Words cannot express our sincerest wishes for the health and well-being for you and your family members in this very difficult and challenging time. In times like this we all have come to know the value of friends and family. As of this week, the corona virus has not reached the village of Kandale, and there is no travel ban outside of Kinshasa, the capital. Life continues, but as a general precaution there is no school, no shaking of hands, no meetings of more than 10 individuals, and no church services.
But just because the virus has not made it to Kandale, that doesn’t mean the village is free from misunderstandings and rumors. The first rumor to come on the heels of the global pandemic is that a student who was studying in France had returned to Gungu, 25 miles north of Kandale, and that he was sequestered somewhere in the town. People were concerned that he might have brought the virus with him.
This was found to be untrue. Others have been communicating with the outside world to ascertain if there is a vaccine. For many individuals in the region there is the belief that if you wrap yourself up in ‘bitter’ leaves, the leaves of orange and mangos, for example, it will help purge the virus. Or taking a tea of this concoction will also work. The markets in Kinshasa are full of these leaves. There is also the belief that malaria medication will work. Other impromptu remedies include marijuana and eucalyptus leaves. There is also the belief that if you find a human hair in the bible, that piece of hair could keep you and your family from harm if you put the hair in a glass of water and drink it. The reality is that without masks and ventilators, people are resorting to God and prayer.
Work continues in Kandale despite the difficulties of receiving goods from Kikwit or Kinshasa. Robert Minzadi has been sequestered in Kinshasa, and all the work that has been done to create a tree nursery has been repurposed by the local women. They have been utilizing all the rich beds to plant vegetables.
....a forest grows
REVE Kandale has been working hard to improve the firebreaks to protect the ‘wild’ area from seasonal fires. In the above left photo from 2011, the women are working hard to clear a road to access what has now become the educational center of Kandale . In the photo on the right, one can see how the forest has grown, and at the end of the road is the new Multi-Purpose Education Center. This wild area has come to bear fruit, sort of, as the villagers have been collecting the many termites that have appeared in large numbers. The caterpillars as well continue to thrive much to delight of the Kandale community.
The desks for the Multi-Purpose Center were delivered last week fresh from Kikwit, and REVE Kandale took advantage of the arrival of the truck to collect sand and more clay from the river for making bricks. With a recent rain, the water tanks are full and the production of bricks continues in anticipation of the new school construction. Soon the dry season will begin, and collecting water will become challenging so Kandale is fortunate to have a reserve. This water will also help to maintain the vegetables in the garden.
And just like the newly planted nursery, the arrival of Newton from Kikwit has brought a new dynamic energy to the community. In just four weeks his contributions have been numerous.
Kazongo Nyingu, nicknamed “Newton” due to his love of math and physics, is a young man from Kandale who moved to Kikwit to further his education. He graduated last year with a nursing degree. Newton got into nursing by default. Like many youths in Kandale he lacked opportunity to follow the trade of his dream, which is IT and computer training. Early this year, Newton willingly left his new job in Kikwit and volunteered to join our team in Kandale, where he could put to full use his skills and potential in the area of IT and computers. He plans to use the 10 laptops donated by Pfizer to train other youths in Kandale in IT and computer use. His presence as part of REVE Kandale leadership is already having a huge impact with the younger members. More of these young people are getting involved in REVE Kandale activities besides collecting soccer balls. Under Newton’s leadership REVE has mobilized youth, women and area villages to expedite the work of brickmaking and constructing firebreaks to protect the 12.5-hectare forest. With his small personal mobile phone, Newton is REVE Kandale's eyes on the ground, as he is able to send daily updates and photos of the activities in Kandale via Facebook messenger. His new boss, Konda Louis Nyigisa, the REVE Kandale interim coordinator, is extremely impressed with this young man. it usually takes weeks, perhaps a month, to purchase anything from Kikwit, the nearest city, and transport it to Kandale. But recently Newton was able to hire a motorcycle, do all the shopping for office goods in Kikwit, and get back to Kandale in just four days. Newton is now the fourth young graduate to leave city life to return to work in Kandale. This is a big WIN for REVE Kandale in our effort to reverse the high rate of rural exodus, which is impacting negatively on the livelihood of villages across DR Congo.
Last week we heard from Newton that the night guard was bitten by a snake while walking his rounds with no gum boots or flashlight. Thankfully, Newton was working late nearby at the Multi-Purpose Education Center, which is equipped with solar-powered lights. Using his nursing training skills, he was able to provide timely treatment to the watchman. The watchman is feeling better now. Oye Newton!!!
