships with his business partners due to his lack of capital.

Amid challenge and instability, his sister-in-law introduced him to HOPE Congo. Cyrille joined a loan group and was soon elected as president, a role which he still proudly serves in today.

A GROWING BUSINESS

With his first loan, Cyrille purchased additional paper to increase his inventory, and in turn, generate more profit. Since then, he has consistently invested in his business, taking out eight loans since 2019.

TRANSFORMED WORK

Having regained the trust of his partners, Cyrille no longer worries over advances for invoices, and he has significantly increased his product quality and production efficiency. His children are in school, and he dreams of expanding his business into a vocational training center for his community.

JOY IN THE GOSPEL

“The change is real,” Cyrille shared. “I have joy in my heart every time I come to my workshop. This reassures my future as a father because I live without worries.” In group meetings, members study Scripture together. Cyrille also shared, “I strongly believe in the importance of bringing people closer to God by giving them opportunities to share the Word and pray together whenever we meet. The prayer times we share as a group are truly amazing, as we all engage with the activity and connect with each other.”

SPREADING HOPE

He has encouraged many of his own family and friends to join HOPE Congo, proclaiming the valuable ways it has transformed his life, “As the president of my lending group, I always encourage people in my community to join HOPE Congo. … Thanks to the information I share with them about HOPE, many have become clients, and this brings me joy to see how their lives are also changing.”