Congo Trip Update
After a 10-day trip in DR Congo we’re back and happy to report that everything is peachy keen, and we’re excited about our next steps in Bolingo Village. We hope that you were able to follow along on social media, but if not, here are 5 things you may have missed:
Construction traffic is not just in the US. Typically, traffic jams in Kinshasa are serious business. In fact, there was a day on our last trip where we got stuck in traffic for 3 hours and ended up having to just turn around. That’s how bad it can be. Luckily, something is being done. The new president, Félix Tshisekedi, has decided to construct an “express lane” on the main road in and out of the city – the hope being that it’ll end some of the normal congestion. This lane will lie above the current road, which will be extremely helpful, but while construction is going on, the traffic is even worse than usual. Luckily, we were able to stay in Bolingo Village and only had to go into Kinshasa on the first and last days of the trip.
Not to brag, but we have some pretty amazing people working with us in DR Congo. If we haven’t sung his praises enough, our in-country manager, Ety, is simply irreplaceable. He is the backbone of everything we do in DR Congo and he helped us secure each member of our Bolingo staff. Like our physician, Dr. Mamyssa, who’s an absolute powerhouse. Every time we meet with her, we’re more and more impressed with her heart and passion for keeping children happy and healthy. Our Village Manager, Eloge, has been learning the ins and outs of running Bolingo operations, and is even learning English so that we can be more productive as a team and not depend on a translator (US staff is also trying to learn French to meet him halfway).
The construction crew is doing great works as always, making some serious headway on their projects. The water catchment and filtration system is almost done and will be ready before the rainy season starts. From that point forward the water in each of the houses will be filtered rainwater – super exciting and uber sustainable! Our next big project is to start on the fence surrounding most of our land to keep the kids safe and secure, construct a soccer field, build a pavilion, enhance farm operations, and expand the playground. You can reach us HERE if you want to help make these things a reality.
Farming operations are looking good. The dry season is hard on traditional farming – but we’re doing the best we can with what we currently have. Thanks to the support of BarnRaisers of Indiana, we’ll soon have more! BarnRaisers is hosting their annual golf outing and selected Global Orphan Foundation as one of the recipients of their fundraising. These funds will be used to further expand both our traditional and insect farming so that we can be self-sustaining and feed the village with our own food supply, as opposed to purchasing from outside sources. Eventually, we’ll be able to sell any surplus to support Bolingo operations.
Most importantly, we have 3 families living in Bolingo Village. Three Foster Moms, who mean business but are tender and kind and strong – just the type of women that we want as the cornerstone of Bolingo Village. These 3 houses each have 5 children, but they’ve already begun preparing the homes for their families to grow. This October we’ll be expanding each home to 8 children. We’ll also be welcoming another family!
We’re grateful as always to have had another successful trip and we’re looking forward to what’s next. If only we could share with you the sound of our 15 kiddos giggling and playing in their houses that floats through the open windows of Bolingo, we would. We’ll try to record it on the next trip :)
