The Vision for Bolingo Village Pt 2
Welcome back to part 2 of this series! In part 1, we shared with you the basic needs that the children who live in the village have access to. Things like, clean water, education, nutrition, space to run and play, and most importantly, a family. But Bolingo Village was never meant to just meet the basic needs of the children who call it home. It was never meant to just meet the standard of survival. Our vision has always been to surpass the basics by providing them with a true childhood experience filled with guidance, care, and love. Please read on to learn more about how Bolingo Village is striving to do just that.
Bolingo Family moves in to their home. August, 2019
A home: Each foster family has, not just a house, but a home in Bolingo Village. Inside each house, there is a living room, kitchen, mom’s room, and two kid’s rooms, with room for eight kids total. Each child has their own bed and personal space to call their own. Outside each house, there is a garden where each family can work together to make things blossom and grow. In addition, the Village playground, community center, and soccer field provides ample opportunities for family memories to be made. All of this lies within a mini community, filled with love and care, making it a true home for each child.
Responsibilities: Let’s be honest, chores are universally disliked by children. However, studies show that children who are given responsibilities like chores have higher self-esteem and are more likely to succeed in school, career, and personal relationships. All things we want for our kids! That’s why each foster mom divides up simple, age appropriate chores for each child to help with around the house. Things like, helping with the dishes, making their beds, or setting the table.
Not only do the children have responsibilities, but Bolingo Village itself has a responsibility to take care of the surrounding community in the following ways:
Water: In DRC, only 42% of the population has access to safely managed and basic service drinking water. Bolingo Village has a well that provides clean and safe drinking water to our neighbors.
Medical care: In the community the village resides in, there is no easy way to receive safe and affordable health care. The Bolingo Village clinic is open to the surrounding community once a week, providing routine exams, lab testing, and diagnostics.
Soccer: It’s no secret that soccer is a beloved sport in the Congo. Bolingo Village has laid out a location on our land for community members to come play in a league. We haven’t started this yet, but we can’t wait for the community to have a fun way to interact with one another!
Bolingo Village Farm. February 2020
Farming operations: The farm has been a focal point of our vision for Bolingo for years. It not only provides food for the families, but it also serves as a source of revenue. We have acres of farmland that are filled with crops like cassava, sweet potatoes, and corn. The 200 fruit trees planted throughout the village means kids can pick fresh fruit right in their backyards! Our 800 sq ft insect farm building is home to shelves full of larva that will be used both as a protein source for the kids and for income to help support farming operations. Towards the back of our farmland lies a blocked off mini community for chickens (fresh eggs!) and goats (fresh milk!).
Skill Building: We’ve seen the struggles that children who grow up in a Congolese orphanage face when they age out. It’s imperative to us that while the children are growing up in Bolingo, they are picking up useful skills that will benefit them in their futures. Some skills they will be able to learn organically just from being in a community environment with a multitude of adults to guide them. When siblings bicker, there’s an opportunity to learn conflict resolution. When a child has a problem at school, there’s someone they trust who can help them learn how to solve it. These kids truly have an entire family around them who want to teach them important life skills. As the kiddos grow a little older, they will have the opportunity to learn employment skills right in house. With a traditional farm, insect farm, and a clinic, they can take their pick of where they would be interested in building a basic foundation.
Transition to life outside the village: Although we do consider Bolingo Village to be a forever home for the kids who live there, we understand that eventually they will move on to bigger and better things. When that happens, we want to be sure that they are equipped with whatever they need to succeed. Whether it be learning a trade, going to college, or starting a business, we will set them up with the tools and resources to get started.
Members of the Bolingo staff at the clinic opening, March 2020
Medical Clinic: During our time working in Congolese orphanages, we witnessed firsthand the rampant cases of malnutrition and lack of medical care that the children had access to. We knew this could not be the case in Bolingo. Our clinic staff, composed of a physician, on-site nurse, and a lab technician, provides consistent medical care to the kids and staff members. The kids receive monthly medical exams where their growth is recorded, and any illnesses are diagnosed and treated. In addition, in-depth nutritional analyses are completed each quarter and whenever we welcome a new child to the village to ensure that their little bodies are being adequately fueled.
Sustainability: It’s a huge buzzword nowadays. Everything has to be sustainable - from our paper towels to the nonprofits that we support. However, this is serious for us. Nothing is guaranteed. Our job is to build something that outlasts us; that Bolingo Village continues to exist, even if Global Orphan Foundation does not.
As we have gotten the first year of operations under our belt, we’ve been on the lookout for ways to be sustainable and cover our operations. A great example is that after we realized that we have been spending money every month on manure for our farm - we decided to do two things: 1) invest in composting and 2) Get some goats. Another example is sales from excess crops and insects. We expect this to play a huge role in helping to make the village self-sustaining.
We have a long way to go and we’re still getting our feet wet, but we have faith that as we continue to think critically, we’ll keep finding ways to better use donor dollars while generating higher and higher revenue from our farm and clinic to support Bolingo Village.
GOF is forever grateful to those who have helped us build and sustain Bolingo Village. Because of you, these kids will have a true childhood experience and a future. We’re so excited to have you along for this journey , as we can continue to grow and attain our vision.