Hospitaller Family: Modeste NTWA MBEY

In the heart of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, we find an inspire story of hospitality and dedication. Modeste NTWA MBEY has been a member of the Hospitaller Family since 2005. For more than 16 years, his dedication has been a living example of the hospitaller charism that identifies us.

Below, we share his own worlds in response to three questions that reflect his experience and commitment.

What is your role and how long have you been part of Sisters Hospitallers?

I am one of the persons who created the Hospitaller Family in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2005.

I was secretary of the Hospitaller Family for 16 years and took part in all the activities organised, such as training courses, street visits, meetings, and awareness-raising activities in the parishes of the Archdiocese of Kinshasa.

How have you experienced the charism of Sisters Hospitallers in your daily work?

I have lived and continue to live the charism of Sisters Hospitallers to the full in my daily work. For 20 years, I took care of 2 children of a mentally ill woman in my home until one of them got her state diploma in 2022.

I also helped two mentally ill  women to integrate into society after their treatment and recovery at the ‘Telema’ Mental Health Centre in Matete. They worked as cleaners, one for 8 years and the other for 4 years.

For several years, I also participated in the integration of street mental patients during outings. After the treatment in the Béthanie centre, the Hospitaller family looked for their relatives to  reintegrate them.

I also enrolled and supervised the training of an orphan from the Hospitaller Family at the Higher Institute of Medical Techniques in Kinshasa, where she completed her nursing studies. She is now working as a nurse

What does hospitality mean to you?

For me, hospitality is an encounter with a person, a sick person, a mentally handicapped person or someone in need.

The fact that I took in and housed the two orphaned children and helped to integrate the two sick women into working life is proof that I live and practice hospitality.

Modeste NTWA MBEY’s life is a testimony to the transforming power of hospitality. His commitment to the charism of the Hospitaller Sisters has not only changed the lives of those he has welcomed but also that of the entire community around him.

Thank you Modeste for your testimony!