Ending Extreme Poverty in the Congo

Food To-Go

It's back to school time.  Backpacks are popular items for children going back to school.  My communities and organizations provide filled backpacks to needy children. 

You can even find a backpack in rural Congo.  But as usual, they are not what we have here in the US.  Also, the children are not using them.  And, they are used for different purpose.  Backpacks are used by men to carry food for the day.

No More Excuses, Just Do It

 
We all have to do things that we don't like to do.  We would rather be doing something else.  But sometimes we have to just do it.

Congolese men normally do not care for babies.  Actually, it is because they can't.  Babies are breast-feed out of necessity.  The poor can not afford baby formula.  So men are excused.

Toddlers are not off limits.  Therefore on rare occasions, you see men assuming child care duties.  But normally, mom is not resting.  She is probably doing some type of women's work like carrying water, gathering wood, or harvesting food.

Why Women Are More Industrious

 

"I have always wondered - what do the men do? Why are they not as industrious as the women?"

 

More Congolese women are uneducated and illiterate.  Therefore, they work with their body, hands, and feet to survive.  Their work is more physical and laborious.

 

Men on the other hand are better educated and literate.  Therefore, they work more with their mental  abilities and skills.  They are the service workers.  And their jobs are mostly tucked away out of sight.

 

 

The Glass Is Not Half Full

 
Congo has come a long way from its first days of independence.  Now, more Congolese graduate from a single university class then existed in the whole country of Congo on June 30th, 1960.

College and university graduates are needed for the future of Congo.  Teachers are needed.  Doctors and nurses are needed.  Engineers are needed.  Lawyers are needed.  Economists are needed.  Agronomists are needed.

In addition to college graduates, technicians, trades persons, and craft persons are needed.

So, Congo has a long way to go.  Education is the key to breaking the cycle of extreme poverty. 

Charcoal is a common denominator

 
Charcoal is common both in the US and the Congo.  But it is used differently.

Fathers and men in the US is generally allow to cook outside.  They love to grill for the fun of it.  They grill and cook with either charcoal or gas.

In urban areas of Congo, families cook outside most days.  They use charcoal most of the time.  They are not grilling for fun.  And women and mothers are the cooks.   

Helping Their Poor Parents

 
Most poor children look fairly desperate.  Can you tell what ones are neglected by their poor parents? 

Nicholas D. Kristof's recent article 'Moonshine or the Kids?' in the New York Times highlights the behavior of poor fathers.  They spend their hard earned money for alcohol and tobacco instead of malaria nets and school fees.  Generally, poor mothers were not guilty of this practice. 

Congo Helping Hands intervenes on behalf of the innocent child.  Malaria nets are provided to children under 5 years old.  School fees are paid for deserving poor students.

I thought that the parents lack a vision of the future for their children.  We hope that children will help their parents.

It's a Multi-Functional Hoe

So what is he doing?  That's the question someone asked me recently when I was briefing a potential partner.  I had to think about it for a while.  Because I had to translation this rural poor Congolese man's action into a developed world action.

In the developed world, we have many specific and varied tools to do a job.  We do not just have one Phillips or one flathead screwdriver in our tool box.  We probably have many of each type with different sized blades, different shaft lengths, and different handles.

But it in rural poor areas of Congo, you have fewer tools.  Therefore, your tools do multi-tasks or multi-functionals.  You can use a hoe to plant crops, dig a hole, or cut a log pole from a longer tree.  Or you can use a machete to dig a hole or cut a tree down.

The poor make do with what they have.  They survive.  

Congolese Women Are the Real Farmers

Around the midwest United States, farmers are busy planting or preparing to plant crops.  The field look a lot difference than field in the Congo.

Rural Congolese farmers use the traditional "slash and burn" technique.  Congolese men are responsible for clearing the land.  After burning, the land is generally void of heavy vegetation.  However, tree stumps are prevalent.  They are left to rot in place.

Congolese women plant the crops.  So are the women the real farmers? 

A Woman Is Just Called Mama

In Congo, mama is the most common word spoken.  All women are referred to as mama so-and-so.  For me, I equate it to own salutations of Miss and Mrs.  It is not so much used in our traditional motherly way.

The same is true for the use of papa referring to Congolese men.  Papa is not as popular as mama.  Men may be addressed by their professional title.  It goes well beyond own use of doctor, pastor, judge, etc.  Teacher so-and-so or nurse so-and-so are common examples. 

Since women commonly do not have a profession, they are just called mamas.

Building Schools With Pixie Sticks

 
The poles look like giant "pixie sticks".  But they are building materials.  They are the sticks in the 'mud and stick' building construction used in rural Congo.  This method is used to build houses and classrooms. 

Congolese men cut small trees for support beams.  Typically, the roof is built upon the stick supports.  Here, the roof survived a wind storm but the stick and mud walls were destroyed. 

Stronger walls are needed.  Either more sticks (small trees) are required.  Or the real solution is milled lumber from bigger trees.