its a kind of David and Goliath thing.....
Meanwhile south of the Equator....
in Kasai Occidental, as life in every other human community accelerates towards it's ever more self destructive, self obsessed point final, the people of Kananga are going about their quiet existence, trying not to hit the potholes in the main street, wondering when the next train will arrive from Lubumbashi, laden with everything a town of 1 million people needs to survive. The only thing that seems to function in the SNCC (Societe Nationale de Chemin de Fer de Congo) is a siren which announces, with Swiss German accuracy 7am, 1pm and 7pm. At first I thought it was some sort of air raid siren, but over the days, I have come to realise that its far more likely that George Bush would visit Kananga than there being a risk of an Aerial attack!
Thinking about it, I would prefer the former to the latter, in a sick kind of a way. I can't imagine anyone in this part of the world having the capability of orchestrating hi-tec Aerial combat which would be accurate enough to do any damage. A visit to Kananga by the most powerful man on the earth on the other hand would indubitably create more conflicts than it would solve.
Nothing much to report from Kananga this week; Elections for the new govenor of Kasai Occidental were halted when the electoral commission announced that the leading candidate was not a Congolese citizen: not only did he hold Belgian nationality, but a British passport (so no hope for my political career in this country). In the Province of Bas Congo a Christian group protested in the streets against corruption, which is refreshing, resulting in the Police shooting at the demonstrators and killing five, which is ghoulish and nauseating.
Having succeeded in an electoral process last November, which observers adjudged free and fair, Congo now has to work out a way to reverse decades of what Michela Wrong describes as kleptocracy in her book 'In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz.' (my very first Bohemian Frog Hunter recommendation!). Decades of corruption will be hard to reverse, we see that in our work here: a health care system robbed of any resources; NGO/Public sector interaction seen merely as a conduit for obtaining financial resources. In the light of this bleak economic reality however there is hope; we are succeeding in improving access to healthcare for communities living in remote underserved areas, we are increasing the availability of essential drugs and having an impact on reducing high risk deliveries and improving post natal care. Its easy in the Congo to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the poverty and the corruption: but for me personally, its about helping 'lame dogs over styles' to coin an old North of Ireland Presbyterian saying. Of course we can't change the world, of course we cant change the Congo, even the province. But if we can assist one community have better health care, assist one family to protect themselves against malaria by providing a net; then I think we are succeeding.
In a very little way.
in Kasai Occidental, as life in every other human community accelerates towards it's ever more self destructive, self obsessed point final, the people of Kananga are going about their quiet existence, trying not to hit the potholes in the main street, wondering when the next train will arrive from Lubumbashi, laden with everything a town of 1 million people needs to survive. The only thing that seems to function in the SNCC (Societe Nationale de Chemin de Fer de Congo) is a siren which announces, with Swiss German accuracy 7am, 1pm and 7pm. At first I thought it was some sort of air raid siren, but over the days, I have come to realise that its far more likely that George Bush would visit Kananga than there being a risk of an Aerial attack!
Thinking about it, I would prefer the former to the latter, in a sick kind of a way. I can't imagine anyone in this part of the world having the capability of orchestrating hi-tec Aerial combat which would be accurate enough to do any damage. A visit to Kananga by the most powerful man on the earth on the other hand would indubitably create more conflicts than it would solve.
Nothing much to report from Kananga this week; Elections for the new govenor of Kasai Occidental were halted when the electoral commission announced that the leading candidate was not a Congolese citizen: not only did he hold Belgian nationality, but a British passport (so no hope for my political career in this country). In the Province of Bas Congo a Christian group protested in the streets against corruption, which is refreshing, resulting in the Police shooting at the demonstrators and killing five, which is ghoulish and nauseating.
Having succeeded in an electoral process last November, which observers adjudged free and fair, Congo now has to work out a way to reverse decades of what Michela Wrong describes as kleptocracy in her book 'In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz.' (my very first Bohemian Frog Hunter recommendation!). Decades of corruption will be hard to reverse, we see that in our work here: a health care system robbed of any resources; NGO/Public sector interaction seen merely as a conduit for obtaining financial resources. In the light of this bleak economic reality however there is hope; we are succeeding in improving access to healthcare for communities living in remote underserved areas, we are increasing the availability of essential drugs and having an impact on reducing high risk deliveries and improving post natal care. Its easy in the Congo to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the poverty and the corruption: but for me personally, its about helping 'lame dogs over styles' to coin an old North of Ireland Presbyterian saying. Of course we can't change the world, of course we cant change the Congo, even the province. But if we can assist one community have better health care, assist one family to protect themselves against malaria by providing a net; then I think we are succeeding.
In a very little way.
posted by Gabriello Princip at 3:05 AM
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