Jean Ruhigita Ndagora Bugwika

Jean Ruhigita Ndagora Bugwika (1927 – 17 October 1993), widely known as Ruhigita Ndagora, was a Congolese evangelist, superintendent, educator and pastor. Over the course of his 32-year tenure as the Legal Representative of the 8th CEPAC (formerly Communauté des Eglises de Pentecôte au Zaïre; CEPZA) church, he solidified his position as a transformative leader in his community and beyond.

He was awarded the medal of Knight of the National Order of the Leopard (Ordre national du Léopard) in 1980.

Early life and career Jean Ruhigita was born in 1927 as Ruhigita Ndagora Bugwika to Shegamo Nakitami and her husband, Majagira Muhasha Mwene Bugwika, a farmer and herder, in the village of Buhula (present-day Kiliba) in Uvira, within the Kivu Region of the Belgian Congo. He was born to the Fuliiru ethnic group and belonged to the Mulabwe clan. His father had four wives who bore him ten children, comprising seven boys and three girls. His original surname Ruhigita Ndagora Bugwika holds a profound significance with its three-fold meaning in Kifuliiru, with "Ruhigita" signifying the epitome of leadership and authority, "Ndagora" symbolizing a serene disposition, one that avoids confrontation, and "Bugwika" referring to the imagery of a seedling, planted with care, destined to grow and bear abundant fruits. Although both "Majagira" and "Ndagora" were names given by his father, Ruhigita's preference for "Ndagora" stemmed from its positively charged connotations. He was converted to Christianity by Gösta Palmertz through his preaching of the text from John 1:29. Before leaving the village, Palmertz offered a prayer to Ruhigita, encouraging him to seek further knowledge by venturing to Uvira and enrolling in school. However, Ruhigita's deeply animistic parents, staunchly rooted in their own traditional beliefs, opposed their son's newfound religious fervor. They forbade him from preaching about Jesus Christ, but Ruhigita refused to renounce his Christian convictions. He was consequently ostracized from his familial abode and sought solace and refuge in the untamed wilderness, where he continued his prayers. Throughout his studies in Uvira, he was educated by William Backman, who also served as his spiritual mentor at the MLS Uvira-Kasenga school. After completing his primary studies, he proceeded to Lemera in 1950 to pursue his secondary education at the Protestant Pedagogical Institute of Kivu (Institut Pédagogique Protestant du Kivu; IPPKI). This institute had been instrumental in training Christian leaders for the Churches of the 8th CEPAC and CELPA, as well as those in Rwanda. Ruhigita completed his third year of secondary education in Lemera and obtained a teaching diploma in 1953. He returned to Uvira, where he took the role of "Mwalimu" (a revered title given to those who impart knowledge), serving as a teacher and evangelist in the parishes of Kala and Kangando. When the fourth-year class opened, Ruhigita returned to Lemera to complete his training. He obtained a teaching diploma, which allowed him to work as a teacher at the EAP (School of Pedagogical Apprenticeship).

In 1972, Marianne Henriksson was invited to spearhead the development of a dedicated girls' school within the AEP. Throughout his tenure, Ruhigita achieved great success in obtaining approval for the establishment of an array of educational institutions, including 412 primary and secondary schools, 14 Bible schools, the prestigious Evangelical University in Africa (Université Évangélique en Afrique; UEA), and the Higher Institute of Evangelical Theology of Kivu (Institut Supérieur de Théologie Evangélique du Kivu; ISTEKI). Recognizing the urgent need for social development, the CEPZA Board of Directors made a request to Church leaders, urging them to establish social centers in their respective locations. In response, Ruhigita established 56 active social centers. These centers provided training in sewing, literacy, and various small trades, tailored to the specific needs of the local community. The Women's Training Centers (CFF) also provided guidance in tailoring, culinary arts, and literacy. Four centers were established in Panzi, Lemera, Uvira, and Goma. Furthermore, in 1973, Ruhigita initiated a reforestation project aimed at supporting and assisting the ECC/8th CEPAC Churches in the Uvira and Fizi territories. This project focused on tree planting activities to preserve the ecological balance and combat desertification in the Ruzizi Plain. In May 1989, the reforestation project culminated in the successful development of 27 churches in Uvira and Fizi, benefitting from a total of 150,212 nurtured seedlings throughout the duration of the project.

Legacy Jean Ruhigita Ndagora Bugwika died on October 17, 1993. His colleague, Jules Kyembwa Walumona, attests that the outcomes of his lengthy leadership were overwhelmingly positive. His tenure witnessed the expansion of the community across numerous provinces, the construction of numerous durable Church buildings, the establishment of the Evangelical University in Africa, the Higher Institute of Theology, as well as numerous primary and secondary schools. Moreover, he spearheaded various development projects, including the creation of dispensaries and health centers. He notes: "He did not hesitate to bang on the table, to get confused with the missionaries, to utter veiled or clear threats to them. Stubborn, he sometimes went against their decisions. Suffice it to recall here how he saved the Panzi domain by taking on a conflict with his fellow missionary Legal Representative who found the domain too large for a Church".