When the sun goes down in Kandale, it gets dark, pitch black dark. There is a solar powered device that I can use to read, but it lasts about an hour on a solar charge. In the darkness the mangos fall outside the ‘tukul’, hitting the ground with a resounding ‘thoomp’, like an errant heartbeat. Poe would be smiling. As the season progresses the ‘thoomps’ increase in pace. The mangos litter the ground despite Sho Sho’s constant maintenance of the grounds. One must be vigilant walking beneath the large trees at the risk of getting bonked or worse, sprayed by an overripe fruit.
There are so many mangos that people in town cannot eat enough and every one is a connoisseur. They are delicious There is an abundance of fruit at this moment, pineapples, bananas and even a plum like fruit that grows in the forest with an unusual sweetness. According to Colette, many mango trees were planted in the 1920’s when the first missionary, Gordon Pierce arrived. Many other fruit trees were planted as well, including orange trees as part of the vision of the first missionary who came here. The mango trees have thrived. In their 100 year old grandeur, they provide ample shade when not dropping fruits indiscriminately.
For the past several years the Communiqué has benefitted greatly from all the photos being sent. These two individuals have made it their job to keep us informed on the ongoing activities.
They have very important positions within REVE Kandale as well:
Merveille Gilatulu has been an on going presence in many of the Communiqués. She has been working with REVE Kandale since 2018. Her job title is Chef D’Equipe or Manager. She is responsible for most of the day-to-day operations, including managing the office and communications with Colette when she is in Kinshasa or the US. She keeps tabs on the progress of the water distribution and the grinder and is responsible for the overall upkeep of the grounds including the fences. She is also responsible for payroll which keeps everyone in her good graces. Under her initiative she created the ‘Réfectoire’, the outside meeting and dining area, which is often the focus for many events.
Eudes Mashini is the second person in charge and he is the focal point for all administrative support. Eudes has been working with REVE Kandale since 2022. He is responsible for the many administrative tasks including the monthly reports and sending out the photos for social media. He maintains the wifi and office equipment and helps people connect to the internet to send important documents. He documents the daily activities with his phone. Now that the African Cup of Nations is in full swing, he takes charge of the presentations on the wide screen TV in the evenings in the Salle Polyvalente when there’s a match.
It is a very interesting time to be in Kandale. As of three days ago, the rainy season began. It was abrupt. While it is the rainy season, the rain is intermittent and often presents itself with little warning. The work continues on the first block and the construction crew is taking full advantage of the opportunities to build when the skies are clear. They have completed all the work on the foundation and poured all the concrete caps. They have been working at a fast pace to secure the rebar infrastructure before pouring the concrete to level out the foundation. As of Saturday they have begun to build the final wall with bricks. They will probably finish with all the bricks at window height by the end of today.
In the next Communiqué, there will be more interviews with many of the people who work long hours to make sure that REVE Kandale continues to be fully operational. In addition, the Communiqué will document the progress of the construction, rain or shine.
