GEMENA, CONGO (June 4, 2010) – In a country where machetes often are the only tools available to farmers, three tractors donated by the Congo government to the Covenant Church of Congo (CEUM) will greatly improve the ability of people to grow crops for themselves and even sell them at market.

The Democratic Republic of Congo purchased the John Deere tractors and delivered them to CEUM headquarters in Bokonzo, Gemena, on May 11. The government also paid all the delivery costs, says CEUM President Mossai Sanguma. The donation is part of a new government strategy to “kick-start the economy,” he added.

The tractors arrived towards the end of the weekly chapel service. Following the service, everyone formed a circle around the vehicles to dedicate them and offer a prayer of blessing. The accompanying photo was taken during that time of prayer, led by former CEUM President Lengana Duale.

The CEUM has a great collaborative relationship with the government, says Evangelical Covenant Church missionary Pete Ekstrand. “The government has a lot of confidence in the CEUM.” Click here to visit Ekstrand’s blog.

The three tractors will be used in Gemena, Kanana and Loko, Sanguma says. The region is largely grasslands, and the tractors will enable farmers to cultivate far greater stretches of land for crops such as corn and peanuts.

“When the tractors arrived, the people were so happy,” Sanguma says.