Ending Extreme Poverty in the Congo

Do You Know How to Operate a Fish Farm?

Fish is a excellent source of food and proteins.  A diet of fish would eliminate malnutrition.  But how do you get enough fish for sale and distribution?  You can only get enough by improving these fish ponds in Bulape.

 

So, why is there not enough fish in Bulape?  I do not know why.  The ponds have fish.  But something is missing.

 

Expertise in fish farming is needed.  How much water is needed?  How do you keep the fish fed?  What type of fish is best for the Bulape village?  How do you operate a self-sustaining fish farm?

 

These Congolese men need your help to improve their fish farm. 

1 Samuel 3:1-10 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. 

At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 

Then the Lord called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again."

So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me."

But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me."

Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 

Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." Then the Lord said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle.

Shoes and Clothes Do Not Keep Children Alive

Congo is the home of the "opposites" or "have nots".  I am not talking about children without shoes or children without torn and worn out clothes.  Although those are the highly visible things you first see, those are not the critical or life-saving interventions.

 

Children do not have nutritious food to eat, so more than half of them are below the height and weight standard for their age.  As such, most children do not have strong immune systems to fight off common childhood illnesses and diseases. 

 

Children do not have access to health care, so one out five before their fifth birthday.  Health care is either not available or the family is too poor to afford it.  The perfect storm of death caused by extreme poverty.

 

You have the power to create a better world for these children.  You can improve their access to health care and nutritious food.  These children need your help and assistance move to other side with the "haves".

Genesis 1:1-5  In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

When It's Dry, They Must Water Their Gardens

Water is essential for life.  Rain or irrigation is essential for growing crops.

In Bulape, farmers do not water their crops.  As such, farming or gardening is only done during the rainy season.  Also, Congolese do not store food.  So when you combine the lack of food storage without farming during the dry season, malnutrition is a normal occurrence.  The children are most vulnerable to malnutrition.

It is hard to break cultural practices of not farming during dry season.  You have to try to education the young mothers.  The girls and women are responsible for the care of the farms and gardens.  More importantly as mothers, they should be more sensitive to the plight of their children.

Congo Helping Hands started a drip irrigation project at the girl's school.  However, we found that water must be convenient for the teaching project.  A rain harvesting project is needed to supply water for the project.

Jeremiah 31: 11-14  For the LORD has ransomed Jacob, and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.  They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again. Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.  I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty, says the LORD.

How Do You Make Food Better?

HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR MEALS MORE NUTRITIOUS?

You know the benefits of eating nutritious food.

You may select your food because it is sweet, spicy, or fried.  Or whether it is your fast food favorite or similar to it.  But do you select your meal on affordability and availability?

 

About three out of four Congolese are undernourished.  Due to the poverty, most Congolese select their food based upon availability and affordability.   And the food that they select is not a too nutritious.

First, meat is very expensive.  Therefore, it is not a daily or weekly selection for most Congolese.  The common meat choice is chicken or goat.  Occasionally, there is a fish, pork, and guinea pigs.

Next, there is not a wide selection of vegetables.  Corn is the biggest crop in the Congo.  However, corn is not eaten as a vegetable.  It is dried and grinded into corn meal.  The biggest class of vegetable in the Congo is greens.  They are similar to our collard, mustard, and kale greens.  Due to the limited selection and cost, greens are not available for every meal.

Finally, what about those carbohydrates and starches like potatoes, rice, and noodles?  They are not available and affordable.  However, most Congolese eat a dough made from cassava or manioc flour.  Cassava roots are very rich in starch, and contain significant amounts of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C.  But it lacks protein and other nutrients.

Where do they get the nutrients?   How do you make their meal better?  The answer may be as simple as the dried leaves of the Moringa tree.  The leaves of this fast growing tree can replace the nutrients from meat and vegetables.

Congo Helping Hands is introducing the Moringa tree in Bulape.

Luke 1:47-55 "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Why Do You Give?

Is it to feel good yourself or to make others feel good? You all have your reasons why you give to others. “Because my parents, family and friends gave to me.” “Because God gave his only Son, so that I may live and live more abundantly.”

 

Professional health officials say that giving is therapeutic for the giver. So in most cases, it is a win-win situation for the giver and the receiver. WOW, what a deal for you! Is the recipient equally feeling good? Of course, they are feeling good because they are like you. Everyone likes to get the things that make them comfortable. You just have a different level of comfort. To these Congolese children, comfort is usually a bare necessity such as nutritious food, clean water, a dry school, or a mosquito net. You will feel good knowing that you gave to “one of the least of these”.

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Isaiah 40:1