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School buildings in rural Congo last only 3-4 years. They just fall one day when it rains or windy.
The 'stick and mud' walls are the first to go. The poles (sticks) begin to deteriorate. The mud forming the wall fall out. Then, the building come tumbling down.
How old is your school? It's fun and exciting to be new school, both here and there.
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It's a law of physics, water does not flow up a hill. So, how to you get water up to the village?
Girls, women, and children carry the water up the hill to the village of Bulape. They look like ants going back and forth to the water source. They toil from sun up to sun down. Many girls can not attend school everyday.
There is little chance of getting lost in the bush or rural areas of Congo. You just follow the yellow jerry cans back to the village.
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When you see water in two drums, you only see the end result. That's just the end of the story. You have missed the difficulty of getting the water. So that you can have a drink of water (after it was boiled). So that you can have water to cook your food. So you can have water to wash your hands and body.
If you are like me, you take water for granted. However, it only takes the sight of a girl carrying water to your house for me to change my mind. She carried it on her head. But she where did she get the water?
I waited until she dumped the water in one of the two drums. Then I followed her to the source of this needed water. It took about three minutes for her to make it to the water source. The source was a underground water cistern at the neighboring school.
Everyone is not so fortunate to have a underground cistern nearby. Most girls walk miles to get water. That's life in rural poor Congo.
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My first visit to Congo was in August 1998. Here's a picture I took in the maternity ward at the Bulape Hospital. The world has changed. In Congo, many things have changed. Some things changed for the worst and some things changed for the better. However, most things remained unchanged.
I wonder, where are these women now? Are they still alive? How many more children have they delivered? One out 13 women die from child birth. Are the children still alive? One out 5 children die before their 5th birthday.
When I look at the pictures, I recognize some people. They are the lucky ones because they are still living.
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Which is more important or valuable, your head or your feet? If you look at this picture you would think this Congolese worker has it right. That is, protecting your head is more important that protecting your feet.
Actually, most Congolese do not wear traditional shoes because of the weather. They wear summer shoes. Even worker wear their summer shoes. Sandals, flip-flops, and shower shoes are popular.
Finally, this man had the only hard hat among the six workers. I am not sure how and why he worn it.
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In Congo, fresh corn must be dried in the sun. Then it is grind or powdered in flour or meal. While it is being dried, the corn is sometime just put on a mat and laid on the ground. When on the ground, chickens and goats help themselves to a delicious and nutritious meal.
What about diseases transmitted from the goats or chickens? Are they leaving anything behind for the humans?
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I was born and raised in Florida. So when I found a Florida T-shirt in the middle of the Congo bush, I was excited beyond belief. I just had to take a picture of the T-shirt.
While taking the picture, I had someone try to explain that I was born in Florida. I was not sure the guy understood the message. May be or may be not!
The next morning before I left the village, my friend showed up with a chicken, his wife, and son. I was touched. Yes, he was still wearing his Florida T-shirt.
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The dugout canoe was great for crossing the river. It took about 10 minutes for two men to paddle across the river. I am glad we did not have to spend lots of time in the canoe. But we spent about eight hours of traveling on the motorbikes. The distance of just over 100 miles.
To get to some places in the Congo, it is just the opposite. It takes 8-14 hours to travel to some locations in a motorized dugout canoe. It depends on whether you are going upstream or downstream.
In Congo, 15-20 miles per hour appear to be a good standard by vehicle, canoe, or motorbike.
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"It taste like chicken." They say many things taste chicken. As a chicken expert, I disagree. Even in Congo, I conduct official taste tests.
The locust (grasshoppers) came through the village of Bulape while I was visiting. There were millions of them. I am sorry to say that hundreds of thousands of the grasshoppers made to the table. They were eaten! Grasshoppers are a delicacy. Also, grasshoppers are a source of food for the poor.
Here's my official taste test results. Grasshoppers do not taste like chicken.
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Switching to reusable items and containers is a component of "green". We save precious natural resources and pollute less.
Reusing items and containers designed for a single use is a component of "poverty". They are able to use again what they ordinarily would not have.
There is a difference because going "green" and living in "poverty". Sometimes the difference is minor and almost transparent. But sometimes the difference is major and potential deadly.
The hospitals and health clinics in rural poor areas of Congo routinely wash and reuse disposable gloves. Is this "green" or "poverty"?
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