Ending Extreme Poverty in the Congo

After 85 killed in crash, Congo yanks license of troubled airline

Hewa Bora's operation license was canceled.

But I'm not sure what the Cogolese government can and will do to correct the problem.  Do the government have the necessary skills?  Or will they just fine the airlines?

via www.washingtonpost.com

Congo’s ministry of transport has canceled the license of the country’s largest airline after a crash last week killed 85 people.

A ministry communique read on state TV late Thursday said that Hewa Bora’s license “has been suspended until further notice” while the government investigates the crash.

Congo has one of the worst air safety records in the world. Few passable roads traverse the country after decades of war, forcing the population to rely on ill-maintained planes and boats.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Fresh fruits and vegetables are a key ingredient of a nutritious meal.  That's what we know here in the developed world.

But in the developing world, like Congo, only fresh fruits and vegetables are available.  So there are other factors that cause the people to be malnourished.  The quantity of food is at fault.

First, not enough of fresh fruits and vegetables are grown during some periods of the year.  Also, lack of transportation limits the available of fresh fruits and vegetables to near the farm.  Finally, the lack of electricity and refrigeration limits the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Hampered

Poor subsistence farmers are hampered many things in the rural Congo.  They are hampered by the lack of irrigation systems.  They are hampered by modern agricultural techniques and machinery.  They are hampered by the lack of storage facilities.  Finally, they are hampered by transportation to the market places in the urban areas.

Motorized transportation in rural Congo is virtually non-existent.  Train service is extremely limited.  But rural Congo and their food are essential to the well-being of those living in urban areas. 

Walking is Healthy

There is a lot of walking going on especially in rural Congo.  Getting from one place to another place in Congo usually involves walking.  Getting food involves walking.  Getting water involves walking.  Getting to school involves walking.  And getting to a doctor involves a lot of walking.

In most places, like the US, walking is consider healthy.  But Congo has too much of a good thing.  But it is not the walking that causes problems.  It's the lack of nutritious foods.  It's the lack of safe water to drink.  It's the lack of education and health opportunities.

The lack of transportation or too much is walking is not the problem in many cases.

Poor and Stuck in One Place

 
Congo is a vast country.  It is the third largest country in Africa.  Congo, compared to the continental US, is about a third of its size.

Now, imagine you have to walk to most places.  There are no trans-country railroads or highways.  All trans-country transportation is done by plane.

Therefore, air transportation is limited to the rich.  The lack of common and public transportation truly effects the poor.  Travel opportunities are non-existent. 

Containers in the Bush

Typical building in the bush to not last too long.  They only last about two to three years. We are searching for more permanent or semi-permanent building materials.

Lately, I have been discussing an adverse effect of using shipping containers as housing here in the US.  I have argued that using shipping containers have created a shortage of shipping containers needed for shipping stuff to places like Congo.

If we had more containers maybe we use some of them for school classrooms.  They would last forever.  WOW, I may have to see how much it would cost to transporta container to the bush.  Typical material handling equipment (MHE) can be replaced by hundreds of Congolese men.

Actually, I have seen a few containers in rural Congo.  And I have wondered how they got there.  They got there somehow.

Roads for Minerals

 
Getting around rural Congo is a big challenge.  The many roads are officially designated as a "marked track" by the latest Michelin map.  Without good roads, commerce and travel is severely limited.

In developed countries, we take transportation for granted.  We can have a package delivered from anywhere to us in less than a week.  Products, goods, and produce are trucked from a grower or manufacturer to distance store.

Transportation is a hugh problem for Congo.  The Congolese government has negotiated roads for minerals with the Chinese.

Where Is My Package?

I just received an order from Amazon, today.  The item was shipped from California to Indiana.  The package arrived within days.  And that was the standard shipping method.

Getting stuff from the USA to Congo takes months.  And that's by container ship from the east coast.  Then it gets to Congo and the process or the way to its final destination gets harder.  The options to get those boxes from the Kinshasa to Kananga, the final 400 miles is limited. 

There are no road for cargo to go by truck or road.  In the past, it had to travel by air.  Now, another option is for cargo to travel by boat and then by rail.  And it could take weeks to months to travel the distance.

But There Are Empty Seats On The Airplane

 
Travel by private or charter airplane is the most reliable and safest way to get around Congo.  But it is not always possible because most villages have an airstrip.  Eventhe airstrip at Bulape is not kept in the best condition.

To prevent overloading, the pilot carry a large bathroom type scales.  Each package, piece of luggage, and each person is weighed.  The total weight balanced against the aircraft payload specifications.

During one trip by a chartered airplane, I witnessed first hand this unique loading procedure.  Congolese watched in amazement when the pilot notified us that the plane carrying weight had been reached.  The Congolese could not understand.  There were empty spaces and seats on the airplane.

Traveling Together

 
When you are poor, transportation is shared assets.  Cars, trucks, trains, and boats are overloaded beyond the manufacturer's limits. 

You are never alone.  There is no peaceful moments to view the country side unless you are walking.

Two persons on a motorbike are the norm.  Three, four, five persons are easily possible.  Traveling is a group affair.