Eurasian Resources Group (“ERG” or “the Group”) commends Sister Catherine Mutindi, who set up the Bon Pasteur organisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2012, which ERG supports, on being awarded the 16th annual Opus Prize 2019 by the Opus Prize Foundation and the Saint Louis University (SLU), Missouri, United States.

Sister Catherine was awarded the prize at a ceremony at the SLU Center for Global Citizenship on Thursday, November 21. She will receive US$1 million to strengthen humanitarian efforts in the DRC.

Sr. Catherine is a member of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd (Good Shepherd Sisters), an international congregation of religious women present in 73 countries, and founded the Bon Pasteur programme in 2012. ERG has supported the Bon Pasteur programme since 2017 as part of its partnership with the Good Shepherd International Foundation. The programme puts community development at its heart and, through a comprehensive programme, works to address a range of issues including poverty, social fragmentation, weak rule of law and gender-based violence.

Sr. Catherine is also the head of the Bon Pasteur Child Protection Centre, which was opened earlier this year in Kanina in the Kolwezi region of the DRC, with the support of ERG, and can accommodate up to 1000 children. The facility provides for other community development initiatives as well, such as healthcare, counselling, human rights training and the opportunity for families to learn about alternative livelihood options.

Benedikt Sobotka, CEO of Eurasian Resources Group, said: “Sr. Catherine is an inspirational figure who, in a few short years, has helped to transform the lives of thousands in the DRC. This award is well deserved, and we look forward to continuing our work with Sr. Catherine to extend her vision of an inclusive society where children are protected in the DRC.”