Life in Lubumbashi, D.R. Congo

Roads and Railways in D.R.C.

2011-11-25T08:33:00.003Z

In 1965 there were trains running once a week between Lubumbashi and Dilolo (border town with Angola) according to my Aunt, who arrived in Congo that year, the same year that Mobutu Sese Seko took power in the country he was to exploit until 1997. Now there is a train on that route once every 3 months. Last year, Soeur Terese, a Belgium nun working in Congo since 1955, now in her 80's took the train back to her home in Dilolo, the journey of approx 500 miles took 14 days. This BBC article offers an interesting insight into the current state of the SNCC the national Congolese railway.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15859686
The UN map from the BBC article shows the lack of roads and railways across the country making it impossible to travel around this vast country on the ground.

One week till elections.

2011-11-21T16:47:00.005Z

Since the spate of violence a couple of weeks ago in Lubumbashi I have heard from friends and colleagues that the situation has been relatively peaceful. However, there is still a level of tension and anxiety around the elections which are to take place a week today. This interesting and insightful BBC report paints a rather gloomy picture of the overall situation in DRCongo. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15775445
Our thoughts and prayers are with you Congo as you head to the polls. It is my hope that Congo will see peace, prosperity and stability over the coming years.

Instability in Lubumbashi

2011-11-09T15:53:00.003Z

Sadly instability has been felt in Lubumbashi since Saturday with outbreaks of violence, looting the burning of cars. It is reported that a number of people have been injured and four people have been killed. The Governor of Katanga, Moise Katumbi Chapwe has called on community leaders to bring calm to the insecurity.

http://radiookapi.net/actualite/2011/11/09/elections-moise-katumbi-implique-les-leaders-communautaires-dans-la-lutte-contre-la-violence/

Karibuni Shetland

2011-10-28T19:21:00.009+01:00

I've just returned to England from Shetland, the most northerly part of the UK, where my grandfather was born and brought up. It was great to be back to visit friends and family and see the beauty of the place once again. After disembarking from the over night ferry from Aberdeen my eyes were immediately drawn to Karibuni the Swahili named coffee shop meaning 'Welcome'. I found out later that this cafe is run by a social enterpise centre supporting adults with disabilities to find training and employment. Its well worth a visit if you find yourself in Lerwick! Apart from this linguistic anomaly there would appear at first glance little more in common between Shetland and Congo. In many ways the 2 places are hugely contrasting. The furthest you can get from the sea on Shetland is just 5 miles, in Lubumbashi it is 750 miles to the sea, a 3 day journey by road. The population of Lubumbashi is estimated between 2 and 3 million people, the population of the whole of Shetland is around 22 thousand people. Then theres the difference in the weather, well that goes without saying! With the huge distance and differences between the two places I hadn't expected to find many Congo connections in Shetland. However, I spoke at St Columba's Church, Lerwick last Sunday morning about the Kimbilio project in Lubumbashi and was amazed to talk to 2 people at the end of the service one who had previously worked in the north of DRC and another whose son had been working in Congo a few years ago and had sailed up the Congo river! Many Shetlanders have found themselves in far flung parts of the world, possibly due to the fact that Shetland is made up of many small islands and many inhabitants have had to rely on the sea and travel in order to make a living. Professions of many male Shetlanders in the past included fishing, whaling, crewing ships as well as employment in the Merchant Navy. Between the 1870's and 1890's the population declined to around 17,000 with 1 in 4 of Shetland's population leaving the islands in search of opportunties of work and possibly a better climate(!) in places like New Zealand, Australia, America and Canada. The discovery in the 1970's of one of Europes largest oil fields just off Shetland has been a boost to Shetland's employment, economy and population. My great grandmother Mary Williamson (1880) was infact the only one of her family who didn't emigrate to New Zealand at the turn of the last century. Despite her parents and 8 siblings leaving Shetland she stayed and married Henry Ratter. I am thankful to Mary Williamson for her decision to remain in Shetland as it is likely I would not exist if it were not for her stubborn determination to remain 'at home'! Henry and Mary's eldest son Christie was my grandfather, who was in the Merchant Navy. On one of his voyages, his ship berthed at Blyth, Northumberland where he met my grandmother and the rest is history! I was intrigued to see his sailors uniform being worn by a 'Roman soldier' in the nativity play last Christmas in the Church at Katoka,D.R.Congo where my Aunt (and Christie Ratter's daughter) has been running a hospital and maternity since 1945, another positive Shetland/Congo connection. Anyone else out there with a Shetland/Congo link?!

2 plane team

2011-09-22T09:20:00.002+01:00

Lubumbashi's football team Mazembe have bought their 2nd plane this week to help them achieve their goal of becoming the continents greatest team. See more in this BBC report http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14977494.stm

Prison Break

2011-09-08T11:39:00.003+01:00

Yesterday, close to 1000 prisoners escaped from Kasapa prison on the outskirts of Lubumbashi. It is reported that the attackers were successful in their aim of liberating a former Mai Mai militia leader whilst many other prisoners took advantage of the unrest and escaped also. The incident took place at approximately 10.30am on Wednesday. Two men were killed and 2 injured during the attack. Approximately 150 escapees have been recaptured, the others including the Mai Mai commander remain on the run. The prison is thought to hold up to 1200 prisoners at any one time. The conditions are poor and overcrowded with prisoners relying on family, friends, Church groups and other charities to provide them with food and clothing. A curfew was put in place in Lubumbashi last night. Katanga is one of the most politically calm of the Congolese provinces, this situation may challenge that stability. This incident follows increasing tension in the capital, Kinshasa due to accusations by one of the opposition leaders of fraudulent practice during the voter registration period. Last week an attack also took place on one of the opposition party offices and an opposition TV station in Kinshasa. Presidential elections are due to take place on November 28th 2011.

Countdown!

2011-07-10T23:16:00.004+01:00

I'm still finding it hard to compute that I return to the UK on Tuesday after almost 2.5 years in DRCongo! I am going to miss so much about Lubumbashi and Kimbilio over the next 6 months that I will be away. But the question on everybodies lips is how is the building of Josue Manda house going?! Whilst it is not yet complete I am very pleased to report that it is not far off! The roof is on some parts and the walls are nearly all built so the rest of the roof should be in place very soon! I am really hoping the house will be habitable by September so that the children can start the new academic year in their new schools.

Goals go up!

2011-07-10T21:42:00.003+01:00

With one day to go before the CMS Encounter team return to the UK, they were able to witness the effect of all their hard work with the implantation of goal posts on the land that they have been helping to clear. There is still some more clearance and flattening of land to take place before the first game can be played but we are thankful to the team for all they have done and the positive impact they have had on the young guys at Kimbilio that they have worked alongside over the last few weeks. Well done guys, we will not forget you! For anyone interested, CMS are planning to send another team to Kimbilio next July, contact CMS direct for more details.

Solar energy Uni link

2011-07-05T12:34:00.003+01:00

As well as playing football and digging up tree roots Matthew Barber, one of the CMS Encounter Team members who is a Environmental Politics MA student at Keele University is planning to assist us with the instalation of solar power on the Maison Kimbilio site. He is supported in this endeavour by Keele University. http://www.keele.ac.uk/keelehub/sustainabilityhubsupportscongoprojectstudent/ Keele are keen to develop links with Kimbilio and ensure that there is an educative aspect to this project. To this end, this afternoon, Matthew and I had a promising exploratory meeting with EcoPo, a recently opened University in Lubumbashi. http://www.ecopolubumbashi.org/ Watch this space!

Timber!

2011-07-05T11:51:00.003+01:00

Steve, the CMS Encounter team leader enjoying a laugh with one of the Kimbilio boys while flat on his back attempting to uproot a tree to clear the land for a football field! Tomorrow the team go up to Bunkeya for two nights to get a taste of rural Congo. It's been great having them around, they have inspired us with their enthusiasm!

Football Field Clearance!

2011-07-05T11:29:00.002+01:00

Steve, another member of the CMS Encounter team working hard alongside the Kimbilio team to clear bush land and transform it into a football field for use by Kimbilio and the local community. As well as cutting down the tall grass and shrubs by hand the team are leveling the furrows where manioc has previously been planted and filling in the deep holes left by prospective miners looking for minerals. Thankfully none were found on our land and they moved on to search elsewhere.

Kimbilio Safari!

2011-07-05T11:10:00.003+01:00

Matthew, a member of the CMS Encounter Team having fun with Kimbilio children at Muyombo Park a small game and play park just outside Lubumbashi last Saturday. The team are building relationships with the children and making an impact in their lives. This morning they are running an activities morning, using fun games and play to address issues of taking responsibility and growing up.

Progress with the roof!

2011-07-05T11:01:00.002+01:00

Kimbilio Roof

2011-07-02T08:26:00.003+01:00

The carpenters starting working on the roof at Josue Manda House yesterday at the Maison Kimbilio site.

Meeting Mum...

2011-06-26T22:08:00.005+01:00

You will be wondering what happened to the young guy I blogged about on the 9th June that was returned to Congo from the UK. It has been a hard couple of weeks for him in many ways trying to reconnect with family that he has not had any prior connection without the advantage of being able to communicate in the same language and readjust to a whole new culture. He has been well supported by the family of Cyril one of Kimbilio's carers. Cyril and his mother, who have no previous connection with him has taken him under her wing and is supporting him with accommodation and meals. He has been really ready and willing to help us out at Kimbilio with brick laying and painting! Following several days of phone calls from Aunts promising that his mother would be coming to Lubumbashi to meet him followed by lots of disappointment when she did not appear, today he finally met her for the first time in 13 years. Amazingly, there to witness this emotional event was Liz who has been supporting him through his last 2.5 years in custody and who initially contacted me to alert me to his arrival in Lubumbashi. Liz tells the story very movingly in her blog entry "I'm sweating, I'm so nervous" http://lizallcock.wordpress.com/

Fighting the Silence

2011-06-26T21:57:00.002+01:00

'Cinema Kimbilio' opened her doors this afternoon with the showing of the film Fighting the Silence. http://www.ifproductions.nl/fightingthesilence/ This is a very frank and honest exploration of the issue of sexual violence against women and children in DRC. We showed it to approximately 25 children from Kimbilio and the wider community who entered readily into the ensuing discussion. The film is aptly titled as this is a reality in Congo that is rarely debated and it was a very useful exercise to do with the use of such an informed and well produced film. This film is readily available for others to show across DRC. If you are interested in using it give me a shout and I'll put you in touch with the promoters. We thank Mau, a local solicitor who chaired the debate following the projection.

Kimbilio CMS Encounter

2011-06-26T21:35:00.002+01:00

After a mornings activities at the Maison Kimbilio site involving the usual moving bricks leading rapidly into a game of football we made a mad dash through the short cut of a large local mine which incidently had better quality roads than going via city centre route. Our destination, the airport to welcome a team of 3 guys from CMS UK coming from the UK. It was great to welcome Matt, Steve and Steve once they had made it through the chaotic arrivals procedure! They are here for 2.5 weeks to join and assist us in various Kimbilio activities. They survived the 2.5 hour Church service this morning and are still full of enthusiasm for the coming weeks! CMS have opportunities for short term visits with their Encounter Teams in locations all over the world.

Will it? Won't it?!

2011-06-19T20:25:00.004+01:00

Each week there is visible progress on the Josue Manda House, but will it be finished before I head back to the UK in July?! This is the big questions! This week we are engaging another brick making team to provide material for future construction on the site. There is still earth available in the termite hill that we used last year. The time to make bricks is during the dry season so we are progressing with the hope and faith that we will be able to fund further construction in the year to come. We hope we will not be taken by suprise by any more rougue rain storms like we had two weeks ago! It is very rare to have heavy rain like that in June in this part of Katanga.

Goodbye birthdays!

2011-06-19T19:59:00.003+01:00

I've just got home after a lovely afternoon swim and BBQ at Les Cascades with Kimbilio and her friends! Les Cascades is just outside of Lubumbashi on the Kasumbelesa road. We went there to celebrate Kimbilio's 2nd birthday and also sadly to say goodbye to Delphine, Celine and Shahed who have been helping us out regularly at the Kimbilio building site on Saturday afternoons carrying bricks amongst other activities! Delphine and Celine teach at the Belgium School and Shahed works for the UN. They have given their time and energy freely to support us and our building work as well as getting alongside the children. They were kind enough to lay on the food and make a cake for their own goodbye party! We really appreciate them very much and we will miss them lots! Anyone else in the Lubumbashi area with spare time on your hands, you are very welcome to join us!!!

Unrest in Lubumbashi

2011-06-15T13:35:00.003+01:00

There are reports of unrest in Lubumbashi today, with the house of a local politician and business man Mr Muyambo being the centre of the attacks. The property appears to be coming under attack by the local population and there is a large military presence. There are reports of roads being blocked with burning tyres. It is difficult to tell as this stage what is the reality of the situation. What appears to be a seperate Lubumbashi incident is reported on the Radio Okapi weblink below.
http://radiookapi.net/actualite/2011/06/15/insecurite-a-lubumbashi-un-homme-assassine-a-kamalondo/

Kimbilio launches new website to celebrate her 2nd birthday!

2011-06-15T08:01:00.006+01:00

Today the 16th June is Kimbilio's 2nd birthday and also the International Day of the African Child. We are really excited to launch the new Kimbilio website as a way of celebrating this day! Please check it out at www.kimbiliocongo.org
We are also planning a bbq at the weekend with the children, Kimbilio team and various of our local supporters to celebrate our birthday and say goodbye to Celine and Delphine, two teachers from the Belgian School in Lubumbashi who have been helping us lots over the last year and are leaving Lubumbashi! I am starting a new blog http://www.kimbiliocongo.org/blog/ which is linked to the new website and will be specifically about Kimbilio, I am also planning to keep up the Life in Lubumbashi blog too which will be mainly Lubumbashi info and not be as Kimbilio focused in the future. We are thankful to the Morel Trust for the finances for this new website, to Rich Coan of Richard Coan design for all his creativity in the design and also to a number of teachers at the Belgian School, Lubumbashi for the French translations!

On the road...

2011-06-11T23:20:00.002+01:00

It's not just Kimbilio who have been progressing in Lubumbashi, the last few months have seen an increasing number of city centre roads being tarmacked. This is a fantastic improvement and is making an incredible difference to the ease of getting about the city. The only concern is that drivers previously forced to drive slowly due to the huge potholes are now able to put their foot down. In a country where you can buy your driving licence without passing a test this is a concern and perhaps contributed to an incident last week when a taxi driving on the wrong side of the road at a crazy speed drove into me scraping the car all down one side! Exactly the same thing happened to a friend of mine in the same spot 30 minutes later! At least no one was hurt but sadly this is not always the case.

Progress at Josue Manda House!

2011-06-11T22:59:00.004+01:00

We had a great Saturday afternoon out at the Maison Kimbilio site. The tasks today involved carrying bricks, shifting earth to fill the foundations and leveling off a temporary football field! There has been a lot of progress since the photo of the completed foundations on the 31st May. The countdown is still on as to whether or not we will get the building finished before I head back to the UK in July! There were five nationalities present today, American, Bangladeshis, Belgians, Congolese and I represented the English! Once everyone was utterly exhausted those in the team who still had some energy, tested out the new football pitch resulting in a 5 all draw and the ball stuck in the mango tree! Anyone that would like to join us, we are generally there most Saturday mornings or afternoons! You are most welcome!

Seeking asylum at home

2011-06-09T12:53:00.004+01:00

Without going into too many details and betraying any confidentialities, yesterday I met a young Congolese man at Lubumbashi airport. He originally left Lubumbashi as a child of 3 with his father. His father was granted asylum in the UK while he was not. He had been detained in the UK for over 2 years awaiting outcome of appeals. Last week, on his 21st birthday (the same day as mine, although I am sadly several years older!) he was deported to Congo, a country in which he is more of a stranger than I am, not speaking the language and having lost all contact with family and friends. He returned from the cold climate of northern Europe with jumpers and jackets which will be of little use to him here in the heat of the Congo! I used to manage a Social Work team supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children in Manchester and used to be at the receiving end of children arriving alone and nervous in a strange country many filled with hope for what a future in the UK may hold for them. Yesterday I observed the process turning full circle meeting a nervous young man returning to his country of origin only this time, full of regrets. I am left with many questions about the aslyum process and policies.

Day centre Kimbilio reopens.

2011-06-07T15:26:00.003+01:00

The Kimbilio team started this morning early at 5am, heading out into the market near to our centre in the Kenya district of Lubumbashi. We were accompanied by Keira and Mia two visitors from Ireland. Our intention to meet children sleeping rough in the area. We soon met one of the gang leaders, himself only about 19. He knew us from previous street visits. As he knew our intentions were not to harm the children he was not suspicious of us as he had been previously and readily led us to 2 children sleeping in a restaurant and 3 who were waking underneath a market stall. One of these boys was one of the Kimbilio regulars two years ago and knew my name, I'm afraid to say I had forgotten his in the ensuing time! Unlike two years ago when we were just setting up and making our original street visits, Kimbilio has now become more established and has a positive image in the area, therefore the children did not take any convincing to come with us. We spent some time with them chatting, drinking hot tea and eating bread. They were anxious to get back on the streets as they had left someone guarding their few possesions and also they wanted to get to the markets where they earn small amounts of money, packing bags and carrying boxes of vegetables for the traders. We gave them some soap and just after 7am they headed back off to their fragile worlds. One of the boys refused his soap, saying he had some left among his bundle of clothes, he was afraid someone would steal a new one so asked us to keep it for him until Thursday when we have invited them back again. We are intending to open 2 days a week at present in order to support these vulnerable children and their friends who are likely to appear when they hear we are open again. We hope to support them in this relatively small way and gradually build up relationships with them, assisting them to return to their families when possible and generally being there to support their needs as and when they arise. We were really impressed with the existing residential members of Centre Kimbilio, former street children who welcomed these new comers with open arms, sitting next to them and reassuring them. Its hard to believe that 2 years ago these lads themselves were in a similar position as todays new arrivals, sitting shivering and disheveled on the same benches! Well done guys, we're proud of you!

En Avance!

2011-05-31T12:15:00.003+01:00

Exciting news! Thanks to all your support the foundations of the Josue Manda House are now complete! The brick laying started yesterday! I really hope that this building can be finished before I head back to the UK in July for an extended visit. I would love it if I was able to see the children already moved in and installed before I head off! This house will accommodate 10 children living permanetly with 2 carers. There will also be a communal living area with table football, toilet and showers.

Lubumbashi police investigate sexual violence

2011-05-07T13:25:00.005+01:00

Sexual violence is a disturbing reality and the level of this phenomenon in Lubumbashi particularly so. According to the attached article a police team set up in April 2010 recorded 2000 cases in the first 5 months of its existance. This begs the question how many other cases go unreported leaving victims suffering in silence. Despite the disturbing degree of this situation it is reassuring that the police are taking this seriously and are taking positive action. http://www.nowpublic.com/world/lubumbashi-police-tackle-sexual-violence

Well, well, well...!

2011-05-03T11:04:00.004+01:00

Another addition at the Maison Kimbilio site is a well providing clean water. It was hand dug by two local guys, pretty intense work in the heat of the day! It is situated between the completed toilet and shower block and what will be the outside kitchen. The next task is to get a pump installed which will get the water out of the well and into the water tank which will sit on top of the metal tower which is embedded in a concrete plinth. We then plan to install running water into the showers and toilets!

Container arrival!

2011-05-03T10:02:00.007+01:00

Kimbilio is now the proud owners of a shipping container kindly donated by Bournik Kabengele of the Charlotte Ilunga Centre. Bournik sent this container from Australia full of items for the Charlotte Ilunga Centre http://clfoundation.wordpress.com/news/ He kindly offered us the emptied container which we will be able to use initialy for secure storage at the building site and later as part of the carpentry workshop. The next challenge was how to transport it from where it was being stored at the Cite des Jeunes on the other side of Lububmashi out to the Maison Kimbilio site. Finally a solution was found in the form of a man with a lorry, winch and team of strong guys working alongside the Kimbilio team! The whole process was finally finished with the container placed on four concrete blocks in its new location around 21.30! Thanks to everyone involved, it will be a big help for the project in the years to come!

Help build the foundations for Kimbilio's first home to give hope back to children who have lost all hope

2011-04-16T06:33:00.005+01:00

It's not too late to help Zoe Rew raise her £2000 target to help Kimbilio build the foundations of the first home for former street children at the new Kimbilio site. Zoe who visited Kimbilio last year is running in the London marathon tomorrow. You can sponsor her easily online through Just Giving http://www.justgiving.com/Zoe-Rew Thanks to those of you who have already sponsored her, it is going to make a difference! Keep checking the blog for photos of building progress!

April fools?!

2011-04-13T23:04:00.002+01:00

I did want to post this on April 1st but due to ongoing power cuts I didn't manage it! Believe it or not the Christmas lights are still up in April in Lubumbashi! I thought that the Christmas lights next to the striking Lubumbashi Synagogue make an interesting juxtaposition!

Sunderland FC supporting city!

2011-04-13T22:50:00.003+01:00

From black and white, to red and white! Lubumbashi city council has degreed that the city should be painted in red and white, the colours of the city flag! Alot of the advertising which is painted across buildings and walls of compounds is all being painted over to make for a more monotone city!

Newcastle United Supporting Frog!

2011-03-22T15:28:00.003Z

I thought I'd share with you some of Congo's beauty. I spotted this black and white frog sitting in a pine tree a couple of weeks back! I had never seen one like it, I would be interested if anyone has any idea what it is called?

...meanwhile back at the farm!

2011-03-22T15:07:00.005Z

Whilst the children are getting stuck into their keyboard skills, Davide and his team of entrepid builders are busy at work putting the finishing touches to the toilet and shower block at the Maison Kimbilio site. They have completed the hand dug sceptic tank and are currently laying down a mosaic tiled floor in the shower cubicles. They should be finishing off with this task in the next couple of weeks and then we are hoping to move on to work on the Josue Manda House, the first house for the children. I would really like to get this building completed so that the children can be installed in their new place before I return to the UK later in the year for a few months. However, we are running rather low on funding at the moment, building in Congo is expensive, mainly due to the fact alot of the materials such as cement are imported. We would really appreciate as much support as possible with finding these funds. If anyone is interested in helping please do get in touch and I can give you more details. You may also support Kimbilio by sponsoring Zoe Rew a friend who is running the London Marathon on the 17th April in support of Kimbilio http://www.justgiving.com/Zoe-Rew. Zoe's grandparents worked alongside my Aunt at Katoka for many years, Zoe and her boyfriend Michael made a real connection with the Kimbilio community when they visited last year. Thanks Zoe!

IT skills!

2011-03-22T14:40:00.003Z

After lunch at Kimbilio today, the children were rushing around to get ready to go to their computer lessons. They are attending lessons at the Charlotte Ilunga Centre twice a week, kindly run by Annie, a Kimbilio volunteer. They are learning fast, they have only been going for a few weeks, but today they were very proficiently producing tables in Word, a task I'm not sure I have yet mastered after many years using a computer! The Charlotte Ilunga Centre was set up by Bournik a Congolese guy who is now living and working in Australia. He left Congo over 20 years ago around the time I came here for the first time! He wanted to give something back to his home country and started to build this well equiped education centre for vulnerable children in the garden of his brother in laws house. The centre is named after his mother who was a midwife at the Centre de Sante at Mungulungu which is on the road towards where my Aunt is also a midwife. It was great to meet Bournik on one of his trips out here two years ago when his wife Edwina contacted me after reading this blog! It was interesting to realise the number of connections between us despite having never met before and coming from different sides of the world. You can see more about the Charlotte Ilunga on their website http://clfoundation.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/hello-world/ We are very grateful to Bournik and the staff at CIF who facilitate our free use of this fantastic resource. It's also great to see the Kimbilio children so enthusiastic about going to the Charlotte Ilunga Centre and learning these new skills which may help to transform their lives in the future creating more employment and learning possiblities for them.

Going home/Going shopping!

2011-03-05T12:43:00.008Z

I was up early this morning to wave off Eric and Alban who are motorcycling home to Paris from Brazzaville, the capital of 'the other Congo', the Republic of Congo. Brazzaville lies across the River Congo from Kinshasa. They got as far as Kananga in Kasai province, Democratic Republic of Congo but due to the bad state of the roads and a problem with one of their bikes they decided to fly themselves and the bikes to Lubumbashi and continue their journey on road from here. You can read more about their adventures on their blog http://brazzatoparis.wordpress.com/ There have been some road repairs done in the last couple of years. Most of these repairs have been in and around cities such as Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Much of the interior, however, remains difficult to traverse, highlighting some of the challenges for the Congolese Government, trying to manage a country which is virtually impossible to cross by road and definatley not by railway. The majority of long distance travel in Congo is by air. The Chinese and mining companies are among those contracted to road repairs. One of the upcoming road projects is the tarmacing of the road between Kolwezi and Likasi,approx 250km, and passes through some of the main mining areas and therefore carries many large and heavy lorries which churn up the current dirt road very quickly after a heavy rain. Work has already started on the drainage for this major road build. I have alot of admiration for Eric and Alban and others like them who are prepared to take up the challenge of crossing Congo by road, I would like to do it myself one day(probably not on a bike though, I'm not brave enough for that)! For some, however, this form of travel is a daily reality as a means of making a living. On the way back from Katoka in the New Year we passed over 50 guys, pushing bicycles by hand, piled high with heavy goods, transporting them from distance commercial towns like Kolwezi back to their villages to sell to the local population who do not have access to shops. This journey can take up to 10 days in one direction. Some are travelling up and down from Kasai province to Kolwezi approximatley 500km. Once they have returned home and sold one bike load they start off again on their journey to bring back another bike load of goods. We stopped and helped one of these traders to pick his bike out of the large hole filled with rain water that it had fallen into. The weight of the goods piled on top was too much for him to lift up by himself. Due to the poor state of the roads it is difficult and not cost efficient for traders to send lorries into these areas.

Curfew in Kin

2011-02-27T19:14:00.002Z

A curfew is in place in Kinshasa following a failed coup d'etat attempt. A group of heavily armed men attacked the residence of President Kabila earlier today. Six were killed and a number arrested. All is now calm. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12591259

The ball, the Bishop and a football strip!

2011-02-15T13:00:00.007Z

We were delighted back in November to welcome Tim Sanders of CMS to Kimbilio. It was great to have him around for a few days and to introduce him to the Kimbilio team. He was a great encouragement to us. He along with the Anglican Bishop of Katanga presented the football strips generously dontated to Kimbilio by Herita Ilunga, Congolese football player playing for West Ham. We were sorry he wasn't able to present them himself. Maybe next time he is passing through he will pay us a visit?! The children were delighted and very proud to go straight off for a training session with Josh Blomberg, MAF,(my housemate)who has also been helping us at Kimbilio. Our thanks also to the All Parliamentary Group of the Great Lakes for facilitating the arrival of the strips at Kimbilio! http://www.appggreatlakes.org/index.php/home-mainmenu-1

Little blue tent!

2011-02-15T12:38:00.002Z

This is the tent that the two builders Pierre and Bertin were sleeping in during the early stages of the building work, before the roof went on the depot. I have been really impressed by their commitment and hard work as well as the dedication of Davide 'the boss', who has a lot of experience in this field, is a hard worker and has produced great results!

Building 1 complete!

2011-02-12T13:42:00.016Z

We are proud at Kimbilio to announce the completion of the first building at Maison Kimbilio! The building is a depot and garage which will allow us to securely store building materials in the short term and food, other equipment and goods in the longterm. It also allows our builders a more comfortable place to sleep than in the tiny blue tent under the mango tree where they started off! We started the building at the start of October and finished 2 weeks ago. I have been wanting to show you the process of the construction but keep forgetting to take my camera with me! Thankfully I remembered this morning, when we were transporting the metal doors for the toilet and shower block (the next project we have on the go!), despite the fact that it was raining and the sky was grey I hope I still managed to capture the scene (see final photo)!

Good news for a change!

2011-02-11T13:57:00.005Z

We were all ready for a bit of a boost after the tensions of the last few weeks. The mood of the city was lifted last night with the DRCongo national teams' 2-1 win against Ivory Coast in the African Nations Championship played in Sudan. Dioko Kaluyituka, one of Lubumbashi Mazembes' celebrated players scored the second goal. The ensuing racket in the neighbourhood sounded like further unrest had broken out, but I was assured that it was an affirmative response to what was to be the winning goal! See the full story on the BBC sports link below.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/9394440.stm

A shooting and two funerals

2011-02-06T22:01:00.002Z

The funeral of Tony Grigorakis is due to take place in Lubumbashi tomorrow. Tony was shot dead in Lubumbashi in the early hours on the 4th January 2011. The accused was sentenced to death yesterday. The trial has been shown on TV and radio over the last month and has been followed avidly by the people of Lubumbashi. A further twist to this tragedy was the death today of Tony's mother. It is expected that thousands will attend tomorrows funeral when Tony and his mother will be buried together. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbgEVGKDNck

Airport Reopened

2011-02-04T08:35:00.005Z

I woke this morning to news that the airport had been taken over during the night by a group of unknown militry. There were rumours that the conflict had spread to the town centre but according to people in the town centre all is currently calm. I have just heard that the airport has reopened although there is a curfew in place for tonight. As I was needing some time in the office to catch up on admin I have decided to work from home today and lay low until everything is peaceful again! A similar incident last year blew over within 24hours so hopefully the same will happen this time.

Palms and U.K. brick exchange!

2011-01-30T12:00:00.006Z

Yesterday was a great day for Kimbilio. We were joined by the Anglican Bishop of Katanga who alongside each child supported by Kimbilio planted a palm tree which will form an avenue of palm trees at the entrance to the Maison Kimbilio site. It is our hope that as we see the palm trees growing that we will also growth in the project and in the lives of the children we are supporting. Bishop Kasima also placed the first brick in Josue Manda House. This will be the first of the homes for the children and is to be named after Josue to honour his memory and his significant contribution to Kimbilio. We are hoping to complete this house by July 2011 and we welcome any contributions towards the building in memory of Josue. This first brick was sent from St Helen’s Church in Wheathampstead, U.K. This brick is believed to have been handmade well over 100 years ago. It was removed recently during St Helen's Church Yard wall repairs. It was sent to Lubumbashi as a token of the interest, love and blessing of the people of St Helen's Church for Maison Kimbilio and the young people there. One of the Kimbilio bricks was sent to St Helen’s so they can include it in their renovations to symbolise the link between us both. After the tree planting and brick placing all present assisted by carrying one or two bricks up from the brick kilns to the site where we are currently building a shower and toilet block. We were very thankful to everyone who came and helped out in so many different ways to make the event a real success.

Driving home for Christmas!

2010-12-28T20:38:00.002Z

Whilst Europe was battling with blizzards, freezing temperature and many travellers faced alterations to their festive travel arrangements, I also got stuck, however in the mud rather than snow drifts! My journey 'home' for Christmas from Lubumbashi to Katoka took 2 days. The second involved leaving Kolwezi at 4.20am and arriving at Katoka at 21.30 that night. Despite it being the main transport route from Lubumbashi to Angola that part of the road is not tarmacked at all and is mainly made up of compacted earth and laterite. We past many broken down trucks overloaded with people, sacks of flour, manioc, pineapples and fuel. Thankfully we managed to tackle the very difficult holes, sometimes with water coming right over the bonnet of the car having to take deviations of the road into the bush. However we then got stuck in thick mud near Divuma, we attempted to get out using tree trunks and spades to no avail. As night began to fall we heard the sound of an engine in the distance. The truck pulled us out, free of charge! They then got stuck ahead of us so we then had to wait behind them until they dug themselves out! All 7 of us arrived safely albeit rather tired and smelly! A good Katoka Christmas has been had by all, pictures to follow when the rather slow internet connections allows me to upload!

Pole Sana Mazembe!

2010-12-19T07:46:00.003Z

The Kimbilio Christmas Party ended rather suddenly about 18.45 as everyones thoughts turned towards the big match of the year, Mazembe against Inter Milan in the Club World Cup Final. There had been power cuts in various parts of the city during the afternoon so to find space in front of a functioning television was going to be a challenge! On of the prime viewing places is the giant outside screen in the Post Office square in the city centre, it was clear most people had opted for that, as we drove home the square was overflowing with fans. Sadly Mazembe lost 3-0. The BBC reported unrest in Lubumbashi after the final whistle, however all was calm when I drove a friend home, who had been watching the match at my place, an hour later. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12030051
The Kimbilio Christmas BBQ party was great fun with a play by the children, games, pressies and lots to eat! Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make it fun for us all and especially the kids!

Congratulations, once again Mazembe!

2010-12-14T23:53:00.002Z

The power only went off once this evening during Mazembes victorious performance in the semi final of the Club World Cup. They beat the Brazilian club Internacional 2-0. They go forward to the final on Saturday. We will brace ourselves for the inevitable festivities on Saturday night! For those of you who don't know me that well, despite a mild allegence to Newcastle United (where I grew up) I'm not really that into football, however even I will be watching the match after the Kimbilio Christmas party! Hopefully there will be no power cuts during that match! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/9287537.stm

Josue Manda 1986 - 2010

2010-12-01T09:09:00.004Z

I find it very hard to write this blog entry as I can hardly believe it is true. Last Sunday, Josue Manda, one of the volunteers at Centre Kimbilio tragically died in a swimming accident. He had gone for a picnic and swim with a group of friends to a flooded quarry close to Kipushi. His body was recovered from the lake earlier Monday and the funeral took place yesterday afternoon at St Marks Anglican Church on Chaussé de Kasenga, Lubumbashi. Josue was a valued member of the Kimbilio Team.
Since he returned from studying in Zambia last year I have really enjoyed having him around. He was enthusiastic, full of initiative, committed, honest and fun!
It was a chance meeting with Josue in 2006 that was influential in the Kimbilio Project coming to life. While I was waiting in Lubumbashi for a plane to Kisenge following the elections in 2006 I tried to track down CMS mission partners Eric and Sandra Read, CMS mission partners that some mutual friends in the UK had told me were living in Lubumbashi. Arriving at their house I met Josue who was working for them at the time. Eric and Sandra were in Zambia but I got chatting to Josue who told me about the high level of need for support for street kids in Lubumbashi. He explained that a project his brother has started in Lubumbashi had had to close due to lack of funding. It was this, alongside a similar conversation I had had with another friend in Kinshasa the previous week that led me considering my future plans.
I was really impressed with the way he related to everyone around him including the children and young people at the centre. He always had a smile and never a bad word to say about anyone.
My thoughts are very much with his family, friends and the Kimbilio family. We will all miss him so very much.

Josue Manda

2010-11-29T20:44:00.003Z

I find it hard to write this blog entry as I can hardly believe its true. Josue, one of the volunteers at Centre Kimbilio tragically died in a swimming accident yesterday. His funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon in Lubumbashi. He was a great friend and colleague, as my brother who just phoned from the UK said 'he was a top bloke'. I will write more soon when I start to get over the shock...

Mazembe Victory

2010-11-16T04:15:00.002Z

The electricity in the house flickered on a few hours before the big match after an absence of 4 days. This allowed the football fans of the neighbourhood to witness both sides goals, however perhaps due to the dramatic thunder and lightening which is fast becoming a daily feature with the arrival of the rainy season, the electricity spluttered to a halt before the final whistle and prevented the viewers from appreciating Mazembe being presented with the CAF cup! The electricity remained off for a further 24 hours but has now returned, lets hope its around long enough to pump water to the empty barrels in the roof, refreeze the freezer and catch up on all the unanswered emails!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/9188694.stm

Congratulations Mazembe!

2010-10-17T08:08:00.007+01:00

After my crazy day, with a broken down car, arriving home 12 hours after leaving in the morning and feeling knackered, all I wanted to do was have an early night! Well Mazembe, one of the two big Lubumbashi football teams (check out this Maazembe YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58-GG-J93LM) put pay to that! At around 2300 the area around my house quite literally errupted. Shouting, whistling, car horns blasting out, this went on for what seemed like hours, but was probably about 40 minutes! Mazembe had drawn 0-0 against an Algerian team in the semi final of the CAF Champions League! That was enough to get them to the finals! Now that its morning and I've had a good nights sleep I can say congratulations to the 'Tout Puissant Mazembe' without the gritted teeth!

The good news, the good news and the bad news!

2010-10-16T21:00:00.003+01:00

The first bit of good news is that it finally rained in Lubumbashi yesterday after approx 6.5 months of no rain! The temperature reduced slightly last night making it easier to sleep. This didn't last too long and today the temperature started to climb again! The second piece of good news is that the'working party' that we had out at the land this afternoon most of whom hadn't seen the site since last week were very impressed to see the progress that Davide the builder and his team have made. The walls are about half way up now! We are hoping that in the next two weeks we will be able to put the roof on before the really heavy rain starts! Now for the bad news! I stopped at a shop on the way home to get the workers some pop, crisps and sweets (not very healthy I know!). After coming out having greeted the Lady Mayor and Nicole who runs Petal D'Or a lovely gift shop in town, in my filthy work clothes, wait for it, the car wouldn't start! Just what you want when you're filthy dirty and you've been on the go in the heat since 7am and you have a car full of 14 hungry kids! Thankfully a friend Murray Stephenson from New Zealand came to the rescue and got the car going so that I could get the children back to the Centre and me home, but it looks like a new car battery is neeeded on Monday morning!

Still waiting for rain...!

2010-10-14T10:22:00.003+01:00

Being English the weather appears to be a natural topic of conversation. It has become a Congolese obsession also, during the last week as the temperature continues to rise and the wind blows dust into every possible place! The BBC's promise of rain on Tuesday, Wednesday and so far today has not materialised! At least it gives our builders a longer time to build with out the complication of mud everywhere! It is hard to believe that in a few weeks this brown, arrid and dusty landscape will be transformed into a cooler, damper, greener world! Kahilu, one of the well known older generation of Lubumbashi based artists is well known for his rain landscapes, this is an example of one of his paintings showing a Lubumbashi market in the rain!

Meal 1 in the Maison Kimbilio!

2010-10-10T22:09:00.008+01:00

Yesterday was a significant day in the history of Maison Kimbilio. We had our very first community meal at the Maison Kimbilio site. The Kimbilio family and friends were treated to a very special BBQ by Alex Nkashama and his friends. Alex (in red t-shirt in the photo opposite) is the Director of Truck4Africa. He got to know about the Kimbilio project through the Congo Children Trust Facebook page. He spends his time between the States and his city of origin, Lubumbashi. After learning about the project on Facebook he decided he would like to treat the children to a BBQ on his next visit to Lubumbashi. True to his word, this Saturday he and 3 friends arrived with their BBQ, delicious chicken, tasty rice, beans and cans of pop. After an afternoon working on the land in the heat everyone was really ready to tuck into the generous feast! The children really enjoyed the food and wanted to know if Alex would cook for them again! Thanks to Facebook and this blog I have met a number of very kind and generous people who have helped in various different ways with the project. If any of you are reading, I'm very grateful to you all for getting in touch with me and for the ways you continue to support. Anyone who maybe reading this from Lubumbashi and have been thinking about getting involved, do drop me an email, we have lots of opportunties for people to come and help out. Each Saturday afternoon we have a workparty out at the land and anyone is welcome to come along and help clearing the land, filling in holes (dug several years ago by mineral prospectors) moving bricks from the kiln to the construction, planting trees etc etc. We are also looking for anyone in the Lubumbashi area with a tractor and grader who would be willing to come and uproot tree roots and level the ground where we are planning the football field!

We're going where the sun shines brightly!

2010-10-08T19:28:00.004+01:00

If its sun, beach and ice cream you're looking for on a holiday and you're not too bothered by historic sites etc then maybe you should give Lubumbashi in the dry season a try next time? We now have our very own beach at La Plage development next to the lake where you can take pedalos out for a paddle! There is an ice cream van in town and also the fantastic icecream at La Brioche cafe in the city centre. However you may have missed the boat (groan!) for this year. I've been feeling abit like Elijah on Mount Carmel in the Bible recently, looking out for rain! We've not had any rain in Lubumbashi since March, not quite the 3 year wait that Elijah had but still 6 months is quite a while when you're used to rain everyday in the UK! The roads and atmosphere are so dusty, the dust gets in everywhere. I'm also ready to start planting vegetables! With the water problems in our house it would have been too much of a risk to plant and then not be able to water. Unlike Elijah who only had the sky to look at for an indication of the forth coming rain I am blessed with the BBC 5 day weather forcast! For the last 6 months it has been showing full suns almost every day but tonight I checked and heavy rain showers are forcast for Tuesday, I will let you know if it comes to pass!!
P.S. a free ride on the pedalo for anyone who can give me the name of the song from where the lyrics in the blog title are taken!

Cement shop or beauty parlour?!

2010-10-08T19:18:00.002+01:00

My gender stereotypes were challenged as well as my patience on Wednesday when I went to buy sacks of cement for the foundations of the depo (which are now complete!). I had to wait for approximately 15 minutes while the lady selling the cement had her nails painted by the local male nail painter! Remind me of this, someone, next time I'm in a supermarket in the UK and I start getting frustrated at having to wait more than 3 minutes to be served at the checkout!

The first brick!

2010-09-29T17:05:00.010+01:00

Some good news! We have made a start on the first Maison Kimbilio building! 45,000 bricks were made over the dry season, while we were waiting for the land ownership papers. The 3 teams have worked very hard, digging the earth out of one of the ant hills on our land. This earth tends to be more effective in holding together due to the substance the ants secrete into the ground. The bricks were built into kilns and then fired with charcoal. The land ownership papers were finally released when I was in Kinshasa a couple of weeks ago, this allows us to start one of the buildings. The foundations for the depo and garage are now complete and we hope to see the walls start to go up next week! Watch this space for more photos...

Footie news!

2010-09-28T16:08:00.003+01:00

It appears that it's not just the British who have a reputation for football violence. There was a outbreak of violence at a Lubumbashi match against a team from Kinshasa last Sunday. The report below from Radio Okapi states that one person was killed and a number injured during the unrest. http://radiookapi.net/sport/2010/09/27/lubumbashi-retour-au-calme-apres-les-incidents-du-match-mazembe-v-club/comment-page-1/#comment-8969 Lubumbashi's rival team is playing tonight and the police are urging caution to those attending as there is concern that there maybe repeat occurences of Sundays violence. Also on football, but on a more positive note, Herita Ilunga a Congolese football player, currently playing for West Ham in the UK has donated strips and footballs to Project Kimbilio. We want to say a big thank you to Herita Ilunga, The All Party Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes Region http://www.appggreatlakes.org/ and CMS for the facilitation of this great gift for the children at Centre Kimbilio.

Life in Kinshasa, D.R. Congo!

2010-09-19T16:05:00.008+01:00

I got back to Lubumbashi last Sunday after my 3rd visit to the capital Kinshasa. My first visit was an international election observer in 2006. Change and development have been evident during the subsequent visits. This time it was the roads where the greatest changes were to be seen, the central highway through the inner city the Boulevard du 30 Juin has been transformed into an eight lane 'superhighway', making traveling around the city centre so much faster! It was not uncommon on previous visits to see the Boulevard totally gridlocked as in the photo! There are still areas of the city where this is the case, Phillipe the friend I was staying with took 3 hours to drive the remaining 1 kilometre home one evening! With the population increasing from an estimated 7.5 million in 2008 to being the largest French speaking city in the world by 2020 with a projected population of 15 million the Government have a hard task ahead of them to ensure that the infrastructure will be able to meet the increasing needs of the population. As well as being able to visit various organisations to present the work of Kimbilio my main reason for being there was to attend the presentation of the MBE to my colleague Judy Acheson who has worked with the youth department of the Anglican Church in Congo/Zaire for over 30 years. Recently she and Congolese colleagues have produced excellent educational manuals which the Government have introduced into schools in 8 of the Congo Provinces. Rather than returning to the UK to receive the award at Buckingham Palace she prefered to include her Congolese friends and colleagues in the celebrations. Neil Wigan, the British Ambassador to DRCongo and Republic of Congo hosted a fantastic reception in the garden of the British Embassy right next to the banks of the Congo river! It was great to be invited!

Suprise 'Holiday'!

2010-09-01T11:33:00.004+01:00

Lubumbashi woke up this morning to the news that today was to be an official holiday to celebrate the 100th birthday of Lubumbashi (see earlier blog entry!). Attached is a photo of what is known as the Batiment de 30 Juin, it was originally a theatre but is now the Regional Katangan Parliament Building. I decided to take advantage of a 'free' day to get on with much delayed report, but no sooner had I sat down at the desk and there was a power cut! As we had no power all day yesterday I drained my solar panel charged battery so had no back up. A kind friend who manages an internet company in town allowed me to use her office which has constant power and net access! While looking for relevant material for my report I came across this interesting article which gives up to date info on life for street children in Lubumbashi who were taken to the recently opened Government centre for street children. It makes interesting reading regarding some of the many issues and challenges faced by these children who have little or no family support in their lives.
http://wwww.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/MUMA-85P7H5?OpenDocument

Kimbilio slideshow

2010-08-18T17:27:00.007+01:00

Please take time to check out this online slideshow showing how Centre Kimbilio has used art to make a difference in the lives of the children we are working with.

http://www.ips.org/slideshows/Changes%20Homeless%20Children%27s%20Lives%20Slideshow/

The image above is one produced by one of the young people at Centre Kimbilio for the 50th anniversary of indepedence celebrations. The young person has used the colours of the Congolese flag in the shape of the map of the Congo and a family group holding hands to express his image of Congo at this significant point.

Daniel Etsa - Residential Worker

2010-08-18T13:27:00.002+01:00

I realise that it has been sometime since I started to introduce Team Kimbilio to you all. This time it's the turn of Daniel. He is another of the four volunteers that sleeps over at Centre Kimbilio. He was born in Kisangani and is now 24 years old. His parents are both Anglican Vicars in Kinshasa. He has a son called 'Beckham' no prizes for guessing the inspiration for that choice of name! As well as volunteering at Centre Kimbilio Daniel is also studying medicine at Lubumbashi University. He is also an active member of the choir at St. Andre Anglican Church in Lubumbashi and is involved in the Boys Brigade. He enjoys playing football and often plays alongside the Kimbilio team. He is a very reliable and enthusiastic member of the team.

Mosi-oa-Tunya

2010-08-15T07:57:00.006+01:00

It has been a rather hectic month one way and another, which is my excuse for the lack of blog updates for the last 4 weeks! It has involved (1.) a suprise visit from my parents to visit the Kimbilio project as well as for (2). my Aunts 70th birthday, you should have seen the look on her face (unfortunately the photo that captures it best is on the convisgated camera, see earlier blog!); (3). moving house; (4). a visit from a friend who is a Social Work lecturer in the UK who held training sessions for the volunteers at Centre Kimbilio; (5). the start of the brick making for Maison Kimbilio, we are aiming on 45,000 (more news to follow); (6). an overland visit to Zambia to visit Jeremie at Mindolo College as well as to the Victoria Falls (the experience of driving through the Kasumbelesa border to Zambia could be a whole blog entry in itself!); (7). the arrival of Mosi (see pic with 'Auntie Mary' on the left, Mosi to the right!) a puppy who takes her name from the local name for the Vic Falls ie. Mosi-oa-Tunya: the Smoke that Thunders! Whilst at the Falls I was able to go white water rafting which I remember being an amazing experience from my last trip to the falls in 1993 and I had always wanted to repeat. Last time our raft kept upright, however this time we flipped twice sending the 8 of us into the writhing rapids! Quite an experience when you have just passed crocs sitting motionless watching passively on the sides of the huge rock face that forms the cavernous gorge through which flows all the water that has just poured over the 1708 metre wide falls! Definately worth another visit, 3 nights were just not long enough!

Fancy fountain!

2010-07-16T13:51:00.003+01:00

Lievin's son, posing in front of the new fountain which has appeared in Lubumbashi city centre in front of the post office and beside the statue of Moise Chombe. The fountain wouldn't look out of place in Rome or Valencia and is one of the additions to the city during the celebration of 50 years of independence. Some have questioned the expense given the poverty that is evident around the city and in the rural areas. However, it has proved popular with many people who flock there to have their photos taken next to it whilst experiencing the refreshing spray which is especially welcome during the dusty dry season.

DRC 50th independence day

2010-06-30T22:55:00.003+01:00

Celebrations of this big event have gone well in Lubumbashi. I went into town early this morning to take the Kimbilio banner (designed by my dad who is visiting at the moment) to the children, whom I passed on the way as they were marching into town. They seemed really pleased to have a place in the march past at the parade of this major occasion. There was a mood of celebration and expectation in and around the town throughout the day. I can still hear the sound of music and celebration from my window as I type! Unfortunately, I'm not able to share any photos with you, as my camera which Cyril managed to get mended this week, and which he was using to take photos of the children as a special souvenir for them, was convisgated at the march by officials who told him he needed an official press badge. Lets hope I get it back so I can post pictures of the moment of suprise captured on film when my mum and dad emerged from their hiding place to suprise 'Auntie Mary' who arrived in town yesterday to celebrate a big birthday (with an '0' on it!). Despite the months of planning, travel arrangements etc we had still managed to keep it a secret from her! It is great to have them all here and I look forward to the celebrations continuing over the weekend as her birthday is not until the 5th July!

50th Anniversary gets closer!

2010-06-28T22:15:00.003+01:00

There is a sense of excitement building up around Lubumbashi for the celebrations surrounding the 50th anniversary of DRCongo's independence taking place on Wednesday 30th June. There has been alot of activity around the city over the past few months, roads being tarmacked, pavements mended and buildings painted, coloured lights in the shape of the Congo map, reminiscent of the Blackpool Illuminations alongside the Congolese flags appearing along the main roads. A public holiday has been declared from Tuesday afternoon until Friday morning. There is a possibility of a visit from the King of Belgium although this is not confirmed! The Kimbilio kids will be marching with their banner along with the town dignitaries. Will keep you posted!

Happy Birthday, dear Kimbilio, Happy Birthday to you!

2010-06-17T21:59:00.006+01:00

Yesterday was the International Day of the African Child and the 1st anniversary of the opening of Kimbilio. So another great opportunity to celebrate! It was amazing to think that a year ago these lads were still sleeping rough in the market. It is great to see the changes that have taken place for them over the year. The fact they are going to school daily is one thing but the fact that they are enjoying going to school is even better! They are always very eager to get their lunch on time so they can get back to afternoon school where they get more individual tutoring to help them catch up on the schooling they missed when they were on the streets (we are currently looking for busineses that could taken them on over the dry season school holiday to give them some work experience and keep them occupied. So far we have a carpenter who is prepared for two of the lads to work alongside him during July and August). To celebrate yesterdays milestone, we took them and the 'Kimbilio team' out to Alilac cafe in Lubumbashi for chicken and chips! There was a world cup match on a large screen so conversation was a bit limited with all eyes glued to the match but judging by the empty plates at the end, a good time was had by all! We are really hoping that we will be able to celebrate moving to our new purpose built centre by our 2nd birthday! The good news is that the land has now been purchased, but we are still waiting for planning permission and extra funds towards the building work are also needed to complete all the work. Any support in achieving this would be gratefully recieved!

Stuck in the sand!

2010-06-15T18:55:00.006+01:00

It took over 40 hours to travel from Katoka to Lubumbashi last week! A part from the terrible state of the road in general we were also delayed by coming across a lorry, just outside Mutshatsha, already stuck in the sand, we also became stuck when trying to get past them! Our concern was heightened by the bush fire that was coming straight at us! The second photo was just to show I didn't stand around with my hands in my pockets the whole time! Infact I kind of wish I had because I found later that the sand that had sprayed up from the wheels when we were pushing had filled my pocket and ruined my digital camera. Thankfully my brother Graeme, was there to get a few pics for me, but I may be accessing my archieved photos for a while for the blog until I get my camera sorted. My mobile also died on that trip so apologies to anyone who has been trying to get hold of me! Thankfully we made it back to Lubumbashi in time to celebrate my birthday for the 2nd time, having been given a premature birthday cake at Auntie Marys at Katoka before we left! Thanks to everyone for your birthday greetings via Facebook, I even had some cards and pressies from the UK send via Graeme and even some that arrived a couple of days after in the post via Zambia, well done those organised people! It was great to be able to introduce Graeme (pic above with Lievin at Centre Kimbilio) to Congo for couple of weeks, the potholes of Leeds paled into insignificance when he returned to work in UK this week. It is the International Day of the African Child tomorrow and the 1st anniversary since we opened Centre Kimbilio, another reason to celebrate! We are planning to take the children out for their lunch tomorrow, I'm looking forward to it!

Cyril Musangu - Residential Worker

2010-05-29T09:02:00.003+01:00

Cyril is one of the 4 workers, who working in shifts sleep over at the centre and support the children in various different ways. One of their tasks is to serve the 3 meals a day and be available for any issues arising. Cyril is also a student at Lubumbashi University. He is originaly from Lubumbashi. Purely by chance I worked with one of his brothers in Kinshasa during the 2006 elections! He is on Facebook if anyone wants to contact him about his experiences of working at Centre Kimbilio.

Josue Manda- Activity and Child Sponsorship Co-ordinator (Quite a job title!)

2010-05-20T08:00:00.006+01:00

The second member of the team is Josue. He is the most recent member of the team to join us. He is originally from Lububmashi but spent 2 year studying engineering in Zambia. Like Lievin his English is also good which is an advantage! He coordinates the afternoon activities for the children including art work, literacy and sewing. He has quickly built up a very good rapport with the children and the rest of the team. He is also responsible for co-ordinating the child sponsorship scheme that we have recently set up. Where individual, schools, Churches, work colleagues can commit to supporting a young persons education, food and other costs on a monthly basis. Please get in touch with us if you are interested in more information. He has returned to DRCongo as finances won't let him continue his studies this year. He hopes to return to complete his studies in Zambia eventually. We would all miss him if he were to return next year! His email address is josue@centrekimbilio.org

'Team Kimbilio' Lievin Kalubi - Centre Manager

2010-05-18T08:58:00.005+01:00

I have been in Lubumbashi for over a year now and I thought it was high time I introduced you to the fab team that I am working with!
Over the next week (internet connection permitting) I’m hoping to introduce you to them all.
I’m starting today with Lievin Kalubi who is the Manager of the Centre Kimbilio. He is originally from Likasi. Before working with Centre Kimbilio he was the secretary for the Anglican Bishop of Katanga. In preparation for working with Centre Kimbilio he attended a 9 month course in Mindolo Echumenical Foundation in Zambia (as a result he speaks English which is an advantage with my poor French!)in Child Care Social Work. He is married to Viviene and they have four children, the youngest was born just before Christmas last year. Lievin is a very steady pair of hands and does a great job at keeping the show on the road! The photo shows Lievin being interviewed by the local press at the opening of the centre last year. If you want to contact him to find out about his experiences of working at Centre Kimbilio his email is lievin@centrekimbilio.org

Petrol Station a la Congolais!

2010-05-08T15:41:00.002+01:00

Running out of fuel? Looking for that instant petrol refill? Fed up of self service petrol pumps? Well look no further than DRC! Here in Congo, just drive up to any number of wooden stalls supporting plastic bidons of fuel. You will find several along most of the main roads of Lubumbashi. Within seconds the stall attendant will emerge from his shaded position and fill you up. No need to be tempted by chocolate bars and crisps in petrol station shops while waiting in long queues to pay, just hand over your 5500 Congolese Francs and you will be on your way! WARNING: Buying fuel at the side of the road may have serious consequences on the long term health of your engine!

On your bike!

2010-05-06T18:39:00.004+01:00

Christ Church, Harpurhey, Manchester, one of the 23 fantastic Anglican Churches who are supporting me to be in Lubumbashi via CMS are hosting a bunch of cyclists at their Chruch next Monday. They asked me to let you know and invite anyone in the Manchester area to join them to hear more about the work of CMS and the CMS and SAMS integration. The Manchester tour comes part way into what has been termed 'The Revolution Sponsored Cycle tour'. The team of intrepid cyclists are travelling from Hull to Oxford and stopping at 12 churches along the way. They will cover over 700 miles, cross the Pennines twice, climb the infamous Snake Pass, plot a way through Sherwood Forest, traverse the Severn Road bridge into Wales and take their lives in their hands by cycling across London. They will finish two weeks later, arriving in Oxford on the 22nd May just in time to join the CMS Day 50 celebrations. Christ Church situated on Rochdale Road, Harpurhey will be hosting them on Monday May 10 at seven thirty. All are welcome to hear, take part and support the team and CMS's work in mission. You can also sponsor the team at the following Just Giving link http://www.justgiving.com/JoinTheRevolution

Happy 100th birthday!

2010-03-25T08:25:00.004Z

Lubumbashi is celebrating her 100th birthday this year!

Check out this website which has been set up in honour of the event
www.lubumbashi100ans.org
Looking at this old photo of the Governors department and Catholic Cathedral I am struck by how many more trees there were around then...

Child Soldier

2010-03-25T08:05:00.002Z

One of the young people from Centre Kimbilio explaining his piece of art work to the Mayor and rep from the Minister of Children and Families office.

It is entitled 'Child Soldier' with the following caption

Attracted by red and black, he applies these colours to express the life of a young man who became a soldier. He gives a message in Swahili saying
‘Busoldat hapana, bushegue hapana myie ni masomo’
‘A child does not have the right to be in the army, nor the right to be on the streets but the right to an education’.

Art Exhibition - success!

2010-03-20T05:41:00.004Z

We were really pleased with how well the openning of the art exhibition of the childrens work alongside local artists Joel Kidindwe (to right of pic in blue suit) and Patrick Kambala. There was a good crowd there to see the work and learn more about Project Kimbilio. We also had a representation from the Mayor and Minister for Women, Children and Gender in Katanga and the Anglican Bishop of Katanga. The children from the centre were all there too (see pic) and really enjoyed the experience of people appreciating their hard work. Although they were not so sure about what they called 'mazungu food' (ie tapas!), they would have prefer bugari/nshima (the staple diet of this area, a thick dough made from maize flour and boiling water, not so sure that would have gone down so well with all the others present though!

Driving in Lubumbashi!

2010-03-06T18:37:00.004Z

I recently came across this cartoon on Facebook which depicts the infamous traffic police of DRC. In Lubumbashi they wear yellow and are more easily spotted! It is possible to be stopped for car paperwork and vehicle checks several times a day travelling around the city which I do most days. Apparently the Governor of Katanga reprimanded them last week for their heavy handed approach and demands on the public for money. It will be interesting to see if that makes any difference in the coming months.

Kimbilio Art Exhbition - Lubumbashi 18th March

2010-02-18T08:12:00.005Z

You are all warmly invited to attend the opening night of our art exhibtion 'Shegue - Nouvelle Face' at Anvil Mining, Avenue de la Revolution, Lubumbashi from 6pm on the 18th March. A chance to see the art work of children from Centre Kimbilio working alongside Congolese artists. As well an opportunity to learn more about reality of life on the streets for children in Congo. The work will be displayed from the 18th of March until the 26th March.

Flooding!

2010-02-11T15:28:00.002Z

Talking of storms, whilst the UK has been experiencing extreme blizzards, Katanga has been experiencing torrential rain. My Aunt has been recording rainfall at Katoka, near Dilolo for several years, she has remarked that this year is by far the highest fall since she started her recording. A recent storm kept me awake from 4am till 7am with constant lightening right overhead and repeated thunder which echoed around for minutes after the initial blast, it led to wide spread flooding the following day. The inadequate drainage systems not being able to cope with the daily downpours.

Maleria!

2010-02-11T15:18:00.002Z

There is a technical skill of getting on the internet in Lubumbashi which involves being at home to coincide with a. electricity supply b. internet connection c. fine weather (which doesn't lead to shutting down of internet incase of a lightening strike, of which was have had two since Christmas!)d. before 9.30pm when net is switched off to avoid potential overnight lightening strikes! It is much like attempting to view the rare passing of a solar eclipse in Congo at 4am a few weeks ago! As a result I haven't been able to share information with you as it has happened, so I have quite a bit saved up! Thought you may like to see the clinic where I spent 3 days before Christmas getting over maleria! I was very impressed by the level of support and care given, although I would add I do hope I don't have to have any repeat visits in the near future!

Equipe Kimbilio!

2010-02-11T15:12:00.002Z

The Kimbilio lads were very pleased to be seen in their new strips! we have just started a regular Saturday afternoon match against the team from AFEEL English speaking school, www.afeelinternational.org/ . We had lots of requests to join our team when we played on the football pitches at Salama School last Saturday. Not bad for a team that have only just started playing together and have had no official training!

Lumumba and Congo Children Trust concert

2010-01-22T06:09:00.003Z

Strangely after having written about Lumumba on the blog yesterday I recieved an invitation to attend a free film in London next Wednesday called 'Lumumba: Death of a Prophet' followed by an Open Discussion:WHAT WOULD THE CONGO BE LIKE, HAD LUMUMBA LIVED? January 27, 2010, 7 pm – 9 pm, The Human Rights Action Centre, Amnesty International 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA, Old Street Tube St (Northen Line), To reserve a seat contact Natasha Makengo at 079 3024 0508 / 020 7183 7108

As it is too far for me to go thought I'd let you know about it, would be interested to hear about it if any of you attend.

I also wanted to let everyone in the North East know about a concert on Sat 6th Feb
in St Anne's Church, Newcastle upon Tyne. It should be a very good evening and even better the money raised on the door is in support of Project Kimbilio! The details are below... my thanks to everyone who has been involved in making this happen!

North Wind Quintet
Concert in aid of Congo Children Trust
With special guest
Clifford Lantaff - Principal Harp,
BBC philharmonic orchestra
Including music by
Faure, Britten and Reicha
St Anne’s Church, City Road, Quayside
Saturday 6th February, 7.30
Tickets available at the door
£8 (£4 for concessions)
Including interval refreshments
Any enquiries: Jonathan Caudle on 0191 2092917

Two deaths and a solar eclipse!

2010-01-21T14:53:00.003Z

Last weekend turned into a long bank holiday weekend as a solar eclipse covering many parts of Central Africa, colided with the anniversary of the deaths of two former Congolese leaders. Patrice Lumumba was said to have been killed just outside Lubumbashi on the 17th January 1961, although his body had never been recovered. He was the first Prime Minister of Congo following independence from Belgium in 1960. Laurent Kabila former President of Congo and the father of the current Congolese President was assisinated on 16th January 2001. As a result children throughout the country were given Friday, Saturday morning and Monday as days off school. As it happened the eclipse occured around 4.30am and therefore its effects went mostly unnoticed, unlike the solar eclipse I witnessed with my parents and brother from a cloudy cliff top in Brixham, Devon in 1999 which pulled huge crowds to the South West of the UK from where it could be witnessed, causing massive traffic congestion! My lasting memory of that event was the silence of the seagulls as the sky went dark and their reawaking 2 minutes later as the light returned!

I am still having email problems so apologies to those who I haven't been able to reply to recently. I'm hoping it will be sorted soon!

Kimbilio Video

2010-01-14T10:04:00.002Z

Happy New Year to you all from Congo! I have been quiet for a while partly due to Christmas business, illness and our antena being hit by lightening on Christmas Day. Thanks to everyone for your Christmas greetings, sorry I havent been able to get back to everyone. Despite having maleria several times leading up to Christmas, a good time was had by all over Christmas and New Year itself. I hope to write with more detail when a reliable internet connections returns! In the meantime please check out the following link to a video made by friends who visited the project in November. It is being used to enter the Precedent charity competition to attempt to win a new website! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB746wK41WM

Bank hold up!

2009-11-30T15:18:00.007Z

This is the view from inside the bank where we were locked in for our own security this morning.

A large student demonstration was taking place outside in the city centre. The students were demonstrating about the doubling of student fees at Lubumbashi University this academic year. As well as paying the fees, students are expected to pay for the course sylabus, course books, duplicating paper for all handouts, pay the teachers for their work to be marked, pay to enter the exams and pay for their results to be published in certificate form in order to move to the next year. If one mark is missed on one course the student has to resit all the exams again. Due to the costs, many able students are prevented from enrolling at University. The conditions of studying are made worse as there are so many students on each course. There are approximately 1,800 in one law class this year. Students need to bring their own chairs if they have any chance of sitting during the lectures that sometimes lasts up to 4 hours with a 30 minute break in the middle. Accommodation has to be found too. In halls of residence, there are 'officially' 4 students in rooms which just fit two bunk beds side by side. As the toilets are in a terrible state, most students use the surrounding bush land which brings with it all other kinds of health problems. It suddenly puts into perspective the relatively luxurious conditions which I enjoyed when studying at SOAS and Exeter Universities. During the demo this morning,a number of cars were attacked and shops set apon. Whilst the destructive acts shouldn't be condoned it was reassuring to see that freedom of speech was upheld, the demonstration was allowed to take place without the heavy hand of the law coming down as it would have done during the Mobutu era. When we were finally allowed out of the bank, we continued our monthly food shopping for the centre at a shop around the corner, only to be locked in there too as another group of students passed by! Thankfully all is calm again in the city this afternoon.

Goats for sale!

2009-11-16T17:16:00.001Z

This area between the railway tracks and rubbish dumps is where goats are brought into town everyday to be sold.

Lizard in the kitchen!

2009-11-16T11:15:00.001Z

Lubumbashi women and the traffic police celebrating Mazembes victory last Saturday!

2009-11-09T22:07:00.003Z

Football win for Mazembe!

2009-11-09T21:55:00.004Z

Some good news for Lubumbashi was the one-nil victory against a Nigerian team in the final of the African Champions League played in Lubumbashi last Saturday! The city had been building up to the match all week with trees and railings being painted, as well as the rumour of a half day of work on Friday! Moise, the progressive Governor of Katanga and Kabila the first democratically elected President of DR Congo were both present at the match. At the final whistle the city erupted into exuberant chaos, with crowds of people rushing to the city centre throwing flour over the heads and faces of friends and passers by! The celebrations continued well into the night!

Christmas is coming!

2009-10-21T17:38:00.000+01:00

The 2009 Congo Children Trust Christmas Cards are now available! These unique designs were painted by Joel Kidindwe a Congolese artist who is working twice a week with the childen at the centre. There is also a CCT notelet available using a design from one of the childrens own paintings! The cards are very reasonable only costing £3 per pack of 5 + £1 for postage and packaging. Please contact mark@congochildrentrust.org to order your packs!

Money in the bag!

2009-10-19T11:37:00.002+01:00

A big thank you to a group, including former colleagues and their friends and families in Manchester who carried out a supermarket bag pack last Saturday. They raised £631.28 towards the work of Project Kimbilio! Thanks too to the management and staff at Asda, Hulme who kindly allowed the bag pack to go ahead. We really appreciate it!

The return of colour!

2009-10-11T20:10:00.003+01:00

As well as toads and a lack of electricity, the start of the rains has meant the return of natural colour to the city. The dust has been washed of the roofs, cars and trees and the plants and trees that were showing signs of wilting with the lack of rain have sprung into life and colour. This is flamboyant tree that I have been passing since April and wondering if it had died and was ready for the chop! However it most clearly is not dead as I now remark every time I pass it in town!

Lightening strikes!

2009-10-11T20:01:00.003+01:00

As well as the toads the arrival of the rainy season has left Lubumbashi without electricity for almost a week! One of the main power stations supplying Lubumbashi with power was hit by lightening in the second storm of the wet season. The lights went out immediately and almost a week later have not returned! Driving back into Lubumbashi from the bush at twilight tonight the usual glow of the city as you draw closer was not to be seen. The scene of bright lights as you come over the flyover from the airport road was just a scene of darkness lit up by the breaklights of an occasional taxi bus. I am thankful for the generator where I am living which is switched on 3 times a day and allows me to keep the fridge cool, boil the kettle, connect to the internet and have a warm shower! However for the majority of the inhabitants of the city their mobile phones have run out of battery and the sales of candles has increased considerable during the last week.

Toad in the hole!

2009-10-06T19:08:00.003+01:00

Definately getting more corny! Must work on more inventive titles! Anyhow, just thought I'd let you know the BBC were not far out with their forecast, the rain has finally landed in Lubumbashi! We have had torrential rain, thunder and lightening yesterday and during the night! It has really freshened everything up and the grass is already starting to grow again. However the rain has displaced the toads who have been hiding out in the dry drains for the last 5 months! They have now moved in with me (see blog pic - toad in the shower!). There were 3 in the house this morning and I trod on one in the night in bare feet, I don't recommend you try that at home!

Feeling hot, hot, hot!

2009-10-05T06:20:00.001+01:00

After 5 months without rain we are ready for it! The BBC weather forecast promised we were going to have the first rain last night, however despite dark skies the clouds passed by and today once again, its very hot and sunny! It is so hot that I am getting hot water out of the cold tap! It is sweltering, its hard to stay alert and ‘fresh’, I won’t tell you how many changes of tops I’ve had today! Ok enough information! I realized having read my last blog entry it all sounded rather negative, its not that bad, really! Following the opening of the Government ‘accommodation centre’ it was felt that we needed to move sooner than we had planned towards appropriate accommodation provision. We got busy to renovate the 3 remaining rooms at the Cathedral and have converted them into 3 bedrooms for 10 children and 4 volunteers who sleep over in teams on a shift system. We have also signed them up at the local primary school which they are really enjoying attending. They also love wearing their school uniform as you can see in the photo, I don’t think I was ever that keen on mine! They return every day and eagerly complete their homework before doing anything else! We still have a reduced number of children coming to the day centre on Tuesdays and Fridays where those still living on the streets can access food, wash and spend time with the volunteers. We have also had a visit from a Social Work lecturer from the UK who has carried out training for the volunteers around communicating with children and assisting children to return home to their families. The local Government have also been helpful and have provided training for the Centre staff around their role of working with vulnerable children. We are still working on our long term plan of providing purpose built accommodation and training centre for the children. There will be considerable financial needs for this development. If anyone is interested in knowing how they can help us move towards this goal please get in touch. We do appreciate all of your ongoing interest and support.

Power cuts!

2009-09-07T12:22:00.004+01:00

OK, another corny title but last week we once again lost our electricity supply, but this time due to a section of electric cable leading to my house being stolen (rather a risky activity if you ask me!) The back up generator has also just broken down! Water pressure in our neighbourhood was very low last week which just happened to coincide with the water pump from the well breaking down! We also had the second attempted break in at the centre in a month. Thankfully the group of 8 theives who came armed with hammers and metal cutters were overheard discussing how they were going to smash the electric light bulbs to make themselves less visible and were frightened off. Unfortunately, we were no so fortunate on the first occasion when they managed to gain access to the building and steal 65 plastic chairs from the main Church. They broke the locks to mine and Lievin's office but amazingly left without taking anything from there. Despite these frustrations, we are pleased to see 3 of the children who were sick with maleria last week make a good recovery following a trip to the Anglican dispensary for a diagnosis and prescription.

Holiday to remember!

2009-09-07T12:05:00.004+01:00

My brother and sister in law went on holiday to France and rather than bringing back the traditional Eiffel Tower key ring, all being well they will be bringing back Samuel Christopher Harvey with them! Helena's waters broke two months ahead of time, and following a week of bed rest in a French hospital they induced the baby! Thankfully all went well. It felt frustrating for me being so far away and not being able to do anything to help but must have been more difficult for Graeme and Helena being so far from their home. Thankfully Helena's mum was able to extend the family holiday to stay and help look after my other nephew who will soon be 3, and is at a very excitable stage let alone the excitement of being on holiday and having a new wee brother!

... and then there were 9!

2009-08-22T15:48:00.004+01:00

We only had 9 children at Centre Kimbilio on Tuesday instead of over 40! This is a result of the opening of a centre for 500 street children in Lubumbashi. This is designed to remove the children from the streets where they are seen to be a threat and a nuisance. The Provincial Government have renovated what used to the childrens prison in Lubumbahsi in order to do this. I remember visiting that prison in 1993 and being concerned for the children who were there at the time as they relied on food being brought in by family or NGO's and Churches in order to survive. However, this is now 16 years later and a new Government. We are told the children are being well cared for and provided with an education there. We have requested a visit to the centre to see the work they are doing and to visit the children we have been supporting. By Friday our numbers had increased to 16 as some of the children who had been taken to the new centre had returned to the streets. We will have to see what happens next week and ammend our support accordingly. Whilst dealing with the effects of the change descriped above, I came down with a bout of maleria. Unfortunately we didn't have mozzy nets where we were staying in Kinshasa so I'm guessing I brought it back with me from the capital!

'Children in Need'

2009-08-15T13:46:00.005+01:00

Whilst in Kinshasa an Anglican Church leader who had heard me talking about Project Kimbilio to a meeting of the Archbishop and Bishops, came to tell me about the street children whom he and a Catholic sister (see pic) have been supporting in their poverty-stricken neighbourhood in Kinshasa. Their involvement started in 1993 when a 4 year old child who had been abandoned by his mother was brought to their attention. During the years that followed they took in other children in the vicinity who were living on the streets in the surrounding area. They are now renting between them a house where they are housing 30 children. They have a number of children who were brought to them as abandoned babies who they have named and brought up as no parent or family has ever come forward to reclaim their child. I agreed to go and visit. The house is extremely small with limited water and electricity. The outside toilet and shower(see pic above) are very basic and surrounded by a makeshift shelter. The children were sleeping on bedsheets and broken pieces of foam on the concrete floor. They had one extremely poorly baby of 2 and half months who was struggling to feed and chances of survival very low. Whilst we were able to return with mattresses which will hopefully make sleeping slightly more comfortable, it really felt like a drop in the ocean in comparison to the huge needs there are undoubtably replicated throughout Kinshasa and the whole of the country. I was able to make the most of my time in the capital by visiting a number of NGO'S, agencies and Government departments with the hope of gaining support advice and financial support for Project Kimbilio. It was great to be accompanied by Jeremie Ngoya who was a fellow election observer in the elections of 2006. He has a long term interest in the needs of street children and his contacts facilitated in the arranging of a number of meetings as well as easing the transportation around what are very full and hectic road systems! We were recieved well and had a number of positive opennings which we hope may lead to some support in the long term.

Enthronement of 3rd Archbishop of Anglican Church in Congo

2009-08-15T13:17:00.002+01:00

I got back to Lubumbashi yesterday after a busy week in Kinshasa. The main purpose for the journey was to attend the Enthronement of the 3rd Archbishop of the Anglican Church in DR Congo and Congo Brazzaville. The ceremony was held in the Conference Centre at the Botanical Gardens in the centre of Kinshasa. It was a memorable service not only because it lasted for 5 hours (!) but also because of the variety of people present from all provinces of Congo as well as Bishops and Archbishops representing the world wide Anglican Communion. The Ambassadors of Great Britain and South Africa to Congo were also both present. There appears to be high expectations among the Anglican Church in Congo of their newly appointed Archbishop, who, several years ago was Bishop in Lubumbashi and has a reputation for his ability to 'make things happen'! He will need alot of prayer and support as he takes on this huge responsibility and has a number of big decisions to make about the future direction of the Anglican Church organisation in Congo.