The story Jesus told of a traveller being mugged and helped by someone from a community hostile to his own – the Good Samaritan – continues to change lives. In Congo Brazzaville, where political unrest and a history of war makes reconciliation difficult, Bible Society in Congo has brought the Bible to life for hundreds of people with this simple story.

Sylvie

Sylvie, 40, has been a Christian for a long time but it wasn't until she started teaching Bible Society's Good Samaritan programme to children in her church in northern Congo that she fell in love with the Bible.

Having lived in a war-torn country all her life, she was used to being suspicious of people. If she met a neighbour in the street and they didn't greet her, she would bear a grudge and stop speaking to them.

But seeing the children learn the story of a traveller who was beaten up by bandits, ignored by the people who were supposed to help him and then rescued by the most unlikely passer-by – the reviled Samaritan – brought the Bible to life.

"Usually I was coming to church but that was a kind of habit, coming to church, and I wasn't so interested in the Bible even though I had one," she says. "But since I have started with the Good Samaritan programme the Bible has become more interesting.

"I have started to read it more. In the last four years my life has really changed because of that.

"Now I speak to all my neighbours, whoever they are."

And within the Good Samaritan group, the church has had the opportunity to put into practice the lesson of the story.

"One little boy has got so many problems because unfortunately his father doesn't take care of his children and his mother has to do everything and it is very difficult for them. Sometimes they come and they are starving so we have to help them get food."

In a poverty-stricken country recovering from conflict, where tensions run high and people find it difficult to trust each other, the Good Samaritan parable has a striking resonance.

Sylvie says: "Before, if you didn't help me, I wouldn't help you. But I started to say that I should help people regardless of what I will receive in return. That is a better way.'"

Benoni, 12

Twelve-year-old Benoni is a happy healthy boy with many friends. He dreams of playing for Barcelona football club one day, and enjoys taking part in the Good Samaritan programme in his church.

But he was not always so friendly.

Before he took part in the Good Samaritan programme he struggled with friendships and found it difficult to forgive. Perhaps as part of Congo's legacy of war, he was one of many children who would bear grudges and go for days and weeks without speaking to someone who had upset him.

His mother, a devout Christian, was distraught.

"This boy was unable to forgive" she told us.

"If someone had a problem with him, he could not forgive. And we were surprised. We are pastors. For sure he comes to church, listens to the word of God. At home we tried to talk with him, we tried to share the word of God but nothing could do anything about that behaviour. The only thing that helped that boy was the Good Samaritan because this time he is able to forgive."

The power of the story of a man who reached out to someone from a different culture to help him when he was in need touched Benoni's heart.

His parents had tried their best and cried out to God to soften Benoni's heart, and the Good Samaritan programme came along at just the right time. By spending time studying the Scripture and acting it out with friends, Benoni was able to learn about a love which goes beyond all expectations.

His attitude started to change and his health improved too.

His mother described the transformation: "Before when you had a problem with him he couldn't forgive but sometimes he was unable to eat sometimes for three days. The boy could refuse to eat and became suffering from stomach pain and that was very difficult for us but as they did the drama of the Good Samaritan and acted it out and he came home and he could give pardon to his father and mother and brothers and sisters but even to the other children.

"Before, he could be hurtful but today he is happy with other people, he is able to get on well with others and we are very happy about that. It is because of the Good Samaritan programme."

Alida, pastor's wife

Leading a church is not easy at the best of times. And for Alida, who with her husband leads a Pentecostal church near Ouessou in the north of Congo Brazzaville, the pressures are severe.

Congo's troubled history has affected even their small rural village. In the spring of 2012, a group of children were sent to Ouessou from the city of Brazzaville to stay with friends on a vacation. Back in Brazzaville, their parents went to church on Sunday as usual, only to be caught up in an explosion from a munitions store which caught fire during a military advance in the ongoing conflict.

Houses within a seven kilometre radius were damaged, their church caught fire and they, along with many others, lost their lives.

The 15 children who had gone on holiday to Ouessou were now orphans. Alida took three of them into her home, along with her four children, and she and her husband continued to lead the church.

Life was busy and Alida was often tired. She became frustrated at the amount of time her husband spent helping other people, and she turned to the Bible for help.

The Scripture became her refuge and comfort. Now she still has much to do, but her outlook has changed.

"I am a good wife and mother because of the Bible. Reading the Scripture has helped me to understand the love of God and his call on my life.

"We have the Good Samaritan programme in our church and I can see the children who go to the group are changing. The power of the word brings hope to them and helps them live well."

Alida continues to help others, despite the challenges of working in an extremely poor conflict-ridden community.

"We have just recently buried a 12-year-old girl who died from HIV. This is a very hard time for our village.

"My prayer is that children in the community have a better life tomorrow. That is why I have three orphans at home, we are taking care of them. But there are four or five still in need but we have not enough resources to take care of them. But my wish is to take care of the others as well as the three. I want them all to be able to go to school. I want them to be able to afford what they need so they can have a better life."

Louna, 9

Louna, 9, has faced more pain than many other girls her age. One day she woke up in the bedroom she shared with her five-year-old brother to find that he was very sick.

Her parents rushed him to hospital but it was too late, and he died.

Louna talks of a grief which consumed her. "I used to cry all the time," she says.

Bedtimes were particularly difficult. Having shared the room with her brother, to go to bed alone and remember the stories, songs and jokes they had shared was almost unbearable.

And then Louna started taking part in the Good Samaritan programme in her church. Here she learnt about a way of life where love and compassion were uppermost.

As she continued to grieve, she began to understand that the people who were trying to comfort her were like the Good Samaritan, reaching out to her in her pain and loneliness.

Wise beyond her years, Louna now believes she has an important message for the world: "'In life there are good times and bad times but God loves everybody in all of those times. So try to rely on God because he can help you in those times and this is the message I want to send to others."

Working in over 200 countries, Bible Society is a charity and on a global mission to bring the Bible to life for every man, woman and child. This is because they believe that when people engage with the Bible, lives can change, for good.

www.biblesociety.org.uk/supportcongo