Ending Extreme Poverty in the Congo

The Face of Diamond Mining is Changing

I spent the afternoon with an South African named Louie. He has worked with a South African diamond mining firm for about two years. Now, he closings the books and transferring assets from one company to another.

Only time will tell what's the end result of this changeover. Unprofitable ventures are being sold or closed. New companies are ready to make a go of it.

Many people have lost their jobs and means to provide a living for their families. Many favorite firms and stores are gone, not just the names were changed.

from my HTC phone!

Talking to Others Involved in Water

I meet with the group of development experts who had just flew from Bulape to Kananga. The group requested to meet with me to discuss my development activities especially water. They arrived back by charter plane to the Good Shepherd Hospital's landing strip. I met them at the guest house.

The discussion was very good and interesting. We discussed the current water situation at the Bulape Hospital. The hospital has not had water since the mid-1980's.

Essentially, the short term solution is to complete the project that I started in 2005. However, they tested the water pump and found it was not working. So the first task is to identify why the pump is not working.

The long term solution of drilling water wells was discussed, too. The LS-300 system was explained. One person had experience use the LS-100 in southern Africa. Also, they had trained with Living Water International.

A followup meeting was set for Friday after their return from visiting the Bibanga Hospital.

from my HTC phone!

Starting Another Bore-hole

The group who is hand-drilling a water well started a new well. They abandoned the other site after they overstated the water available. The nearly 80-foot well did produce enough water. This fact was determined just before they had installed the pump. Also, they had installed the pump base at the bottom of the bore-hole.

The group was able to retrieve the valuable casting from the bore-hole. So, the only thing lost was two days of hand-drilling. However, good experience was gained.

from my HTC phone!

What's Going On?

Marvin Gaye could have never imaged Congo when he sang "What's Going On?" I have been in Congo less than one week and I am saying to myself, what's going on? First, I arrived in Kinshasa on Tuesday night after leaving from Indianapolis on Monday afternoon. It took over 24 hours to arrive in Congo. Second, I left on Wednesday morning for Kananga, the capital of Kasai Occidental Province, about 400 miles or just over an hour by plane. I arrived Wednesday afternoon. Later, I found out that a Boeing 737 crash in DR Congo on a maintenance flight from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo (the other and smaller Congo) to some country south of us. A moment to say Thank You God. Third, I called on Friday to ask my protocol officer which airline he used to ship my extra baggage to Kananga. He had not shipped them because the airline was closed for May 1st on Friday. But why didn't he ship them on Wednesday or Thursday? Duh? Fourth, Thursday to Saturday, I visited a manual water well drilling site. Sunday, the German project manager reported to me that one of the pipe had collapsed. Why? When he did not have enough money to buy the proper pipe, he tried to save money and use a lesser quality of pipe. OK, now his students will spend Monday to correct the situation. Fifth, Sunday, I was suppose to leave by truck to Bulape. I was informed that the truck was being repaired on Sunday. Also, the luggage would not arrive until Monday. The flight from Kinshasa to Kananga on Sunday was rescheduled until Monday. Thanks be to God. Sixth, I met a tourist in Congo from France. Vincent has been traveling for seven months. He refuses to travel by air on his way to South Africa from France. He arrived in Congo on April 6th. He has traveled by military truck, truck, jeep, train, and boat. He estimates another week or more to get out of Congo. Thanks be to God, my travel is a breeze. Seventh, I spent the afternoon at Kananga Airport Compound of the UN Mission to Congo (MONUC). After we got into the compound it was an oasis. An electric oven and stoves cooking a pig's head and ribs. Musumbe? I think that what it was called a turnover with curry goat. Karaoke! I scored a 86 on Marvin Gaye's What's Going On! Eighth, I got a call from my future wife, Menette, life goes on in the states while you are gone, too. Again, Woody What's Going On With You? I dash out of the air conditioned hut into the Congo humidity. Welcome back to Congo. As "Easy" was being song by one of the South Africans or Phillipinos, I was back to Sunday, May 3rd in Congo. Washington was lying in the sun playing with his head of some animal. It was either a pig or goat given to him. The group's other dog, Denzel was somewhere else probably with his bone or head, too. Taking it Easy on Sunday Afternoon and wondering What's Going On! Sill, I want to holler throw up both my hands! from my HTC phone! Woody M. Collins President, Congo Helping Hands "Strengthening the Heart of Africa" website: http://www.CongoHelpingHands.org blog: http://www.EndingExtremePoverty.org Blog: http://www.WhatsWoodyDoingNow.com facebook: http://profile.to/woodycollins