Canadian winters can be a challenge for many people. Michael started clearing snow for a neighbour, Gwen, who is a retired lady. When Gwen offered to compensate Michael, a deal was quickly struck that any money received for snow shovelling would be forwarded to Congo.
Saasita recently asked for some support for the women of Kalondo, a small community south west of Butembo. She is developing a program for the capacity building and empowerment of Kalondo women and this seemed like an ideal way to direct some funds. I’m sure I will hear more about this program. After a quick confirmation with Gwen, USD $100 has been forwarded to Saasita for the women of Kalondo.
Our daughter Michelle has just returned to our home in Waterloo, Ontario with her husband Mike after living in Beijing, China the past 4.5 years. She hasn’t seen a Canadian winter in over eight years, but jumped at the chance to try our new snow blower!
Bens in Congo 
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March 9, 2020 at 11:08 am
Greg Bender
We met Michelle and Mike at the symphony Saturday evening. I see you are still getting seats in the same row. We were up in the loges, so I was checking the row in front of the sound board. That’s how I spotted them, so we went looking for them at the intermission. Good to know that they’re OK, even though the uncertainty is growing worldwide.
Greg
March 3, 2021 at 8:50 pm
Margeurite, Gwen and Canadian Winter | Bens in Congo
[…] It has been exactly a year since our daughter Michelle left Beijing due to COVID-19 in February 2020, only to be locked down in our Canadian home. This winter, Michelle picked up where she left off last year by shovelling the snow from the driveway of our neighbour Gwen. (Yes, husband Mike sometimes helped too.) We had struck a deal last year with Gwen that she would pay us for the shovelling while we would forward the funds to Congo. https://bensincongo.com/2020/03/07/snow-shovelling-for-kalondo/ […]