Freddy and Sylvie Nzambe come from the Democratic Republic of Congo and have been living in Tunisia for around 20 years. Freddy Nzambe is a pastor of the Reformed Church in Tunis and superintendent for the Methodist congregations in Algeria. Connexio hope, the organization for church cooperation among Methodists in Switzerland, has supported this work for many years.
The couple looks after a dormitory for female students from sub-Saharan Africa - currently with restrictions. They are increasingly confronted with racism in Tunisia. The grounds of the Methodist church have become a popular meeting place for students. The activities on offer range from football matches to theological cafés. Sometimes there are 20 to 50 people there, but at weddings and other celebrations there have been as many as 500. They mainly come from East, West and Central Africa, but also from the USA or Tunisia. Everyone is welcome, regardless of their origin or religious affiliation.
"What makes me happiest is when I see that someone is now doing well," says Freddy Nzambe. There is his daughter, who meets an entrepreneur in the Congo. He asked her: "Are you Freddy's daughter?" It turned out that this man had lived in Tunis years ago and wanted to return to his home country. Freddy Nzambe was able to help him pay for the plane ticket thanks to support from Switzerland. There is a young woman. She lived in a dormitory for five years, studied fashion design and trained as a stylist. Now she has her own business in Tunis and is a naturalized citizen. "I don't know how she managed to get naturalized, it's almost impossible here!"
There is the student who was talking loudly to himself on the riverbank. Freddy Nzambe noticed him as he was walking along the river with his wife. The young man was from Mali, had studied in Algeria and wanted to go to Europe. As he couldn't get a visa for France, he wanted to try from Tunisia. He did not succeed. He was now in Tunisia illegally and Mali no longer wanted him. He spoke to himself so that he wouldn't feel so alone. Freddy Nzambe accompanied him to the embassy and paid the costs incurred due to his illegal stay. The student was then able to travel home to Mali.
Freddy Nzambe can't help everyone. "I used to see that as failure. Today I tell myself: I try, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. If I can't help, I have to hand it over in prayer. But it's a burden and I carry it with me anyway. Sometimes I can't even tell my wife because I don't want to burden her." Actually, much more pastoral care would be needed. "We need to hire someone, but we don't have the resources." For some time now, it has also been much more difficult to help as a church. It used to be possible to issue residence permits for the students in the dormitory. Today that is no longer possible. There are currently women living there who are allowed to be admitted due to acute emergency situations.
Migration laws have been tightened considerably in the last two years. The situation has become precarious for those coming from countries south of the Sahara. It is forbidden to take in undocumented migrants, and those who do so risk a conviction. "But as a church, we want to help somehow!" emphasizes Freddy Nzambe. The church had put together and delivered 120 food parcels for people in the refugee camp - then it was banned. Christian communities are now only allowed to meet in an official church. The government is taking massive action against members of the opposition. Had he already thought about leaving the country? Freddy Nzambe nods: "Yes, we have thought about it. But at the moment, despite everything, we can still work. And that's why we're staying." Together with others, they support individuals in need; recently, a solution was found for a heavily pregnant refugee and her husband.
But it is exhausting to see the need and to constantly weigh up what help is still possible. As superintendent, Freddy Nzambe also accompanies the pastors in Algeria, some of whom are under great pressure. Almost all Protestant congregations there are closed. "It would be so important for them to be able to share what they think and feel," says Freddy Nzambe, "but it's difficult when you have to live in alert mode all the time. You don't want to burden your family and colleagues. You don't want to put anyone at risk. They don't want to burden me either. They say: it's fine. We in Tunisia and Algeria are often very alone, that's a big problem." For him, the relationships in the Central Conference a help. As superintendent, he regularly exchanges ideas with his colleagues. "I have close contact and many good conversations with Rares Calugar from Romania, as well as with László Khaled. My mother died recently. Ivana Procházková then asked how I was doing. That did me a lot of good."
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