Ending Extreme Poverty in the Congo

Two Birds With One Stone

I decided to jog over to the Bishop's house for breakfast with James. I arrived just in time for Moringa tea and freshly made peanut butter on bread. It was a great time for exercise and then breakfast and conversation.

James and I walked back into town. We made a couple of stops to visit friends and business associates. Finally, I happy to get home to take a shower.

I spent a couple of hours to catch up on my email. Then I met Martin downtown for a beer. We sat at a busy corner and people watched the remaining hours of light away.

There was even a guy playing a guitar and singing.

Finally, we noticed the a stack of water jugs. A quiet remainder that we were in Congo and most of Africa where carry water is a daily occurrence.

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Introducing The Rope Water Pump

Martin built and installed a rope water pump. The pump was installed in a hand dug well. It is bringing water from 20 meters (60 feet) below the surface. The rope water pump will be one of the water pumps installed depending upon the application.

The pump can be made for $150 using local supplies.

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What Was Is Not Now

You may have seen pictures of starving children or women. You can see their skeleton. You can count their bones. They are wasting away. They have lost the fat and muscle they once had.

In Congo, I have only seen a few such extreme cases of starvation. What I have mostly seen is malnutrition.

Also, you can see a different type of malnutrition going on. It is malnutrition of the infrastructure. The roads are generally getting worse. The train systems is getting worse. What once worked does not always still work today.

Erosion, like malnutrition, is reducing physical things such as roads and houses to their foundation.

Don't forget to visit, www.WhatsWoodyDoingNow.com For more about my experiences in Congo.

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Sorry, It Almost Rained Today

Last night, it started to thunder and lightning followed by a few sprinkles. This morning, it was really cloudy. Then it started to sprinkle, again.

Everyone with pails and buckets were bringing them out. They were placed in known drip spots under roof gutters for houses with tin roofs.

However, the rain did not happen. So later in the afternoon, it was back to normal but with a higher humidity. Also, girls were going about their tasks of getting water.

That's how it is doing dry season.

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Bring Your Own Sewing Machine (BYOSM)

I saw this girl walking through the village with a sewing machine on her head. I did not realize that she was going home from the girl's school, Lycee Dinanga.

Justin, the headmaster of the girl's school, said that local girls are asked to bring a sewing machine to school if they have one available. This procedure allows girls from outside the village to use the sewing machines owned by the school.

More sewing machines are needed in the school. The enrollment has continued to increase. The school is completing its fourth year.

Visit www.WhatsWoodyDoingNow.com For more about Congo.

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Preaching to a Preacher

Lord, have mercy on my soul! Did I give wise counsel tonight?

Last year, I met Pastor Jacky again. We had met before about 2 years earlier when she was still in seminary when my church had given a group of seminary students some financial assistance.

After finishing school, Pastor Jacky came back to the village to live and work. Initially, she was the equivalent of an associate pastor at one of the churches. Then this year she became the pastor (chaplain) at the hospital among other jobs. She is also a part-time high school teacher, part-time nursing school counselor, and etc.

Tonight, Pastor Jacky was over again to discuss projects and assistance. First, we watched a video of the 2006 Bread for the World's Letter of Offering about a project called WORTH.

After explaining the concept of the project, I started with the story of Mother Theresa and all her worldly accomplishments. I told Pastor Jacky that she could do great things for her people in Congo. But she needed to start "doing" and stop worrying about going back to school (doctoral).

I told her in Congo, education is a false sense of security. Education does not mean a ticket to paradise in a country without a functioning economy. There are no formal or traditional jobs in Congo./p>

I offered her the opportunity to lead an Women Empowerment project in the village. The project involves women literacy, business skills, and village banking (microcredit) training. This project would do wonders in breaking the cycle of poverty in the village and the region.

Pastor Jacky agreed to give it a try and start the women empowerment group in the village. I fired off an email message to the Congo Director and the international Director asking for assistance.

After some hard work and support (financial and spiritual) over the next 10 years, she could be a Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Who knows, she could be mentioned along with Muhammad Yunus and Mother Theresa.

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Visiting the Maternity Ward

The most striking thing you see in the maternity ward at the Bulape Hospital is not the babies. It is the hanging mosquito nets over each bed.

The nets protect the mother and her newborn baby from malaria. Pregnant and nursing women along with babies are most vulnerable to malaria. Too many times it is fatal.

We, Congo Helping Hands, provide mosquito nets free of charge to this vulnerable group to take home.

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Reduce Mother and Child Mortality

Prenatal Counseling is an effective way to reduce the risk of mother and child deaths.

The Bulape Hospital counsels pregnant women on a number of different subjects which are aimed to reduce both mother and child mortality. Women attend sessions periodically during their pregnancy.

Currently, about 1 out of 5 children in Congo die before their fifth birthday. Also, about 1 out 13 women in Congo die from birth complications. Therefore, this service can save lives.

Also, visit www.WhatsWoodyDoingNow.com

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