Blogs from Kinshasa, West, Congo Democratic Republic, Africa

It's not everyday that I found the possibility...and the time to take some pictures in Congo, so here is a little entry. I have to admit it, these pictures are actually less than impressive. They have changed the law few months ago, to actually allow taking pictures in the street...but it's still not a great idea to try your luck at it. I've spent the last two weeks between Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, the two biggest cities of RDC. And as internet is so slow in the country, I'm actually uploading my pictures in between two airports on my way home...in Johannesburg and Sao Paolo...it's a small world! I've reached a pretty interesting point in my life...when it comes to people asking me...."Where are you from?" Well, I have a European passport, and I grew up in ... read more

During our weekend on the road, we visited Kisantu and stayed overnight there Saturday night. The Sisters of Notre Dame went to Kisantu in 1900 and established schools -- pre-primary, elementary, secondary -- which have become very well known and respected in the Kisantu diocese. More than 1000 students attend these schools. There are also plans to build a college. Kisantu holds an important place in the history of the Congolese province of the SNDs. A poignant experience during our stay was a visit to the cemetery where several Belgian Sisters are buried. We prayerfully remembered the countless Belgian Sisters who came to Congo as missionaries and sowed the seeds of the present Congolese Province. While in Kisantu we walked a bit in the beautiful Botanical Garden, established in 1900 by a Jesuit Brother, Justin Gillet. ... read more

In the liturgical calendar, this past Thursday was the feast of St. Ann. As we were coming into the dining room for supper, the Sister-students sang and presented me with a bouquet of flowers. I hope you enjoy the video snippets. They're a little choppy but they'll will give you the flavor of the "surprise."... read more

Clean drinking water is a precious commodity that we take very much for granted in the U.S. In Congo, as in many African countries, the people have to work hard for it. Here in Kimwenza the Sisters of Notre Dame have an underground well. Rain water is also collected in large metal containers. After water is boiled in large pots, it is set aside until it has come to room temperature. Then the Sisters place it in a container with eleven filters. The boiled and filtered water then goes into bottles and is stored in the refrigerator. Whenever I am enjoying a glass of cold water on a hot afternoon, I try to remember with gratitude all the care that has gone into making it safe for us to drink.... read more

English is the language of choice these days. Today we asked the Sisters to try to speak English at meals, and we teachers will spread out and sit among them in the dining room. Meanwhile Maureen and I are each teaching two sections of English, and we meet each section twice a day. Maureen has the Cuvilly and Namur groups, and I have the Amiens and Ghent groups. We're working on verb tenses, pronouns, prepositions, new vocabulary and pronunciation. The Side by Side materials -- texts, workbooks, picture cards and CDs -- are excellent, and the students seem to be enjoying them. Today I gave my students a little written homework -- to write about themselves, their families and their interests. When I asked them to send it to me by email, they applauded! Here is ... read more