A former child gang leader turned pastor has been travelling all over South Africa to not only preach the gospel but also raise awareness about the effects of drug abuse.
Pastor Evariste Umba, 37, has been a missionary for over 20 years, and heads the Life Change Ministry and rehab centre in Wynberg.
Despite his violent start in life, Umba has a Masters degree in Science Chemistry from UCT, and is currently completing his PhD in Mining Engineering at Wits University.
In 2014, Umba published a book, called Drug Addictions, Illness and Poverty: Way out, speaking about his life as a teen skollie, and the long-lasting effects drug abuse has on the human body.
In 2017, Umba ran a three-month programme at Silverstream High in Manenberg where he educated pupils about the health risks of drugs.
Pastor Umba’s story begins in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where at the tender age of eight he formed a notorious gang wielding a reign of terror for a decade.
“Our aim was to hurt people, it was about territory and power,” he says.
His parents were separated and the teen was sukkeling with school work.
“My father was a well-known man and my family managed to prevent me from being arrested.
“The mothers in the suburbs were praying for my change,” he says.
By the age of 18 he realised he needed help or he would end up dead.
“I decided to leave the gang in 1998 when I was in Grade 12. I was beaten by the same crew that I led, but I survived.”
He was then offered a scholarship at UCT and says he wants to teach children the dangers of drugs.
“We are often told to not use drugs, but we are not taught what the drugs can do to the human body. From a science perspective, I am telling the youth what happens when you do use drugs.”