In 1974, the Canadian government purchased and donated 72 badly needed road graders for Congo, complete with a large maple leaf painted on it. A year later, however, there was a desperate effort to locate them but only 10 could be found. The Canadian embassy contacted Canadians and asked them to keep an eye out for the graders. No spare parts had been sent, so with any kind of breakdown, just one cracked bolt, the graders quickly became a mass of iron subject to rusting in the elements. Road widening was frequently needed to get around disabled graders which had been pushed to the side of the road and were quickly grown over with grasses.
A somewhat similar attitude is evident among Western doners to CME. Samaritan’s Purse (bless them) donated a sizable amount to reconstruct the destroyed operating room in Nyankunde. They, like virtually all foreign donors and encouraged by our tax authorities, insist that any money being donated is used for a specified capital project. But with all foreign money going to capital projects (and at that it’s only 20% of revenue), there is precious money available for ongoing operating expenses. The Congolese government doesn’t financially support CME (even though Nyankunde is a designated Congo general hospital) so operations must be run from patient revenues. In one of the poorest parts of the world.
The Woods are paid a salary of $960 per month (which they would make in a few hours in Canada). They are treated special, as Congolese doctors make $450 per month. Doctor defections to Kenya and elsewhere are common and an ongoing problem. The good news is that Congo schools currently at record high levels or enrollment, although quality levels apparently are a concern.
We had another productive day with the Finance Director, including our always enjoyable 15 minute walk to and from the clinic. It is a joy to note that the sand bags, barbed wire and machine guns in the UN bunkers from prior years have been removed.
MONUSCO HQ Bunia, immediately beside the CME lab and office. It was great to see the machine gun bunker removed.
The CME Office and Lab (on the right) looking towards downtown Bunia, with major road reconstruction underway
It was also a joy to reconnect at the clinic with Pastor Tsongo who was our translator at the first Healing Streams seminars in 2006 and who continues to support the ongoing work of Healing Streams here.
Pastor Tsongo, Head Champlain at CME Nyankunde
The election results are said to be announced at midnight tonight. Interim results give the incumbent president at 10% point lead with 66% of the votes counted, which would seem mathematically impossible to overcome. No one (except a nervous Canadian ambassador in Kinshassa) expects any trouble in Bunia. Apparently Canadians have been asked to leave Congo by their government, unlike Britain and other Western countries.
Mind you, we have yet to see any Chinese around.
Bens in Congo 
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