Bens in Congo

Lynch Mob Response in Beni

November 1, 2014 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Woman with Child: Beating a Man Before Burning and Decapitating Him

Tension and fear are high in Beni due to the recent random slaughter of innocents. Based on their accents, men were identified as potentially members of ADF while taking a taxi from Butembo. They were then lynched once they arrived in Beni. They were beaten, burned and decapitated.

The rule of law is always necessary to have a safe and productive society. Eastern Congo was showing great signs of improvement, but recent ADF or Mai Mai atrocities and this report of lynching represents a huge set back.

http://kivutimes.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/beni-de-lirritation-populaire-au-cannibalisme/

Sporadic Genocide near Beni

October 31, 2014 in Uncategorized | 3 comments

Being described as a continuation of sporadic genocide, 20 mutilated and fragmented bodies have been found near Oicha, just north of Beni, dead as a result of knife attacks. Reports describe killers calmly entering villages at night and targeting men, women and children. Yesterday’s attacks came despite the presence of President Kabila in the region, who is there to boost local confidence and to help direct efforts to secure the area. The total killed by similar attacks now exceeds 100.

http://kivutimes.wordpress.com/2014/10/31/beni-territoire-20-nouvelles-victimes-des-attaques-a-larme-blanche/

While the Islamic ADF has been blamed, there have been reports that certain Mai-Mai rebels may also be conducting such atrocities while having blame assigned to the ADF.

http://kivutimes.wordpress.com/2014/10/30/attaques-de-beni-ce-ne-seraient-pas-les-adf/

Out of the News, but the ADF Conflict Persists

October 12, 2014 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Standard news feeds are not reporting many problems in Congo recently (other than Ebola which has not been reported in the east), but conflict with ADF rebels must be persisting. Saasita has just taken in three orphans from nearby Oicha (just north of Beni), explaining that their parents were killed as a result of the continuing ADF-NALU conflict.

Saasita with orphans from the ADF / Nalu conflict

Saasita with orphans from the ADF conflict

The ADF is an Islamic group pushed out of Uganda and into Congo just east of Beni. The expectation was that the Congo army would have dealt with them by now, but this does not seem apparent.

An update from Vice News:
https://news.vice.com/article/congo-officials-blame-machete-attacks-in-north-kivu-on-allied-democratic-forces

The Effectiveness of Supporting Local NGO’s

October 12, 2014 in Uncategorized | 2 comments

More than once, while in Congo we heard the complaints when wealthy NGO’s zoomed by us in expensive Land Rovers. The amount of money spent in support of foreigners to operate in third world countries is huge. Foreign workers, with the best of intentions, have the best accommodations and drive the best vehicles. A doctor with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) explained to us during a flight to Bunia that they are paid wages equal to a doctors salary in Geneva. Can you imagine what locals think when they see these expenses?

In contrast, our sewing project required USD $3,000. Dorcas has provided a new report confirming that they have been producing and selling school uniforms for $8 with a cost of $6. In the last three months, they have reported earnings of $468 from 234 uniforms which was used to purchase food, medical supplies and tuition costs for the neediest at the school. Further, people producing the uniforms are personally earning $2 per uniform which takes a day to produce plus rent is being paid to the school for orphans. The standard local wage is $.75 per day. While very small in scale, this is clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of micro-projects, working with local NGO’s.

Standard School Uniform

Experienced sewers train students and produce uniforms

Thank you for the smiles

Commitment When There is No Government Support

September 22, 2014 in Uncategorized | 5 comments

We have met many wonderful people in Congo, but we haven’t talked about James Kataliko and Saasita for a while.

They are still working together today, serving in an village area called Kalondo 30 km south west of Butembo and far from any NGO assistance. In 2011, this area was devastated by militia groups likely as part of the Goma / M23 conflict. Their goats and chickens were taken, leaving people with nothing.

James recently wrote to explain the immense difficulty of travelling 6 km to the nearest health clinic while gravely ill. Many simply don’t make it. James and Saasita somehow managed to find the means to construct a small health centre in Kalondo with four beds and two nurses to serve the sick to either receive nursing care or to convalescence. They are looking for funding to pay for the nurses and for a small solar energy system.

Kalondo health centre. 4 mattresses. 30 km SW of Butembo

Kalondo health centre with 4 mattresses. 30 km SW of Butembo

We were asked to help support them and they used our funds to provide a shipment of medicines and supplies.

Delivering medical supplies in Kalondo

Lining up to say thank-you! Saasita – back centre. James – bottom left

In Butembo, James has been a key player in helping at a newly built children’s school, Ecole Primaire des Scouts.

Ecole Primaire des Scouts, Butembo North Kivu DRC

We can’t stop applauding their dedication to serve others in multiple endeavours. They have the spirit of volunteerism that we are rapidly losing with our growing dependency on government to do everything for us. If you saw a need, would you respond like James and Saasita?

Islamic Violence Continues Near Beni

August 11, 2014 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Reports on the defeat of the ADF near Beni appear to be premature. There are now reports that Islamic militants have murdered three Congolese priests for refusing to convert to Islam. Radio Kivu 1 also reports that “three hostages from Doctors Without Borders, Romy, Philippe and Richard kidnapped July 11, 2013, could also be dead.

The administrator of the territory of Beni announced Monday the release of about 250 hostages from the hands of Ugandan rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF-NALU) by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).

“I can not tell you if there are already dead. However, we have collected testimonies sufficient to prove that there are summary executions committed by the Ugandan rebels, “said Kalonda Amisi, administrator of the territory of Beni. He said, “an estimated 150 people are still being held hostage by the ADF.”

Excellent Results from the Sewing Project

June 29, 2014 in Uncategorized | 3 comments

Dorcas has provided an excellent and encouraging report on the implementation of the sewing project at the Muti wa Nzuki School for Orphans in Butembo. Her committee arranged for a Grand Opening in May which was attended by senior government officials and the Anglican Bishop for North Kivu. She reports that they are able to produce 196 school uniforms per month which are each sold for $8.00. This provides profits of $2 per uniform ($392 per month) plus it also provides wages of $2 per uniform. After allocating USD $3,000 to this project, this is a phenomenal rate of return by any measure while providing students with valuable skills training.

Compassion Pour Les Enfant en Detresse Sewing Project

Children in Uniform

65% of last month’s profits were used to provide food and medicines for orphans. 30% of the profits were allocated to a “mini-project” involving the purchase of geese and pigs. 5% was retained for future uses.

Geese Purchased with Profits

Blogging has been slow, but that has been a good thing as the slowness is due to Congo being out of the news. It is far from trouble free and tensions with Rwanda remain, but the eastern region has been enjoying relative peace. This is clearly reflected in the Goma based music video of the hit song “Happy” posted earlier. Goma is the capital of North Kivu province and is the first major town south of Butembo.

Happy from Goma (Swahili version)

June 25, 2014 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

War Orphans

April 5, 2014 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Mama Dorcas Mbambu wrote us to explain the story of some recent arrivals under her care.

We have 3 children who have joined us in our orphanage from a single mother who went to the red zone Kamango (just east of Beni) where Congolese soldiers are waging war against the ADF rebels. Indeed mom left in search of her husband and two children while in disarray as she was pregnant. Due to her extensive wandering and resulting fatigue she gave birth at a village called Kabasha 30 km from our city of Butembo. She gave birth to twins (a boy and a girl). Two days after her Caesarean delivery she died of the pain and post operative infection leaving the twins and another child aged one year and four months. We are keeping the three distressed souls here. The twins have survived the third day of their birth. The war in the east of the DRC has many innocent victims, women raped, children abandoned by their parents, and kidnapped men who are forced to integrate with rebels.

Thank-you!!!

March 29, 2014 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

With the end of our Indiegogo campaign, we are pleased to announce that we raised $5,076 in support of orphans in Butembo. In addition to the $2,660 raised on Indiegogo, we received an additional $2,416 in cash and cheques.