The Vision for Unity School (Shule Umoja)

For almost five years, one of our biggest dreams for One By One Ministries has been to build a school in Miramba.

From the beginning, we knew we wanted education to be a major part of the ministry. There is currently no primary school directly in the village, and many of the children walk about three miles to attend school in surrounding communities. Over the years, our annual School Supply Distribution has allowed us to come alongside hundreds of these students by providing the supplies they need to begin each school year.

But our vision has always been bigger than school supplies.

We want to build a school right in Miramba where children can receive a quality education, learn the Word of God, and be surrounded by teachers who will encourage them both academically and spiritually.

As we've continued serving the children in the village, the need for that school has only become clearer. In 2025, we provided school supplies to 400 students, but we later learned that by about halfway through the school year, attendance drops by nearly half. Additional school fees become too much for some families, children fall behind in understaffed classrooms, and the long walk to school can be especially difficult when there isn't enough food at home.

Those are problems we hope Unity School can begin to address.

Our goal isn't simply to make school closer. We want to build a place where children have a better opportunity to stay in school, learn well, and grow in their relationship with Jesus.

Our Vision

Our goal is to open Unity School in September 2027 with first and second grade, beginning with 160 students divided between four classrooms.

The school will initially employ 11 staff members: four teachers, one principal, one secretary, two cooks, one groundskeeper/security staff member, and Elijah and me, assuming the Lord opens the door for us to be there in 2027.

Beginning with two grades will allow us to start at a manageable size, build a strong foundation, and then, Lord willing, continue adding grades as the school grows.

The first phase of Unity School is planned to include four classrooms, two offices, outhouses, a small kitchen, and a multipurpose pavilion that can be used for meals and community activities.

But the vision is about much more than the buildings.

We want Unity School to be a place where children are known, encouraged, and challenged to learn. We want teachers who care deeply about their students, classrooms where children receive the support they need to succeed, and an environment where biblical truth is woven into everyday learning.

We also hope the school will create meaningful employment opportunities within the community while strengthening families for generations to come.

From Vision to a Plan

In 2024, the Lord provided the funds for One By One Ministries to purchase the property where Unity School will be built.

After purchasing the land, we waited.

There was paperwork that needed to be completed, the Water Project was still underway, and the instability throughout eastern Congo made us cautious about moving forward too quickly.

Then, in the fall of 2025, after much prayer, we felt the Lord leading us to begin.

We knew that didn't mean everything had to happen at once. Our plan was to finish the Water Project and then begin taking the School Project one step at a time.

By the beginning of 2026, the vision had become much more tangible.

We had our first building plans drawn up, a projected budget in place, and a much clearer picture of what the first phase of Unity School could look like.

Our original estimate was approximately $50,000 to complete the first phase. The plans still needed a few revisions, but for the first time, we were no longer simply talking about someday building a school.

We had a plan.

Since then, the property has been cleared and fenced, including the removal of the coffee and banana trees that once covered much of the land. Our building plans have continued to take shape, and with each step, the vision for Unity School is becoming more tangible as we prepare for construction.

There is still a great deal between where we are today and opening the doors of Unity School.

There is construction to complete, classrooms to furnish, teachers and staff to hire, supplies to purchase, and many details we know we haven't encountered yet.

But after years of praying, planning, waiting, and taking one step at a time, we are grateful to see the vision becoming a reality.

Our hope is that Unity School will give children in Miramba greater access to education, help remove some of the barriers that keep them from completing the school year, create jobs within the community, and most importantly, give students the opportunity to know Jesus as they grow.

And, Lord willing, in September 2027, Unity School will welcome its very first students.