Lukalo* is a Kipende word that best translates as ‘making an investment’. But like most expressions the origins of a word represents a deeper cultural understanding, and for the Pende people, a way of life that goes back hundreds and hundreds of years. In its contemporary form it refers to several individuals combining their funds to make a greater purchase. The members of REVE Kandale receive a stipend to maintain the various projects that have been developed. This past month many members have chosen to combine their stipends into the purchase of several pigs. In some ways this ‘lukalo’ can be seen as a type of cultural microfinancing. Animal husbandry is not new to this region, but this purchase is another step toward self-sufficiency. One can find goats and pigs, chickens, ducks, guinea fowl and many years ago, rabbits and guinea pigs when the Mennonite missionaries were present. Cows are not common, but if this venture with the pigs is successful, then cows may be next.
With the arrival of the pigs, the new owners enthusiastically created a ‘luxury’ pen of bamboo and crafted new food troughs from a few bags of damaged cement. The tree nursery, which has been temporarily repurposed into a garden, provides the pigs with left over vegetables and leafy greens in addition to the many fruits available from the orchard, including mangoes and avocados.
Salongo in the Congo means community work and for REVE Kandale, Friday is the day for Salongo. Very recently the remaining 95 classroom desks were delivered from Kikwit to Kandale in a big truck which also carried building materials such as cement, lumber, and metal rebar. With the onset of the dry season fresh new banks of sand have been revealed along the near shore. The community took advantage of the truck's arrival to go down to the bank of the Kwilu river and load it up with sand and stones that will be used to lay the foundation for an additional 7 classrooms n 2020.
Newton has been instrumental in rallying the young community to collect sand and rocks. These young people are not paid to do this work, but they acknowledge all the progress that is happening in their community and understand that this is their way to ‘pay it forward’. Their contributions will pay off 10 fold in the years to come. The truck will save them hundreds of hours of labor as they will not need to carry the sand on bikes or on their shoulders the 4 kilometers uphill to the school. The sand and rocks have been delivered to the village and now the arduous work begins of breaking the rocks into small pieces to combine with the cement and sand to very specific measurements.
The young women shown here are doing their part for Salongo and carrying rocks. Another woman is busy in the nursery planting ‘Obama’ cassava tubers which is highly valued as it is very productive. Young men are collecting grasses to maintain the roofs of the six tukuls. The tukuls are used to house visitors such as when the REVE Kandale board members and Dr. Karl Klontz and David Whitford visited in 2018.
Konda, the Coordinator of REVE Kandale, is holding the REVE Kandale Foundation meeting where members are practicing responsible social distancing. The important topic being discussed is the accounting of bricks per bags of cement. Konda is persistent in making sure that the materials are used wisely. In the middle caption the members are counting the bricks to ensure they are making efficient use of this limited resource. So far they have made 30,000 bricks in preparation for the construction of the seven new classrooms.
Merveille Mahele Gilatulu is the assistant to the coordinator. She and Konda have printed up membership cards, as seen in the middle caption, with the intention of raising $300 a month. Konda has been traveling far and wide to promote these cards as well as using the radio in Gungu to broadcast the message to a larger audience. It costs $20 to become a member and about 50 cents for the cost of the card. As a member you can vote in the general assembly, receive a special discount on water purchases, the sale of future pig meat and produce, and any other REVE Kandale sponsored activities such as making photocopies. Membership is viewed as a badge of honor. It demonstrates that you are investing in the future of the community.
* According to Colette, ‘lukalo’ also has a biblical reference. Lukalo means rib in kipende. When God created Adam in the Book of Genesis, Adam was alone. In Genesis 2:18, “the Lord God said, it is not good for man to live alone”. He induced a deep sleep upon Adam and took out a rib and with it he made Eve, the woman and his companion. The interesting thing is that they had the same privileges to the garden of eden. This is the spirit of ‘lukalo’.
The REVE Kandale Foundation wishes to welcome our two newest Board Members:
Christelle Tshiala Kazadi is from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. She graduated from Berea College in 2016 with degrees in Business Administration (Finance concentration) and Economics. She is currently working with the International Food Policy Research Institute as a Budgets and Contracts Analyst. Christelle lives in Washington, DC and is fluent in English, French and Lingala.
Rebecca (Becky) Jordan is an Occupational Therapist with more than 30 years experience in disability-focused work in Thailand, Cambodia, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Jordan and the United States. Becky was a Peace Corps volunteer in the former Zaire in Bandundu from 1981-1983. She has a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and recently returned to North Carolina to work with children with special needs in public schools. Becky lives in Durham, N.C.
We sincerely want to thank all of you who have donated to our campaign and have made an important contribution to the continuing work in Kandale and the growing Education Center. The members of REVE Kandale hope that you and your family stay happy and healthy during these very difficult times.
