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 played an instrumental role in establishing two hospitals: the Lemera Hospital and Pinga Hospital. He spearheaded the creation of an extensive network of 35 health centers, strategically positioned to provide vital care to communities across the region. Moreover, he erected 56 social centers that imparted invaluable skills in areas such as tailoring and literacy, empowering women to forge their own paths towards self-sufficiency and success. Additionally, he established 412 primary and secondary schools. He was awarded the medal of Knight of the National Order of the Leopard (Ordre national du Léopard) in 1980. 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: "Ruhigita" signifies the epitome of leadership and authority, "Ndagora" symbolizes a serene disposition, one that avoids confrontation, and "Bugwika" refers to the imagery of a seedling, planted with care, destined to grow and bear abundant fruits. Although both "Majagira" and "Ndagora" were names bestowed by his father, Ruhigita's preference for "Ndagora" stemmed from its positively charged connotations.