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Ultrasound Scanner and the exciting Journey to The Congo in March 2016

I want to tell you about my meetings held in March and my very exciting journey to The Congo. First, I have been in the capital, Kinshasa, and then I visited my 84-year-old mother in Kisangani. Kisangani is the third largest city of The Congo and can be reached by plane from Kinshasa in one hour and 45 minutes. From Kisangani I travelled by plane to Isiro. It’s now 20 years ago when I was the last time there. The flight takes one hour. Unfortunately I could not visit our projects in Durba due to the irregular air traffic between Isiro and Durba. As you know, The Congo is as big as Western Europe, and seven times larger than Germany, so that one can not travel back and forth so easy.

The capital is always on the move

The capital Kinshasa grows regardless of any urbanisation plans and now extends over a length of 60 km along the river Congo. It now has more than nine million inhabitants. Many people move from the provinces to Kinshasa. They are fleeing from the armed groups and security forces, who committed numerous human rights abuses in the country's northeast. They come to Kinshasa in the hope to find a job, study, or even to be able to do some business on the black market.

The "Kinoises" and "Kinois", that’s how the residents of Kinshasa are called, are always moving. By sunrise the Kinois flock into the city. In the evening, just before sunset, a big crowd of people move from downtown to the suburbs and the periphery. That’s how it works every day. Through the streets and along the boulevard, between the International Airport N’Djili and the city of Gombe there is a flow of men, women and children. These people can be divided into four categories: street children, traders, "Standing Members of Parliament", officials and workers. Officials and workers go to the office or to the company. The traders go to the central market or they sell fish, bread, fufu (manioc mush) and vegetables on the street. The "Standing Members of Parliament" are unemployed intellectuals who spend all day on the street reading newspapers and discussing different subjects. Their favourite subjects are politics, sports or music. But the long struggle for the democratisation of the country has politicised the Kinois.

Refuge on the Street

The last group is the street children. Some of them are everywhere on the streets with their shoe cleaning kit and others with their mobile shops. They also wash cars and survive through these types of services. Many children have to beg and prostitute themselves. Abandoned children, orphans, disabled children, are the ones who only find refuge on the street.

Refuge in sects

Some Kinois find refuge in sects and new religious movements. In 1979 existed 1050 sects in The Congo, which were all prohibited. Nevertheless, the number has increased considerably in recent years. Each neighbourhood has its communities or churches. Its members gather, sing and cry all day. The prophet or pastor (so called the cult leader) is designated as the representative of God on earth. The sermon refers mostly to the person of the Prophet and the supposedly worked miracles by him. The sects have their own media: radio and television. Donations play a big role, if you want to be redeemed. Thus, the cult leaders are getting richer, the sectarians, however getting poorer. The sects became truly the opium of Kinois.

Collapse of an entire country

How can this situation in Kinshasa be explained? The reasons are probably primarily in the collapse of the socio-political and economic structures of the country. There is a lack of transport and food, schools and hospitals.

People, who work, do not get a regular monthly salary. Corruption has also continued. The effects of poverty and the drastic reduction in the purchasing power are evident everywhere. Many families have only one meal a day. Women are the ones, who with retail or field work provide for the family in order it can survive.

Kinshasa, la belle (the Beautiful)

But that is only a part of the reality in Kinshasa. Kinshasa is also known as "Kinshasa, la belle" (the Beautiful). Kinshasa is considered an important city of culture, music and dance in Africa. Kinshasa - stands not only for street children, sects and starvation, but also for various attractions: the natural beauty of the highlands, the Bateke, impressive waterfalls, colourful fabrics, art ... Kinshasa is also joy and happiness. Music, dance and drums belong to the joy. With its mass ritual Kinshasa embodies the "stereotype of religious dance" in Central Africa. In Kinshasa we celebrate Easter Vigil during five hours (7:00 p.m. to 00:00). In Congo, one says: "Europeans have watches and Africans have the time".

Ultrasound machine for the clinic Brauhardt in Durba

Finally, I would like to say a few words about our Congo projects. Our staff members in the Brauhardt Clinic are brave, and despite the existing difficulties they are always there for sick people. The number of patients has increased dramatically in the last few days and as a result, there is a shortage of hospital beds and mattresses. Our staff member, Godefroid Mikanda, asked us to provide 10 mattresses, or to build a new facility for inpatient care. A second and important issue consists in the acquisition of a good quality ultrasound scanner for the maternity ward in Durba. Ultrasound scanner Mindray DP-30 will cost € 6,600.00 incl. 2 probes and printer. An additional "Intercavitary Vaginal probe 65EC10EA” costs € 1,844.40. On those amounts we have to add the expenses for transportation from Germany to Uganda, customs clearance and collection in Kampala Airport. We need at least € 10,000.00.

The donations volume is currently very low, and the times have become more difficult. Therefore we especially depend on your support for our Congo projects. There may be opportunities to donate in life. If you celebrate e.g. a birthday, a wedding or an anniversary, you could ask at this personal celebration for a donation for Congo projects instead of a gift.

Donations for Herbert Brauhardt Klinik

Donation accountSparkasse Krefeld Kongo Social-Care e. V.
IBANDE15 3205 0000 0000 2770 04
BICSPKRDE33
Reason for payment   Ultrasound Scanner

I thank you on behalf of the Congolese, you could help with your support. The joy you give the Congolese, returns into your own heart.

Jean-Bertrand Madragule Badi (Pater Badi OP),
Vorsitzender Kongo Social-Care e. V.

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