4th Meeting of Friends and Sponsors of Kongo Social-Care e. V.

On Saturday, 9th March 2019, meanwhile a cherished tradition, brought together 20 friends and sponsors of the association Kongo Social-Care e. V. in the hall of the parish of St. Josef in Krefeld-Traar. Petra Birnbrich and Ulla Bienert, the two Traarer hosts, warmly welcomed the participants and thanked everyone, but especially those who had made a long journey to attend the annual meeting.

Friends and Sponsors of KSC e. V.

Enjoying coffee and cake, the participants started to introduce themselves, telling how they met Father Badi OP, and why they feel connected with the association Congo Social Care e. V. In this introductory round, it quickly became clear what connects the attendees. Firstly, it’s the personal bond and the very personal experiences with Father Badi OP. And that’s their commitment to Kongo Social-Care e. V. This primarily includes the support of the clinic in Durba, in the northeast of the Congo. But also taking sponsorships has gained in popularity.
Unfortunately, Michael Mevissen, member of the board of Kongo Social-Care e. V., had to apologise for not taking part due to health reasons. Normally it is up to him to give a brief annual report at the meeting. The most important task is the renovation of the clinic building in Durba. Due to the massive termite infestation, the building parts are in an extremely poor condition, which is causing big problems regarding the accommodation of patients as well as of the medical equipment. The now catastrophic conditions provide for the gradual renewal of the clinic, in such a way that the wood elements are replaced piece by piece by bricks. This measure is quite expensive and time consuming, because the bricks must all be formed by hand and then burnt. An idea of this process was shown with the aid of pictures at the end of the event. However, the current small number of donations does not really make the restructuring process easier.
In order to stay in the picture, there was indeed the so-called “drop in the bucket”. Mrs. Birnbrich and Mrs. Abdullah-Zade were able to hand over a donation amount of 1.000,00 Euro for the clinic in Durba to Father Badi OP from this year’s carol singers campaign. Father Badi OP thanked with great joy for the “drop”, which is by no means just a drop for Congolese conditions. This amount is used in particular for medical care at the mother-child station.

Malutzki, Birnbrich, Fr Badi OP and Abdullah-Zade

In addition, it was reported on the donated historical fire engine for the clinic in Durba, which is in the workshop since January 2019 due to technical defects. The fire engine was completely dismantled to install new or used spare parts. Also, the vehicle was expanded for 20 seats. All repairs and the modernisation of the car are associated with considerable expenses. The Congolese car mechanics made a great effort to make it functional again. The fire engine can be a great opportunity for the development of our project on site, and therefore it is worth all the effort.
This year, the meeting offered the opportunity to congratulate beyond the known content. On the one hand, the round could congratulate Father Badi OP on his Silver Priest Jubilee, which he celebrated in February in his parish of Liebfrauen in Bochum. On the other hand, congratulate couple Masa for their honorary membership in the association Kongo Social-Care e. V. Unfortunately, due to a private invitation, the Masa couple was late and only met the “cleanup team” in the Traarer community hall. That was a bit regrettable, congratulations anyway. It was comforting that at this time the next annual meeting in Traar was long-decided thing. Postponed is not abandoned.