👤 Individual
For adults building their life here — full voting, all programs, marketplace listing included.
Get involved
Umoja is a verb. Join in.
Become a member
Get the welcome packet, the event invites, and a community that knows your name. Membership is for Congolese families and the friends who stand with them.
Join below ↓Volunteer
Drive, translate, cook, mentor, set up chairs, tear down chairs. Two hours a month keeps this whole thing standing.
Offer your time ↓Partner & support
Churches, employers, schools, resettlement agencies, and funders: partner with a community that turns support into belonging, measurably.
Contact via umoja243.org ↗Tell us who you are — we'll take it from there.
Fill this in and it opens a ready-to-send email to the community team. No account, no password — just an introduction, the way community should start.
Languages we work in: English · Français · Kiswahili · Kikongo · Tshiluba · Lingala
Become a Member
Membership means you belong — and you decide.
Members are the owners of this community: you belong (a network that knows your name), you vote in community decisions and chapter leadership, you get member-only events and programs first, and marketplace perks — priority board listings, store discounts and vendor spots at celebrations.
👨👩👧 Family
One membership covering your household — youth programs, family events and support for everyone under your roof.
🎓 Youth
For ages 16–25 — mentorship, heritage classes, sports and a first voice in community decisions.
🌿 Elder / Senior
For our elders, the keepers of language and memory — honored seats, home-visit support, and a leading voice in cultural life.
Member Assistance
We show up for each other.
Active members in good standing receive community assistance in times of joy and hardship — straight from our internal regulations (règlement intérieur). Amounts below are per the draft of May 2026.
👶 Birth of a child
$100 + a visit from the community to welcome the newborn.
💍 Member's wedding
$500 community contribution to celebrate your marriage.
🎓 Graduation
$100 for a member's graduation (high school, bachelor's, master's, PhD) — and $100 when a member's child earns their high-school diploma.
🎂 Member's birthday
A birthday cake from the community.
💔 Bereavement
Mandatory community collection on the death of a member's child, spouse, parent, or a relative living with the member — and a special collection on the death of a member, given to the widow(er), orphans, or family.
💳 Dues & good standing
Annual dues are due by January 31 each year. Assistance is strictly tied to dues being current: one month late brings a reminder, two months suspends benefits, three months can lead to removal. Every payment gets a receipt.
📄 Download the full internal regulations (PDF, French, draft of May 2026)
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Become a Member
Join Umoja243 today! Fill out our official membership application and become part of the community. We reply with your welcome packet and next steps.
Apply for Membership →Check membership status
Enter the email or member ID from your application. Demo: try demo@umoja243.org or ID U243-DEMO to see how member lookup works. Real member records appear here once the organization connects its membership system.
Member Profiles
Meet the community.
Members introduce themselves: city, languages, skills and businesses. Profiles marked “Example” show the format. Create yours below — and for full membership, complete the Become a Member application too.
Member Messages · Design Preview
Talk member to member.
Working now: the ✉ Message button on any member profile or business listing opens a message that is sent as an email draft to that member. Preview below: how built-in direct messaging will look on the live site — demo conversations only; real instant messaging with accounts, delivery and notifications arrives with the WordPress deployment.
📥 Inbox 2 unread
Choose a conversation
Pick a conversation on the left to read the demo thread. On phones, the thread opens full-screen in the live app.
Stay safe in messages: never share financial details, passwords, or photos of immigration documents over messages — real helpers will never ask for them here. If anyone pressures you, asks for money, or makes you uncomfortable, use Report (it goes to the moderation team) and Block. In danger, call 911.