Awarded in 2025
Based in Dhala Village, Djukoth Chiefdom, Mahagi Territory, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo
Notre Dame de Logo Parish was recognised as a 2025 Kilimo Environmental Prize laureate for its exemplary role in mobilising faith communities to protect forests, defend biodiversity and respond to climate challenges in one of the most ecologically significant and vulnerable regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Notre Dame de Logo is a Catholic parish of the Diocese of Mahagi Nioka located in Dhala Village within Djukoth Chiefdom in Mahagi Territory. The parish has emerged as an important faith-based actor in forest protection and climate action in a region where more than 99% of households depend directly on rain-fed agriculture, particularly coffee, maize and beans. These crops rely on stable rainfall patterns that are increasingly disrupted by deforestation and climate change.
The parish’s environmental work is inspired by Laudato si’, Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for our common home, widely recognised as one of the most influential moral and intellectual contributions to contemporary environmental thought. The encyclical calls for an ecological conversion that links environmental degradation with social injustice, poverty and the erosion of human dignity. Notre Dame de Logo Parish translates this vision into concrete action on the ground.
Through sustained mobilisation of Christians and church members, the parish manages and protects forested land across several villages, including Ndhena, Awilo, Upanu, L’État and Dhala. These forests lie within the Lendu Plateau, an area of high ecological importance connected to the Blue Mountains landscape. This zone is recognised for its exceptional biodiversity and forms part of an Alliance for Zero Extinction site, hosting rare bird and amphibian species found nowhere else, as documented by key biodiversity area assessments and BirdLife International.
The parish’s conservation activities address both global and local challenges. By protecting tree cover, the parish contributes to climate regulation, carbon storage and rainfall stability, which are essential for agricultural productivity in the region. At the same time, the forests provide oxygen, protect soils and act as windbreaks that shield parish buildings and nearby homes from strong winds, reducing physical damage and long-term maintenance costs.
According to the Parish Priest, Abineno Jean Claude, the parish’s forestry and conservation work is a direct response to the urgent call for ecological dialogue and action articulated in Laudato si’. He emphasises that environmental protection cannot be separated from social realities. The parish’s forests also create livelihoods, providing employment and income to thousands of community members who work as forest defenders, nursery attendants and farm workers. These opportunities strengthen household incomes while fostering a shared sense of responsibility for the land.
The spiritual foundation of this work is central. Pope Francis writes that “the universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely. Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face. Standing awestruck before a mountain, we cannot separate this experience from God.” This understanding shapes the parish’s approach to nature as sacred, worthy of protection not only for its utility but for its intrinsic value.
At the same time, the encyclical challenges development models focused on immediate results and short-term growth, often driven by consumerism and extractive interests. It calls instead for a new way of thinking about human beings, society and the relationship with nature. Notre Dame de Logo Parish embodies this call by promoting long-term stewardship, collective responsibility and moral leadership in a landscape increasingly threatened by deforestation and climate instability.
By linking faith, environmental protection and social justice, the parish demonstrates the powerful role religious institutions can play in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. Its work shows that spiritual values, when translated into action, can mobilise large communities, protect critical ecosystems and support livelihoods, offering a model of environmental leadership rooted in ethics, solidarity and care for future generations.
