After the university, our day still wasn’t done. We were taken to another part of Butembo to visit a program for women that could be described as a self help group. The children are now long home from school and don’t have TV or Internet to distract them, so we were again greeted with a mob of signing women and children excited to see muzungu.

Greeting at CSCODI's Women's Support Group

Greeting at CSCODI's Women's Support Group

Welcome to CSCODI Women's Support Group

Headed to the CSCODI Women's Support Group reception

Yet another CSCOCI program on a shoe string, this one is organized by Saasita who seems to be everywhere. She is the director of the CSCODI school, the womans group and the microfinance (which we will visit Saturday morning).

Women in Butembo

Women in Butembo

She introduced us and we gave greetings. Michael was asked to pray and then our entourage left to visit four different homes of widows who receive support from other women. Uniformly, their homes are small homes built with mud plastered between a thatch of sticks for a wall, plus a grass roof. They all slept on straw. Due to their wood fires, their lungs must be equal to a four pack a day smoker. Most roofs obviously leaked.

Brenda reviewing widow's home

Brenda reviewing widow's home

Another widow's home

Another widow's home

Bed with straw mattress and plastic blanket

Bed with straw mattress and plastic blanket

Unfortunately, it seemed most widows hoped to receive financial help from us, but we made it clear that we were providing money to Saasita. That got us off the hook, but poor Saasita! She needs to allocate limited funds among hundreds of legitimate needs. That can’t be easy.

We came across an election station which had posted the results of that poll for all to see. The incumbent president Kabila is obviously not popular here! In the two posted poll, he received under 10% in both. Kabila’s real strength is in the populous south east, Katanga province.

Results posted at a Congolese polling station

Results posted at a Congolese polling station

Sunset can be a relief, because it means your day is finally over. Starting with the Anglican bishop, followed by the orphanage, sewing centre, primary school, lecturing and touring with widows, that was one full day.