Canon Rudy Raes, a Belgian priest of the Archdiocese of the United States of the Old Catholic Confederation, has been recognized as a tireless advocate and worker for the poor and the suffering, especially in Die Hiba, a village near Duékoué, Côte d'Ivoire, where he has established Asseo DieHiba Duékoué, a mission partner with "Elan du Coeur International," an NGO to support and improve local communities in their daily lives.

Father Rudy’s mission is in Die Hiba, a small village in the West of Ivory Coast, nearby Duékoué a city deeply affected during the war of 2010-2011. The area is filled with homeless children, orphans, men and women wounded psychologically and physically. Despite the fact that the area is still considered a “critical zone,” Father Rudy’s mission has inspired the people of the village of Die Hiba.

Elan Coeur International is an NGO that provides all kinds of humanitarian aid to the disadvantaged, various kinds of support, including material, logistical, social, pastoral, educational psychological in addition to assistance in the fields of medical, hygiene, health, environment, education, vocational training, technical and technological, in order to improve the living conditions of the vulnerable populations throughout this area.

In 2016, our mission intends to create a Kindergarten because so those women working in the fields would no longer have to worry about their children, but rather know that they are safe and having fun while learning. It is our deepest wish to train as well some local teenagers in order to give them the opportunity to manage the Kindergarten themselves. Further, since there is no secondary school or a school for professional training, our mission also plans on opening a school for such training. Finally, since healthcare is essential and the nearest “dispensarium” is 80 km away from Diehiba, it is our greatest hope to established a small but functional clinic or hospital before 2020.

Even though Father Rudy works tirelessly to assist the people of Diehiba and in nearby Bouaké and Dabou, our mission depends upon prayer and the generosity of our people to assist us! Aside from contributions, Father Rudy also welcomes clergy and lay missionaries interested in assisting us, especially physicians, nurses, engineers and teachers.

We hope to welcome you to visit us in Ivory Coast, and we give you are deepest thanks from the heart for your generosity! May the Lord always bless you!