What motivated you to choose the work of a mission and specifically in Congo?

I grew up in poor family which taught me love for my fellow people and especially inspired me into following that path but it was also the example of my first spiritual father, missioner in Africa p. Xrisostomou Papasarantopoulou, with whom I would often communicate via letter. I looked up to his work and love for the natives, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

What are your actions there consisted of?

Aside from the creation of parishes and construction of temples, which is the main domain of our work, we built a school next to every temple. Nowadays, 15 schools, 8 elementary schools and 7 Junior High schools, are functioning. A Coptic-sewing college, a Byzantine music school and a university with two branches, a theological and a computer science one, while the construction of 3 other classes is planned, including native, Greek, Belgium or Australian professors. Furthermore, a two story building used for medical purposes was built, which Greek doctors attend yearly, examine patients and donate medicines.

What problems do you face during the conduct of your work there?

First and foremost, there’s a lack of volunteers from Greece or other Orthodox states, while the needs of the mission are huge, while there are thousands of natives who are eagerly awaiting us in the country and the area of the Metropolis which equals to the triple of Greece’s size! Furthermore, the expenses for the work mentioned previously, which are not the only ones, are enormous and are hard to cover. God helps us, though.

Did you ever face hostile behavior over there?

No. People there are kind and good. They hold love towards Greeks, because the Greeks parishioners here weren’t colonialists like other European races. They were always friendly with the natives, worked with them, and did not exploit them. That helps with the mission.

Do you receive help from somebody? Does Greece help you in what you are doing?

We do not have any kind of governmental sponsorship from Greece. Simple humans and missionary bodies help us.

What is the life quality of people like there?

The life quality of people is alarmingly low, there is a lot of unemployment.

Are the children enjoying the right to education?

There is no free education, nor free medical or health treatment. If you have money to pay for your children’s tuition, they will go to school. If you have money to pay the doctor or the hospital or buy medicine, you are going to get well. Plenty of kinds do not go to school for this reason, so they remain illiterate or die, because they cannot pay the doctor or buy medicine.

Is there any violation of human rights there?

We are battling against the violation of human rights and the Orthodox Church is fighting with us.

What would be your advice on guarding human rights?

We believe that only when one changes on the inside, will they respect others. We do highlight in sermons, during seminars, in schools to love the people around us and to accept them just like we accept Christ. The most unhappy person is the one who does not love others, no matter who he or she might be, of different color or race, rich or poor. If we love the ones close to us like we love ourselves, only then human will human rights not be infringed. That is what we are trying to teach the natives.

What do you see the future of these people being like, in that area?

This country over here has a large mineral wealth but poor people, because the <<big ones>> of the world are using them and the people are suffering. Also, many of them join sects (groups of people gathered around fake-prophets who interpret the Evangel however they wish) or are involved with witchcraft and are lead astray from the right path. These people strive for knowledge, education, they are intelligent, the b y have clear minds and can put their educator in a “tight spot” with their questions, if they are not well educated. There is hope, if the <<big ones>> of the world take something out of Christ’s education into consideration and do not think of money as their God. Then we will have peace and prosperity in Congo.