Ending Extreme Poverty in the Congo

Congo is Swapping SIM Cards (Day 2, July 24)

Yesterday, I slept too much on the flights to Brussels and Kinshasa. I got settled in bed and slept for about 2 hours. Then I was wide awake. So I caught up on some reading. Also, I tried to think what was happening with those SIM cards.

At breakfast, I talked to three missionaries from Wilmington, DE area. They have been here for about 2 weeks and were heading back tonight. They gave me a quick update on life in Kananga (provincial capital of Kasai Occidental), my next stop on the way to Bulape. They reported that corn is in very short supply in the town and surrounding area of about 2 million people. People are lining up early in long lines to get a chance to buy corn. There is not much corn for sale. They heard that the near-famine conditions are resulting from poor transportation, namely, the train system from the farming area around Mweka and Bulape into Kananga. The bicycles can not move enough corn to market.

Also, they mentioned that Hewa Bora Airlines. Congolese premier airline and only airline which HAD BEEN allowed to fly to Europe was concentrating on maintenance issues. They have had a number of crashes in the past year and had been banned from landing into Europe. As a result, they had cut back on the number of flights in country. For example, they were flying to Kananga just twice a week instead of three times a week. That's good news and bad news. Flying is only way to get around Congo. But arriving alive is better.

After breakfast, I was told that the phone companies would issue me a new SIM card with a new phone number. And it was not possible to get the old number again. I caught a ride downtown when the group went to drop off their luggage. It appears Congo is swapping out all old SIM cards for a new 32k SIM card. I went to the Vodacom shop downtown. It was funny to see these swapping forms printed in English for everyone to complete and swap out their old SIM cards. About 95 percent of the population does not speak English! There was a steady stream of people still swapping out cards.

I presented my case. I just had used the card last July and August. I had left money on the card. And I had used it for about 4 years or so. Therefore, my number was widely used on government forms and etc throughout Congo. As such, it would be hassle for me and Congo Helping Hands. The first lady looked on the computer and noted the account was deleted. I insisted. She passed me to a gentleman who looked on the computer and noted the account was deleted. BUT he kept typing! WOW, a Congolese hacker (wiz kid) is going to get my number back. Then he turned to me and said, "I sent a message to the head office and asked them to give you back that number. I will let you know when I hear from them." Ok, how are going to let me know because I do not have a working phone at the moment. So, he gave me a SIM card with another number. And he wrote down the number to call me.

Next, I had to contact MONUC's Civil Affairs about assisting us to ship our stuff from Kinshasa to Kananga. The paperwork was still in Kananga but it had to be approved here in Kinshasa. I went to visit the Kinshasa POC but he was on holiday. I called the other known person in the Civil Affairs section. She agreed to contact Kananga to see what the hold was after I gave her a copy of what was submitted there. Unfortunately, I would have to wait until tomorrow to get a copy from Kananga email to me. Tomorrow, I hope for more substantial progress.

Also, tomorrow, I hope I get a favorable response from Vodacom. Then I have to go the CelTel shop, too. But I am not attached to that number since I only used it as a back up when Vodacom was down.

MickeyTalk | Joe Biden: Op-Ed: Biden/Lugar bipartisan legislation S.2279, International Violence Against Women's Act of 2007

How do we get the International Violence Against Women's Act of 2007 (S.2279) passed? How do we get the other 78 or so senators to cosponsor? 

The United States should do what it can to end the violence against women and girls.  We need to encourage our senators and representatives to consponsor the International Violence Against Women's Act of 2007, Senate 2279 and House 5927, respectively.

My organization, Congo Helping Hands, is an Indiana-based humanitarian non-profit organization working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to improve the quality of life.  Support for Congolese women and girls is needed.

MickeyTalk | Joe Biden: Op-Ed: Biden/Lugar bipartisan legislation S.2279, International Violence Against Women's Act of 2007.

One in three women worldwide will experience gender-based violence in her lifetime. In some countries, that’s true for 70 percent of women. No country is immune. From the trafficking of women in Eastern Europe, to “honor” killings in the Middle East, to the use of rape as a weapon of war in Darfur and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, violence against women and girls crosses all borders and affects women in all social groups, religions and socio-economic classes.

Violence against women and girls violates their basic human rights. It prevents girls from going to school, stops women from holding jobs, and limits access to critical healthcare for women and their children.

For humanitarian reasons alone, the United States should do what it can to end this scourge. But equally important, it has a profound impact on the health and development of countries worldwide. Stopping gender-based violence isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also smart diplomacy. Violence contributes to the poverty, inequality and instability that threaten our security and our broad national interests.

The good news is that local organizations are working in communities around the world with courage and sensitivity to help women overcome violence at home, in school and at work. Governments are bringing together all sectors of their countries to try to prevent and end abuse. But they need our help.

Where do you start repairing roads?

It did not take me long to realize that a transportation system is crucial for the development of Congo.  Without transportation, Congo will remain in poverty.

So the question is in a country which has virtually NO PAVED roads or highways, where do you start?  Well, the World Bank and the United Kingdom has decided to start in three of eight provinces.  I would say those areas map to the mineral rich areas.

Why not start on a trans-Congo highway?  Maybe, the other neighboring countries would respond and build a trans-African highway.

A trans-Congo highway would do more than just promote national commerce.
 

ReliefWeb » Document » DR Congo gets 110 million dollars to repair roads.

The aid will be spread over a five-year period and will be used to restore 1,800 kilometres (1,120 miles) of roads in three provinces: South Kivu, Katanga and Orientale.

"Opening up these regions will help reduce poverty by allowing three million Congolese access to markets and essential services such as schools and hospitals, which are currently inaccessible," British ambassador Nick Kay said during the signing ceremony.

G8 leaders condemn Mugabe's 'illegitimate' regime

Can I believe that Mr. Mugabe had the audacity to attend the G8 meeting?  Mugabe is marching by the directions different drummer major.

Canada, the US, the European Union and other western governments have instituted a travel ban on senior Zimbabwean officials.  It will be interesting to see what the other African leaders do in responsible.  South African President Mbeki is trying to negotiate a power-sharing agreement in Zimbabwe.

Are African leader to move forward with democratic and transparent governments?  How they handle Mugabe will set the precedent for newly elected leaders like Congo's Kabila.

G8 leaders condemn Mugabe's 'illegitimate' regime.

As expected, the G8 leaders did not hide their distaste for Mr. Mugabe, who was re-elected on June 27 after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the race, saying his supporters had been intimidated by government thugs.

"The message is that ... the Mugabe regime is an illegitimate regime and that it should be ended," said the Canadian official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

"The role of the Africans, since it's in their region, is to take whatever steps are needed to remove Mr. Mugabe from power, and this is up to them to do it."

The G8 leaders threatened further sanctions against Zimbabwe unless action is taken soon, the official added. They also warned that Zimbabwe's conduct could hurt Africa's image around the world and have an effect on its economic and social development.

What should be the Church's priority?

What should be the Church's priority? "Homosexuality of bishops", "The Information and Communication Technology", or "poverty, corruption and hunger"?

I totally agree with this columnist.  It appears that the conservative Anglican leaders think that information and communication technology (ICT) is a new religion is challenging all churches.  Specifically, it identified the Internet, mobile phones, iPods, and video games.

"A columnist in the Ugandan Sunday Monitor thought the sight of African bishops breathing fire and taking a hardline against homosexuality was comical, to say the least. He wondered whether their priority should be what is happening far away in Europe and North America, or the poverty, corruption and hunger which are wasting the lives of millions of Africans."

I am not sure the Internet, mobile phones, iPods, and video games are a threat to the church in the Congo.  Poverty, corruption and hunger are the big threats to the church and society in the Congo.

Congo ex-leader sent to The Hague

Will the International Crime Court's trial of Mr. Bemba serve as an effective deterrent?

Bemba was arrested in Belguim in May.

I only hope and pray that it will be a deterrent against the lawless acts happening in Congo and other parts of the world. Even if he does not go to jail, I hope other rebel leaders operating in the Wild, Wild Eastern Congo will take notice.

Mr. Bemba is accused of crimes against humanity for acts his rebel group inflicted upon the people of the Central Africa Republic (CAR). In 2002, the president of CAR requested the services of Bemba to squash an uprising. So Bemba and his rebels left northeast Congo for the job.

The people cry out for justice. How much longer must they wait for deliverance?

** Congo ex-leader sent to The Hague ** The former vice-president of DR Congo, Jean-Pierre Bemba, is extradited to The Hague to face trial for war crimes. < http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7487932.stm >

Rising cost of food to hit poor

The rising cost of food will affect the Congo.  Since they are a net importer of food.  The large urban areas will be particularly hard hit.  Smaller and regional cities may be less affected due to their proximity to rural farms.

The rural farming villages should be less affected negatively by the rising cost of food.  For example, most of the food consumed in our village of Bulape is locally grown or raised.  The only exception is for the visiting Americans who want rice instead of cassava.  Rural farmers should be able to make a better living due to the rising cost of food.

Fuel prices will have a small impact on villagers, too.  Unfortunately, everybody still uses wood for cooking.  And there is no motor-driven transportation in the villages.  However, the cost of fuel will keep more people in the dark.  Many generators will be silented by higher fuel cost. 

Rising cost of food to hit poor | theage.com.au.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the international community should help poor countries whose trade deficits were increasing with the cost of imported commodities.

IMF researchers identified more than a dozen countries that were likely to need external support. They included Benin, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rising food prices were forecast to have a more harmful effect on standards of living in developing countries than rising fuel prices, the fund said. In large emerging countries, households typically spend more than a quarter of their income on food, while spending less than 10% on fuel. In many African countries, households devoted more than half their income to food, the fund said.

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father, rising food prices will bring dead and suffering for many but let the rural farmers rise up to feed their country. AMEN.

Monkey pox kills 22 in Equateur province

Yet, another disease of the rural poor in Congo.

Monkey pox kills 22 in Equateur province

KINSHASA, 1 July (IRIN) - An outbreak of monkey pox in Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Equateur province has killed 22 of the 470 people infected since the start of 2008, according to medical officials.

"The epidemic began in the Tshuapa health zone and has reached almost all parts of the province," said August Makaya, the chief epidemiologist in Equateur. "Cases of monkey pox have been registered all over Tshuapa health zone but also in Befale and Mopono health zones and more recently in Ingende health zone, near Mbandaka [the main town in the province]," he said.

"The epidemic is now heading northwards to Boende health zone; the east is in the middle of the epidemic and isolated cases have also appeared all over the province," added Makaya.

He explained that most years one or two people would be infected with the monkey pox virus, mainly in Tshuapa health zone.

The disease disappeared in the 1980s but made a comeback after routine vaccinations against smallpox, a related disease, were stopped.

"The disease reappeared because people here regularly eat monkeys and squirrels, which are reservoirs for the virus, and above all because smallpox vaccinations stopped," said Makaya.

People under 30 years of age who have never been vaccinated against smallpox are the most susceptible to monkey pox.

The trade in bush meat, coupled with human travel across the country, mean other areas of DRC, including the capital, are at risk of infections, he added, explaining that the greatest hurdle in tackling the disease was convincing people to change their diets.

Initial symptoms of monkey pox include headache, fever, aching muscles, swollen lymph nodes and extreme tiredness, followed by a rash.

There is no proven treatment for monkey pox, which in Africa has a fatality rate ranging from 1-10 percent.

ei/am/mw[ENDS]

IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: http://wwwirinnews.org

[This item comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States. Reposting or reproduction, with attribution, for non-commercial purposes is permitted. Terms and conditions: http://www.irinnews.org/copyright.aspx

Humanitarians pick up the pieces as insecurity persists in North Kivu

Civil unrest in eastern Congo continue to create more internally displaced people (IDPs) in North Kivu.  IDPs are not covered by the UN agency.  IDPs are at the mercy of a group of humanitarians.  

IRIN Africa | Great Lakes | DRC | DRC: Humanitarians pick up the pieces as insecurity persists in North Kivu | Food Security Health & Nutrition Conflict Aid Policy Refugees/IDPs | Feature.

GOMA, 30 June 2008 (IRIN) - Violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s embattled North Kivu province this year has boosted the total number of internally displaced people (IDPs) to some 857,000. The scale and fluidity of the crisis, coupled with the fact that many of the displaced live with families rather than in camps, has led aid workers to adapt their responses.

"This year has seen the worst humanitarian situation in the province; about half a million people became displaced within a short period of time," Patrick Lavand’Homme, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Goma (OCHA-Goma), said.

Clashes involving the plethora of armed groups in the region and regular army have continued, despite the January signing of a ceasefire by most of them.

For instance, most of the IDPs in the four camps nearest Goma, the main town in North Kivu, have fled their homes since the start of 2008.

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father, protect the various humanitarian groups who are served the internally displaced persons in North Kivu.  AMEN.

Congo's Riches -- Will they used for the good of its people?

Congo could to be a leading country in Africa.  Today, it is NOT!  It is so heartbreaking to see such potential stolen from the people of Congo.  The Congolese people live in extreme poverty for one reason and one reason only, it leaders and their allies stolen or misused its vast resources.

The mining contracts (conceesions) in the Congo will be reviewed.

New fight for Congo's riches | Business | The Observer.

It is one of the world's most resource-rich countries, with huge deposits of diamonds, gold and copper. For a decade, the Democratic Republic of Congo was torn apart as factions backed by neighbouring countries wreaked murderous havoc on Africa's third-biggest country. Three million died.

As war subsided in all but the eastern region of this vast nation, a new regime led by Joseph Kabila signed dozens of valuable mining contracts with Western concerns based in the southern Katanga region. Only now are the implications of those contracts coming to light.

'The losers, of course, are not the companies who willingly entered into questionable arrangements, but the Congolese people,' says Patricia Feeney, executive director of Rights and Accountability in Development, a renowned expert in Congolese mining.

A commission formed by the Congolese government to investigate several legal and financial aspects of the impoverished central African nation's mining industry published a hard-hitting report this year. It has worried international extraction concerns, which fear their potentially lucrative concessions may be adversely affected. The report has prompted the Congolese to renegotiate 60 of the biggest gold, diamond, copper and zinc contracts. Fresh talks with those concerned are due to begin next month.

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father, guide this new review of mining contracts to ensure your people are helped.  AMEN.