Butembo Market

Despite currently being the least served by any scheduled airline in the region given its size (the dirt runway is just too short), Butembo is known as the commercial centre for the broad region. It has by far the largest market and commercial zone and (don’t hold me to it) a population of 600,000. We are told that its people (the Nande tribe) have historically been the most commercially aggressive and successful.

Butembo market

We went to the market with a crew of CSCODI people, but Muhosole, a key helper for Dorcas at the orphanage, was the main organizer. He worked off a list prepared by Dorcas, would know where to go within the market area of at least eight large city blocks and then negotiate a price given the relatively high volumes.

Muhosole from CSCODI buying beans

Muhosole purchased (and Brenda took good notes to record):
50 kg beans
50 kg maize
50 kg rice
100 kg manioc/cassava root
22 kg palm oil
20 l kerosene
25 kg sugar
10 kg dried talapia fish
6 foam mattresses
Soaps
2 large cooking pots
1 large wash basin
12 stainless steel plates
12 cups

Mattresses for the CSCODI Mama Dorcas Orphanage in Butembo

James Kataliko guarding our purchases as they accumulated

Thanks again for those who financially supported us for these purchases.

We learned to spot the difference between banana plants (green trunks) and matoke plants (much like plantain – black trunks).

Given the small Toyota we had, we were trying to figure out how we were going to get market items to the orphanage. The solution is the chukudu, essentially a wooden wheelbarrow.

Chukudu, the wheelbarrow workhorse of Butembo

Chukudu close up

We hired two chukudu (I’m told that the singular is the same as the plural in this case) for the relatively expensive price of $15, but it is quite the walk up and down hills to get to the orphanage. Muhosole was to escort the chukudu to the orphanage. It’s too bad we couldn’t be there when the chukudu arrived.

One of the hired chukudu all loaded up

Video of the chukudu being loaded before delivery to the orphanage.

4 comments

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December 4, 2011 at 1:11 pm

Jenn C.

Glad you were able to distinguish between banana and matoke! 🙂

Have you been served any matoke while you’ve been there?

December 4, 2011 at 1:17 pm

Anonymous

We have matoke (plantain) almost daily for dinner (or when a big lunch) as it fries up quite well. Bananas are usually available for the morning, but in contrast to matoke, are always eaten fresh.

July 27, 2015 at 4:37 am

sr marie rose