Going to get water is a time-consuming process in rural Congo. Many kids miss out on getting an education. They have to get water instead of go to school.
The lucky ones can attend school. But they have to miss out on studying. Also, they miss out on playing games.
Water is an important commodity. You need water to drink. You need water to cook. That's two important reasons.
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I have seen a plenty of Congolese children that need to be adopted. But they were not officially available or advertised for adoption. They were just ordinary poor Congolese children who were trapped in poverty.
Most of them were not parent-less or orphans. Their parents were not just too poor to provide for their basic needs. Many of them were malnourished. Many of them were not in school. Many of them were not dress properly. Many of them were destined to be poor parents, too.
These poor Congolese children need someone who cares for them. They need a new type of adoptive parents.
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Congolese boys and young men have a vision of their future. They may dream about occupying a certain position. And most young men ask about more education post primary and secondary school.
I have never had a Congolese girl or young women ask me about more education. They are just happy to be recognized. They are content with opportunity to attend primary and secondary school.
Girls must be given universal access to primary and secondary school. Then they will catch the vision for a better future.
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Congolese boys and girls are excited by the opportunity to attend school. Surprisingly, they want to be there. They want the chance to improve themselves. They want the chance for a better future.
That's what happen when education is not universal. But what about the faces of the Congolese boys and girls that can't attend school. In rural Congo, over 50 percent of the children do not have access to school. They are not excited.
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Occassionally, you may experience long lines while going to your favorite store or shopping mall. But in rural Congo, it is not usual to see women and children going to "the water source" or to "the farm fields". It is a different sight to see.
My first thought, I imagined we had arrived in a village or town. There was no village in sight. It was just women and children walking along the road. Then I noticed the buckets, basin, and jars for water. And then I noticed the baskets for food stuff.
That's a daily and common sight of the poor women and children getting their daily needs.
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Surprise! There are lots of surprises in Congo. Unfortunately, most of the surprises are bad. You know the type, things are worst than you can imagine.
Occasionally, you are surprised in a good way. A youth band of Congolese boys is a good surprise. First, they had fairly good instruments. Second, they were dress in matching shirts. And finally, they sounded like a good youth band.
Hearing a good surprise in Congo is good thing!
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Congolese girls are busy just like their mothers. Also, you may ask are the boys like the men. And, you may remember men sometimes have to do things they don't like. The same goes for the boys.
Typically, boys go to school. After school, they are engaged in some type of sports (namely soccer) or just playing.
Occassionally, they will have to go get water, too.
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Karate poses are popular among Congolese boys. Don't look for them to do any exotic moves or any kicks. They just strike the pose.
Suppose they had toy trucks and cars, they could build roads. If they had toy hammers and saws, they could build houses. If they had toy horses, they could discovery new worlds. If they had a tongue depressor, they could play doctor.
They need good childhood dreams. Education could be the start.
I believe
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The gender gap between boys and girls begins to widen shortly after birth. Differences are noticeable in the access to health and education. Boys are given more education opportunities. And they will be taken to the health facility more quickly.
In rural Congo, the differences are magnified. After a period of just a few years, the differences become a self-fulfilling prophesy.
However, studies prove that educating girls is the best investment to eliminate poverty. We have to stop the gap from forming.
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One out of five Congolese children die before their fifth birthday. That's 240 survivors out of 300 children may make to their teenage years.
In a rural Congolese villages, visitors with a camera bring about half of those survivors or 120 children. The other half, most girls are off doing chores.
Half of population of Congo is below the age of 15 years old. Girls and boys are evenly split. But, most of my pictures are filled with boys instead of girls.
It's a cultural thing.
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