Category Archive

The timing couldn’t have been much worse.  Just as the school year was set to begin, a storm has destroyed the school for orphans run by Dorcas Mbambu. Wind tore away roofs and severe rain has washed away much of the ground support.

These are clearly trying times and they need our support.  It is incredible to realize what the people in eastern Congolese have experienced but it’s encouraging to know and watch their resilience.

Kavugho Masika Jacquis became aware that we were offering microfinancing loans for entrepreneurs in Butembo.  She has developed a skill in crafting hats over the past two years, but needed capital to buy her materials. Her creative hats are targeted at youth who can identify with the colours or style.  She is industrious and we want to support her. She intends to produce and sell 25 hats a week and to repay her loan over five months.

James Kataliko has agreed to accept small loan applications, screen them, and send translated applications to Canada for our final review.  We continue to believe that the key requirement towards lifting Congo out of poverty is the encouragement of small businesses.  This will require physical security (i.e. an end to violence and corruption), a healthy rule of law (needed to ensure confidence in contracts and investments), educational standards (at least basic literacy for all with a focus on job skills) and the availability of capital (so businesses can grow and employ people).

Many microfinance organizations operating in Africa have not yet moved into Congo primarily due to physical security concerns. James Kataliko and the Internet provides us with the ability to make direct access to needy entrepreneurs. There is a huge need for capital in Congo that is essential for economic growth and we’d like to do our small part by providing needed loans to worthy ventures.

Dorcas continues to be her awesome selfless self in running her orphanage on a shoe string budget.  Based on her recent photos, it must be pure organized chaos on a daily basis!

It appears that the sewing workshop is back in operation.  They was an issue of maintaining customers but Dorcas is back to reporting monthly income and provided this photo of sewing students.

The primary school remains in pretty rough shape, although I understand a new building has been completed with the assistance of CMSI Ireland.

 
Dorcas recently received a small baby weighing only 1.6 kg or 3.5 pounds. He had become an orphan due to violence in nearly Lubero. As we had just sent some funds, Dorcas was able to secure hospital support and brought the boy to the orphanage was he reached 3 kg. The boy has been named Michael in my honour.

Dorcas with Michael and Micheline

The government has promised to investigate after a video surfaced which appears to show the FARDC  (Armed Forces of the DRC) killing at least 20 unarmed people.  US State Department Acting Spokesman Mark Toner condemned the video footage which appeared to show armed troops summarily executing civilians, including women and children. “Such extra-judicial killing, if confirmed, would constitute gross violations of human rights and threatens to incite widespread violence and instability in an already fragile country,” Toner said in a statement.

Congolese forces have been battling an uprising by the militia in central Congo’s Kasai provinces, which was triggered when they killed its leader Kamwina Nsapu in August 2016.

The United Nations said this week it had reports the army had killed at least 101 people in clashes in the region between 9 February and 13 February, including 39 women.

YouTube has been deleting these viral videos so the above link may not last long.  For BensInCongo e-mail followers, you must go to the website to use video links.  The graphic footage is filmed from slightly behind the roughly dozen men wearing Congolese military uniforms and shows them advancing on foot towards a group of men and women on a dirt road.

They open fire for 45 seconds then advance closer to inspect the more than 10 dead and wounded, including at least two women.

“This one here isn’t dead,” one of men says in the western Congolese Lingala language, referring to a bloodied young man lying in the grass. Another uniformed man then shoots him in the head.

Several of the men who have been shot have slingshots and wooden batons. None appears to have been carrying a gun.

Meanwhile, in North Kivu province, 25 Hutu citizens were hacked to death with machete by Mai-Mai militia around the village of Kyaghala, a Hutu dominate area.

Nande, Hunde and Kobo people largely regard Hutus and Nyaturu as foreigners, while the migration north of Hutu farmers, forced to abandon their southern territory due to rising land prices and under pressure from powerful landowners, has added to the strain.

This latest attack is reported to be a revenge attack after 3 Nande were killed and 13 kidnapped earlier in the week.

A responsible FARDC, now discredited by the Kasai video, is logically the best hope to stop the cycle of violence, but now appears to be in a weaker position to do so.

Dorcas Mbambu drafted the following:

Report on the arrival of a 5 month orphan baby by the Congolese National Police Office of Oicha
It was 4 pm on 4 February 2017 that two Congolese national police officers, one holding a baby and the other a weapon, entered the site of the CED, which currently contains 51 souls after the recent death of one of them on December 21, 2016.  Welcomed by Madam Dorcas, these police officers sat and began to tell the event during which they managed to bring this baby from Oicha to Butembo.

Near the city of Oicha, some farming parents had fallen victims of killing by murderers on 2 February 2017.  When passers-by from the city arrived at their farm, they realized a nauseating smell and the presence of flies on the bodies of the parents in a hut that housed them.  Under a great sadness these passers-by appealed to the administrative authorities and judges directed the demolition of this hut as a tomb for those bodies which were already decomposed.

At this spot, a baby in a critical condition, i.e. half-dead, was recovered and transported to the Oicha police station of the Congolese National Police, which deployed these two officers with this Soul to our CED location. When they arrived, the CED coordinator was not present since she was with another sick child who was hospitalized at the Katwa General Referral Hospital.

Today we have 52 children but are experiencing several difficulties, and the most crucial is the precarious health of some of them.  We do not know at what period or time peace will return to these territories (Beni and Lubero). This is why we are asking humanitarians from all over the world to support us spiritually, morally and materially, because vulnerability and poverty have gone beyond the limit.
________________________

I would be honoured to forward funds of any amount directly to Dorcas on your behalf that will support these needy orphans.

Mama Dorcas with the latest addition to her orphanage

Rebeka Kavugho Mulema. 2005 – 2016

As narrated by Dorcas Mbambu.

Here is our child whom we have lost. She died on Monday 19/12/2016 in the hours before noon. She was called REBEKA and was one of the orphans that the CED has at the orphanage. She died at the age of 11 and studied the 4th grade class at the Muti-Wa-Nzuki school. We welcomed her in 2013 at the age of 8 years. She is a victim of war of M23, since her family members have never been found. Our daughter REBEKA leaves us with serious emotions when we hear the detonation of heavy weapons such as was recently heard in Butembo.

While the other children were in great surprise following this death, they think that the situation will nonetheless continue in the same way. So many of them are victims of massacre, war and HIV and they saw the death of their parents. They must deal with many memories of some very tragic things.

For this reason we are asking ourselves if there are people who can sponsor some of these children who are in a great need. Wherever you may be, is there is a way to adopt certain children? Otherwise we will risk losing a lot of children because of the situation that does not cease in our country and especially in our province of North Kivu.

The girl REBEKA who died this one who stands here in front of you to the right, blue shoe there she was playing with the other children. She was really healthy. Why has death happened to us Lord?

Our daughter REBEKA has died. Truly we are in great regret. As she left us, no one knows what to say. Pray for us. Life has become more complicated. The other children have not slept since the day of mourning.

The tomb of our daughter REBEKA. We do not know how we will be relieved.

The mass said to her memory in the presence of the Bishop of the Anglican Church while we were doing the funeral of poor REBEKA at the cemetery of Kakuva about 8 km from the town of Butembo.

Goodbye REBEKA. May you rest in peace.

We lost our child in a very bad circumstance, a cruel death, that’s why we did not have time to tell you about her illness. But really for now all children are in a psychosis. Your prayers are really important to us, the situation is not easy for us humans.

Most of the violence in eastern Congo continues to be in the rural areas and the outskirts of cities.  Beni has seen the violence inside the city.  Today there was an attack on the central Kakwangura prison within the city of Butembo, reportedly by Mai-Mai rebels.  This has alarmed the local residents as it brings the violence much closer to them. A police spokesman said the militiamen were trying to plunder the prison but were repulsed by the security forces. 

Kakwangura Prison, Butembo

This attack follows the escape of 276 Kakwangura prisoners in 2014, perhaps a large source of troublemakers in the area.

I recently received the following photo from Beni.  I asked if the photo was posed or if the girls really were angry.  The reply was “As you know, in Beni there is no one who is happy”.  The strain of the continual threat of violence is wearing.

Dorcas Mbambu has reported that the violence in the area has resulted in unprecedented demand at her orphanage.  (See this recent post.) The volunteer women can’t possibly breast feed all the babies so they have to turn to purchasing milk.  Dorcas writes: Infant feeding is a real ordeal for us. Finding milk for infants remains a major problem. We have a total of 5 children taking milk. On average per week a child consumes 1 box per week.    After we recently forwarded some funds to them, Dorcas (as always) provided a full detailed accounting of how the money was spent.

Feeding time at the Butembo orphanage

Older orphans in Butembo (with many absent)

As a measure of their appreciation for our support, the orphanage decided to name a little girl Brenda in honour of my wife. It is indeed an honour.

Dorcas Mbambu with baby Brenda

With the distraction of the U.S. election going on, world events are on the backburner. If the media doesn’t cover it, then it can’t be happening. Well, lots is going on.

Seven more are reported killed in the village of Kithevya near Beni, killed with knives. This massacre is attributed to ADF fighters who also pillaged the Kithevya health center. The angry villagers set fire to coffins that authorities had brought to bury the victims. The role of state, said the villagers, is to protect its citizens and not to bury them.

Women mourn the dead in Kithevya, near Beni

The election in Congo was constitutionally mandated to occur by this year end, but now there is talk of a delay of possibly two more years.  Clearly, President Kabila is stalling. There has been significant unrest as a result and many already killed in Kinshasa.  Talk of militia groups reforming is causing concern.  Many civilians are publicly chanting “Yebela” which means “Know it”, as in Kabila knows his time is up.  (It sounds like the equivalent of American calls to “Lock Her Up”.) Unless Kabila comes forward quickly with a clear plan to have elections without him as a candidate, there is going to bloodshed.

The UN and President Kabila are having their disagreements.  Ironically, the UN peacekeeping force is by far the most powerful armed force in the country, followed by Kabila’s elite and loyal 12,000 strong Presidential Guard.  If the UN is having a stabilizing factor in DRC today, it may be as a counter to Kabila.

Remember the search for Joseph Kony of the Lord’s Resistance Army?  And that President Obama sent 100 U.S. marines to help find him?  Well, he hasn’t been found.  Uganda is declaring an end their involvement searching for him, saying that is he no longer a threat to Uganda.  Kony is thought to be in Sudan, Congo or CAR.

Speaking of CAR, 25 were killed on October 29 in clashes between Muslims and Christians.  4 were killed and 14 wounded during anti-UN protests, with most casualties caused by UN peacekeepers firing into the crowds.  And Canada is seriously thinking of sending our armed forces into this area?

In a classic example of government need for more revenues being everywhere, a serious clash has developed between the Batwa (pygmies) and the Luba in Katanga province, south east DRC.  The Batwa have long been subject to discrimination by whoever has power.  The Batwa were selling caterpillars in the local market but the dominant Luba considered caterpillars to be a delicacy that should be subject to extra tax.  16 people have died so far after the Batwa objected to the imposition of the tax.

Our hearts can be hardened or indifferent when war and death are far from our own homes.  It is clear that our media would rather focus on things other than the misery in eastern Congo, so the suffering is out of place and out of mind for most of us.  When confronted though with the reality of situation, it is hard to not be moved.

Child killed by machete

I’m sorry for the all too graphic photos, but we need to fully recognize evil and face up to it when necessary. Dorcas Nbambu fully recognizes such evil as she has been dealing with the consequences for years. Her orphanage has been overwhelmed with children who have lost their parents due to the senseless ongoing slaughter.  She has sent me the following photographs.

These children have recently been added to her orphanage:

KAHINDO MUSAKA. All members of his family were killed by ADF rebels in Ndalia.

MUMBERE VALONDI. His parents were murdered by hachets in Beni.

KAHINDO MBANGALE. His father was first killed in Beni and his mother was later murdered by ADF rebels working in the fields.

KAMBALE MUHINA. His parents were massacred in Oicha.

KAVIRA MATITA. Her whole family was killed in Beni. She suffers from extreme trauma.

KYAKIMWA SILUMIRWA. Her parents were killed by ADF rebels in Oicha.

PASCAL MUSAYI. His parents were murdered in Beni. He has severe trauma issues.

DAVID MULEMA. He is the son of a slain FARDC soldier who was fighting the ADF rebels.

KAVIRA NYAVUTENGE. Her family was slain while working in the fields near Eringeti, except for her sister Masika.

MASIKA NYAVUTENGE. Her parents and other siblings were slain in Eringeti. Her sister is Kavira.

KAMBALE KANZALIRE. Her parents were killed in Oicha.

KAMBALE VARONDI. His father was a tribal chief of Mamove who is reported missing and his mother is known to be executed by ADF rebels.

MUHINDO DESIRE. His parents were murdered in Beni.

MAKASI PHILEMON. His father was a FARDC soldier slain during fighting near Nyaleke.

ADRONGA KAMBAMBA. Her father was a FARDC soldier killed near Eringeti.

UCHORA KASOKORI. Her father was a FARDC soldier killed near Eringeti.

MUMBERE KRISON. His parents were murdered in Beni.

KASEREKA KANZEIRE. Victim of carnage near Mamove.

KASEREKA KAHEHERO. Oicha war victim who has lost all memory.

KAHAMBU KAMBUMBU. Victim of the Beni massacre who was raped by the ADF rebels. She was severe trauma issues.

KAHAMBU MITHAVO. Her parents were killed in Beni.

PALUKU KANZEHIRE. Mamove war victim.