Human Rights in Congo???

For the past 4 months I have been working in Congo with an organization called Sports4HOPE (www.sports4HOPE.org).  Sports4HOPE is an organization that seeks to bring about peace and reconciliation to conflict affected areas through sports and peace education.  We have been facilitating peace education sessions in 3 communities that were involved in a massacre in 2003.  In our recent peace education sessions we have been focusing on human rights education.  Human rights education is one of the many fields of peace education that also includes conflict resolution education, disarmament education, critical peace education, multicultural education and environmental education.  These sessions on human rights education have proven to be extremely challenging for me because I know and many of our committee members know that Congo has a long way to go in terms of achieving human rights for its citizens.  Decades of war, bad governance, and corruption have fueled a lack of respect for human rights and thus created a pessimistic attitude towards the government and its ability or desire to really help its people. 

Peace Education Session in Kagaba

The government’s lack of respect for human rights was vocally expressed by many of our committee members.  This was evident through comments such as, “In Congo, there are no human rights.”, “I do not want to be Congolese because there are too many problems here.”, “You cannot trust the government.”, “The government is lying when it says it has put programs in place to promote human rights.”  These are all statements that based on what I have read, seen, heard and understood about Congo; seem to be true, at least to some extent.  Given all of the reports of violence during the election, and recent reports we have heard of human rights abuses in the area, it is easy to see why our committee members feel this way. 

Peace Education Activity in Bogoro (The Human Knot)

As the facilitator I felt challenged to provide some hope and optimism during these sessions for the committee members as well as for myself.  No one wants to leave a class feeling depressed and feeling like the situation is so hopeless that there is nothing that can be done.  I found myself thinking, it would be much easier to teach this in the US or maybe I will just skip this part of the training so that I do not have to deal with uncomfortable questions or questions that I cannot answer.  I am never really sure which way the discussions will go and although I do try to prepare for them as much as I can, I can’t possibly imagine all the potential outcomes of the sessions.  Utilizing the Peace Education Program through the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE http://www.ineesite.org/post/peace_education_programme/) and the Teacher’s Without Borders Curriculum (www.twb.org), I was able to provide the foundations of human rights education as well as activities for our committee members regarding human rights.  We discussed how being educated about your rights is only one component of human rights education.  Human rights education also focuses on the responsibilities of individuals to stand up for the rights of others.  These responsibilities are emphasized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but even more so in the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights.  Although we can agree that the government in Congo is not doing all that it can and should do, we also have the responsibility as individuals to do what we can and should do. 

In the end, the committee members and I did find hope.  We found hope in examples of people that have paved the way for us to be where we are today and to make a difference in the world.  We found hope in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi and their non-violent fight for civil rights.  We found hope in the fact that today women around the world and in the communities in which we are working have achieved many things that were not possible years ago.  We found hope in Synergie Simama, our partnering organization and Kalongo, the director of the organization.  Kalongo has dedicated his life to community development and helping to make Congo a better place despite the lack of assistance from the government.  We even found hope in Mobuto, the authoritarian leader that ruled Congo for over 30 years.  The committee members stated that during Mobuto’s time, there was a sense of nationalism and a spirit of patriotism that focused on being a part of one Congo rather than being divided by tribes and cultures.  Most importantly, we found hope in ourselves as individuals and as members of a team working together for change.  This is the message that I hope to be able to continue to inspire in the lives of people that I meet as well as my own life.    

Transitioning from a Culture of War and Violence to a Culture of Peace and Non-violence

The ultimate goal of peace education is to move from a culture of war and violence to a culture of peace and non-violence.  This is not an easy task.  The culture of war and violence that is exhibited in many countries and communities around the world did not happen overnight and it will take many years to make this transition.  In some ways the culture of violence is so ingrained in society that these things become normal.  A culture of violence can be reflected in the way we talk, the way we act and the way we treat one another.  Things may vary from community to community but we can find examples of a culture of violence all over the world.  I recently facilitated a peace education session where we talked in great detail about this culture of war and the way it is reflected in our daily lives.

A culture of violence and war includes the following characteristics:

1.      Belief in power that is based on force

2.      Authoritarian governance

3.      Secrecy and propaganda

4.      Male domination

5.      Having an enemy

6.      Armament

7.      Exploitation of people

8.      Exploitation of nature

A country or community does not have to be “at war” to be in a culture of war and violence.  This also includes physical and structural violence, power dynamics and interpersonal relationships.  For example, Congo is technically a country that is in a state of peace but still exhibits many characteristics of a culture of war and violence.  These characteristics are not unique to Congo, however; we find them in other countries around the world including the US.  Here are some examples of the way violence is expressed in daily life that came out of our discussions with our committees this week:

-          -   Belief in a power that is based on force is exemplified here in Congo by the fact that some military personnel rob and steal from civilians.  Many of our committee members felt this was due to the fact the military is highly underpaid therefore that is also an example of the exploitation of people.

-          -  The power of an authoritarian government was made very apparent to me when this past week the government limited our communication by cutting off our ability to send text messages.  This was in an attempt to minimize people’s ability to mobilize and organize opposition movements in the wake of the announcement of the election results. 

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-    Our discussion also brought up stereotypes about various ethnic groups that contribute to the creation of an enemy.  For example, it has been said that the Lendu think the Hema smell like cheese and milk because they drink a lot of milk as a part of their culture.  There was also a tendency for the Hema to look down on the Lendu because the stereotype was that the Lendu eat rats.

-          Armament is very apparent and visible in Congo.  The military, police, and security forces walk around with automatic weapons that are very visible.  To me this creates an image of violence although these weapons could actually be used to protect people.  It is very shocking for me coming from a country where weapons are concealed to a country where you walk by police officers with huge guns.  Leading up to the elections, there were rumors that the Ugandan and Angolan Armies are ready to cross into Congo in the case of violence related to the elections.  It is not apparent if this is to protect the civilians of Congo or if it is to protect the interests that these countries have in Congo.  My guess would be the latter.

-          Examples of secrecy and propaganda were also given as it relates to the election.  Out of the 11 candidates for president, the current president, Kabila had a great advantage over the other candidates in terms of campaigning and raising support.  We even saw pygmies deep in the Ituri jungle, an area that does not even have cell phone service, with Kabila t-shirts and other propaganda.  From what I could tell, no other candidate had the means to drum up such support from the local populations.  Kabila tied up much of the countries flights so that he could travel to different areas and preach his message of the “modernization of Congo.” 

-          Other examples of a culture of violence and war included children’s games and theatre performances that were about violence, violent tv shows and movies, a lack of respect for human rights, gender violence, the fabrication of weapons, misrepresentation in the way people talk, the creation of taxes that do not exist, and bribes paid to get people to change their stance on certain issues.

With all this said, establishing a culture of peace in such an environment seems to be a daunting task although, history shows us that change can happen and it often starts with a small group of people.  When we look at the success of leaders such as Gandhi and his non-violent fight for India’s independence from the British, Martin Luther King’s fight for the injustices of all people, and the recent uprisings in the Arab world that brought about a change in leadership, we see that change is possible. 

In my work here in Congo, I have also seen change happening.  It is on a smaller scale but it is still change.  Each week we work on the field in Vilo breaking down rocks with sledge hammers and carrying them off the field.  This is a community effort including adults, youth and even children as young as 4 or 5 years old (don’t worry, this is not child labor, it is truly voluntary J).  Through our involvement with the community, we are moving from being called “Mzungus” to being referred to by our names, “Selina, Stephen and Scott”.  This may seem like a small step but to me this is a great accomplishment because there is a shift from being seen as the “white people” coming in with all the money and resources to being seen as members of a community that all have something to contribute, working towards a common goal. 

Working on the field in Vilo

Singing with the kids in Vilo

Peace education small group activity

In this short time I have also seen a willingness of people to be more open-minded.  One example of this occurred in an ice breaker activity during a peace education session.  We talked about how people may be excluded from groups for one reason or another.  We discussed what it feels like to be a part of a group and also how it feels to be left out of a group.  The conversation began with committee members stating that it was the person on the outside’s responsibility to find out what he/she needed to do to fit in with the group but as the conversation progressed, the idea changed.  People started to realize that it was the community’s responsibility to include people that are typically left out such as people living with disabilities and people of other ethnic groups to work together for the betterment of all.  They began to realize that people that are left out may feel isolated and as a result get involved in destructive activities that could harm themselves and others.  If such a shift in attitude can come out of a 15 minute ice breaker activity, I am really excited to see what else we can accomplish through our weekly peace education meetings.  I realize that change requires more than just a shift in attitude.  That shift in attitude has to be accompanied with a shift in behavior but we are well on our way to creating an environment conducive to peace and positive change.  

"My Dear, This is Congo!"

During my time here so far in Congo, I have experienced a number of things that are different from life in the US.  Kalongo’s most frequent saying since we have been here is “My dear, this is Congo.” This phrase is used to describe the differences between Congo and many other countries.  Here are some examples:

- Roads: The roads are not developed and many are not paved.  Before heading out to the villages I always take Dramamine to avoid getting nauseous because the roads are so bumpy.  I have heard recently that NPR reported that Congo has the worst roads.

- Cell phones: Many people in Bunia have at least 2 SIM cards with different phone numbers from different cell phone providers.  This is because the networks are often not working (despite the fact that your phone shows that you have a strong signal).  If one network is not working, you can switch your SIM card and use your phone on the other network.

- Electricity: The power/ electricity in the house can go out at anytime.  There is a big market for flashlights and generators in Bunia.  Households are charged the same amount of money for electricity service each month regardless of how much electricity they use.  I have a habit of turning off the lights when I am not using them but I have been told by our host family that it is not necessary to do this but I still do.

- Water: The water in the house can also go out at anytime.  When it comes water and electricity here it is like the movie “Friday”, we never have 2 things that match.  We may have water but no electricity; we may have electricity but no water.  If we are lucky we will have both but that does not happen too often.  Today the water was off in the house all day and we ran out of water all together.  We keep 3 large containers filled with water in the house for the days when the water is off but today, we ran out of water in those containers as well.  I went with the girls to a neighbor’s house 2 doors down to get water.  Since our house is higher up on the hill than the neighbor’s house, they have water when we may not.  Still have not really figured out how that works but we were able to get water from them so it was all good.

- Government: There is a land issue between 2 tribes and the government was asked back in June to come settle the dispute.  The communities were told that someone will come out after the elections (after January) to solve the dispute.  Meanwhile, the government has sent poorly paid soldiers with lots of extra time on their hands to the area to help prevent a conflict from occurring.

- Military: We were going to spend 3 days in the villages, spending the night there but have had to change our plans.  We were advised not to stay because it may not be safe due to the military presence in the village.  This is ironic because the military was sent there to help protect the village and keep it safe.

- Drivers’ License: You can apply for a driver’s license without taking a test and be qualified to drive anything from a moped to an 18 wheeler!

- Elections: Elections were held this past Monday.  Most of the campaigning I have seen involved groups of people riding around with flags on the backs of their cars and motorcycles with blaring music and megaphones.  The current President has a monopoly on the campaigning.  I was watching TV and asked Akiki why there were no other candidates being presented as running for the elections.  She told me that the channel we were watching was the current president’s channel so it was all about him.  Elections results should be announced next week so we are continuing to pray for a peaceful election period.

- Taxes: If you want to buy a car that costs $9,000 you would end up paying $13,000 due to the high taxes in Congo!

- Food Prices: A box of cereal costs $7.00-$9.00 and that is the regular price, not the mzungu price.

- Resources: The Congo is full of fertile soil for planting various crops yet rice is imported from China.

- Postal Service:  We have a post office box in Uganda because that is the closest place to send and receive mail (and by closest I mean a 5 hour car ride and a 2 hour boat ride).  Additionally we have been waiting over 6 weeks for a shipment of sports equipment from the US.  We have been tracking it and went from Florida to Belgium to Nigeria to Gabon and now we think it is somewhere in Congo but not really sure.  We also have no idea when we may receive this shipment.

Some other facts about Congo: In the most recent United Nations Development Program report, Congo was rated as the worst country in terms of the Human Development Index.  It ranked 187 out of 187 countries.  In terms of good governance Congo is rated the 4th worst just ahead of countries such as Somalia which currently does not even have a government.  Here the gross national income for a year is about $280 which is less than $1 per day!  Kalongo has told us that Congo is about 50 years behind its neighbors such as Uganda.

Despite these facts, I see hope in the Congolese people.  For me, it is mostly portrayed in the faces and the smiles of the people we meet.  When we go out to the villages and meet with our committees we are greeted by the hope on the faces of the children and the community members.  Their smiles are very charismatic and contagious.  There is a long road ahead but I do believe that change can occur.  This is evidenced by small changes we are witnessing already such as the site of over 100 men working hard on the field in Vilo to create a place where the community can play soccer.  It was also evident when I came back to Vilo this past week after my impromptu peace education session with the kids and they still remembered “cheka and furahi” from the happy faces that I drew the previous week.  This week I introduced “salama” which means peace and drew peace signs for them.  I even got a little girl in the community to stop calling me “mzungu” and just call me Selina! I know these are all small steps in the grand scheme of things but it is all a step in the right direction.
 
“There is not doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Meade

A Lesson in Peace (blog #8)

This week we held our first peace education session with our committee in the Vilo community.  It was held at the end to a great day in the community where we participated in a community work day, visited the schools and Scott and Stephen played in a soccer match.  The whole day was great but I think the best part for me was the time I spent with the kids before the peace education session began. 

I was in the community meeting room preparing for the session and as usual kids kept coming in and out of the building.  There is a group of young kids between the ages of 3-7 that follow us around the community most of the time we are there.  They are not yet in school, so they are usually outside playing when we pull up and seem to stick around until we leave.  They watched as I put chart paper with various words and drawings on the wall and prepared notebooks for the participants of the workshop.  I placed sticky notes on the notebooks and the kids just kept watching me so I decided to give them each a sticky note.  I drew a smiley face J on the sticky note and gave it to them and although they seemed happy, they did not really know what it was.  I explained that the face was a smiley face as best as I could in Kiswahili saying, “cheka and furahi” (laughing and happy).  Each child gave me the biggest, charismatic smile as I handed them their sticky notes.  Before I realized it, I had given about 20 kids sticky notes with smiley faces and more kept coming.  I showed the kids that the notes would stick on things like wood and I explained that they could take them home and stick them on something (again in the best way I could in Kiswahili).  I also started asking the kids, “ni nini? (what’s this?)” and they would respond, "cheka, furahi”. 

After a while the kids left and we began our peace education session with the committee.  When we walked out of the meeting, I looked across the street and saw these bright green squares on the walls and windows of a house.  Turns out the kids had posted their smiley face sticky notes there.  I asked a couple of the kids where their sticky notes were and they smiled brightly and pointed to the building across the street.  It was truly a special moment that made me feel good inside.  That day, not only did I facilitate a peace education session with the adults but I also had an impromptu peace education session with the kids.  The kids in turn spread smiles across the community.  Coming out of the meeting and seeing those sticky notes on the building was the perfect ending to a perfect day J!  

From Mzungu to Rafiki (Blog #7)

The first time I met Solomon, he screamed and cried at the sight of me because I was a mzungu (for the purpose of this story, I will be a mzungu… for now J ).  Solomon is a 2 ½ year old boy that lives in Bogoro, one of the villages in which we are working.  His mom’s name is Charlye and I met them through Miriam and Rutha who also live in Bogoro. 

Today Solomon smiles and is excited to see me.  It is amazing to see a child that was frightened by the thought of me and who would not come near me with a 10 foot pole, now come up and give me a hug.  He went from telling me bye to get rid of me to not wanting me to leave.  This relationship, however, this took some time and some convincing.  After a couple of visits Charlye convinced Solomon that I was not a mzungu and she compared my skin to his, saying, “Look she is brown like you.”  She also helped by modeling behavior for him.  She shook my hand and laughed and talked with me.  Each time I would visit, Solomon became more comfortable with me and moved closer and closer, after the initial shock wore off.  Eventually he touched my skin and saw that it was like his and he even held my hand.  To him, I am no longer a mzungu, I am a rafiki (friend).

Next step was to build a relationship between Solomon and Scott and Stephen.  I was able to use my newly developed relationship with him (and the fact that Scott had a hammock and a soccer ball) as a bridge to connect them.  When Scott first walked in the local shop with me Solomon greeted me and then started crying when he saw Scott.  I showed him that Scott was my rafiki and that there was nothing to be afraid of.  He calmed down as far as crying but would not come near Scott.  Then the magic happened!  Scott pulled out the hammock.  His hammock has been a big hit with the kids in Bogoro.  I told Solomon to come with me and he trusted me and came.  I showed him the hammock and Scott demonstrated how you lay in it.  There was a sparkle in his eyes as he watched, yet still from a distance.  He let me pick him up and I put him in the hammock but he was scared so I got in with him.  His frown quickly turned to a smile as we glided back and forth in the hammock.  He also enjoyed having pictures taken of him and wanted to see them on the camera.  What really put the icing on the cake though, was the soccer ball.  As soon as Scott pulled out the soccer ball it was all over.  Solomon had a new best friend.  He quickly joined Scott and 2 other boys in kicking around the ball.  He got so excited and clapped every time he kicked the ball.  Now when I see Solomon he asks me where the mzungu is (aka Scott) and of course he wants to play soccer. 

Whether I am working in a small village in Congo or working in a school in Atlanta, relationships have been one of the most important aspects of my job.  For our projects here in Congo, they are essential.  We cannot succeed without building and strengthening relationships within the communities.  That includes our relationships with each other as co-workers and friends, our relationships with village chiefs and pastors, our relationships with parents, teachers, coaches, leaders and even our relationships with little 2 year old boys like Solomon.  These relationships are the heart of our work and I am blessed to be able to foster the relationships with the people I have met so far.  

Birthday in Bunia (blog #6)

On the morning of my birthday I woke up to a mouse making noises under my bed!  Anyone that knows me knows that I am pretty scared of a lot of things (mice definitely being one of them!). I do not watch scary movies and am pretty much scared of anything that moves.  Being here in Bunia, I have had to get used to a couple of moving things that I do not usually have to deal with like lizards.  Since they eat the mosquitoes and they somewhat have a purpose I can deal with them.  But mice, I don’t think I can get used to them.

As I sat up in my bed, I started thinking and hoping that it was just a dream and that I had not really heard a mouse.  A few seconds later though, I saw it crawling up the wall on the other side of the room.  I shined the light on it and it took off out of the room.  This was 6am and as I lay paralyzed in my bed I tried to think of my next move.  I figured/ hoped that I had scared it and that the chances of it coming back were slim so I decided to stay in bed within the “safety” of my mosquito net.  Other people in the house were starting to wake up so I reasoned it would probably hide and we would not see it for the rest of the day.

I finally managed to come out of my room after I laid there for another hour or so contemplating if I should try to get on the next plane/bus/boat/motorcycle or whatever mode of transportation was necessary, out of Bunia.  Stephen and Scott were up so I proceeded to tell them my story.  They seemed to be concerned reassuring me that the mouse would not come in my bed (that’s not the point!!!) and said we could get a trap or something while Kalongo said, “My dear, I’m sorry.  We will have to get some poison. That is our only option now.”

After breakfast, I decided to go to the French service at church with Stephen b/c it was a special women’s service.  It was nice but I did not understand much being that it was in French and Kiswahili.  We saw some of our other mzungu friends there from MedAir and Samaritan’s Purse, 2 NGOs doing work in Bunia and the surrounding areas.  I also attended the English service at church later that evening which we have been attending for the past 3 weeks.  We have had a chance to meet a lot of people through the church.  Many people that we met have already heard about us and the project we are doing (Bunia is a pretty small town so word gets around) and they have been very encouraging.

After church is when the real fun began.  The crew back at the house surprised me with a couple of gifts and a cake.  I received a traditional Congolese outfit that was creatively wrapped by Scott in webbing from his hammock.  It took about 10 minutes for me to unwrap it!  I tried my outfit on and I am no longer a mzungu!!!! I look like a Congolese woman!  The girls in the house, Hope and Grace gave me cards that were wrapped in wrapping paper which was really sweet.  Stephen and Scott has also prepared a slide show with pictures from our trip so far that we all sat back and enjoyed. 

After dinner, they family prayed for me and Kalongo with his wise and humble spirit gave a speech.  He stated that while we are here celebrating my birthday, there are people that are not as fortunate as there are some mothers that are burying their children at this very moment.  He also reminded us that that fact that I am still here at my age (whatever age that is b/c I did not tell them J) means that God has a plan for me and while we might always understand that plan or know what that plan is, things happen for a reason.  It is no accident that I am here in the Congo at this time with the people I am with (this made me think that maybe the incident with the mouse from this morning wasn’t such a big deal although I am still trying to convince myself of that!).

I later taught the family and the guys the Cupid Shuffle and the Wobble, 2 all time American favorites or at least Atlanta favorites.  We danced for a while and everyone had a great time.  All in all I enjoyed my day and the time I spent with the family and my 2 partners in crime here.  I am going to call it a night now as I sit here in my bed with the mosquito net tucked as tightly under my mattress as possible with the hopes that the mouse does not venture back in here.  I already had the guys check under the bed and other hiding places in the room which will probably a nightly routine until I am assured that the mouse is dead!

Home away from home (Blog #5

My home away from home here in Congo is at the Rwabikanga residence.  Their home is 4 bedroom home with a living room, bathroom and a hallway/ kitchen preparation area.  The actual kitchen where they cook the meals is out back in a small shed with 2 coal stoves.  There is also an electric stove inside the house but it is less often used b/c it takes too much power to use it.  The family consists of Kalongo, the father, Akiki, the mother, their daughters Hope (12) and Merveil (4 months), and their niece Grace (17).  Grace and Hope are currently sharing a room as the family has graciously given 2 of the rooms to me and my colleagues.  I have my own room and Stephen and Scott share room. 

     

Daily life in the household includes breakfast, lunch and dinner at the dining room table, cooking, cleaning, washing, going to school 6 days a week, going to church, watching TV and entertaining Merveil who is a delightful and happy baby.  Merveil is a French name meaning marvelous.  Today is Sunday and as I am sitting here writing this blog, gospel music videos from Tanzania are playing in the background.  The videos include dancing and singing with scenic backgrounds such as the island or beach, beautiful mountain villages, and landscaped gardens.  Each video also usually conveys some kind of message such AIDS awareness and watching what you say b/c your mouth can get you in trouble. 

I am not too fond of some of the other TV shows here.  2 of the main ones that the girls like to watch here are foreign shows that have been dubbed in English and French.  There is a Spanish show called “2^nd Chance” that looks like something from Telemundo that has been dubbed in English.  From what I can tell it is about a man names Salvador that has had a 2^nd chance at life b/c he died and came back to life.  However, when he came back to life, he is in his body but with the spirit of an older business man that was the owner of a profitable company.  Salvador has a swag that makes him irresistible to women, young and old, with his long curly hair and his sexy physical build.  He also more knowledgeable about the business due to his new found wisdom of the spirit inside him which makes the women even more attracted to him.  The acting is already terrible and the dubbing of the voices makes the show even worse.  The girls and Kalongo are equally enthralled by this show though so it is often the focus of the TV, when there is power of course!  Another show is an Indian show that is dubbed in French about a family that apparently has some kind of demons but they cannot figure out who the actual demon in the family is.  This is what I can gather from just short portion of it I have watched trying to discern what very little I know in French.

Akiki, works a lot and I try to do my best to help her around the house but she often tells me no.  I have to be very insistent on helping out and trying to do my share.  Although the family does have a housegirl that helps with the washing and cleaning and a man that helps with the cooking, Akiki and the girls do a lot of the work.  So far, they have allowed me to help wash clothes one time, clean my room, cook some eggs and help wash dishes.  I also help take care of Merveil sometimes by keeping her occupied while Akiki eats or prepares dinner.  Merveil is easily entertained and has the most precious smile so I can work with her because as many of you may know, babies are not my thing lol!  Akiki has promised that she will teach me how to cook as I try to become more domesticated J.  The meals we have are very good and usually consist of rice and/or potatoes; a vegetable such as cabbage, green beans, peas, or spinach; a meat, usually chicken, fish or beef; and boiled or fried bananas.  The diet here consists of a lot of starch and oil used to prepare the food (I really have to make sure I keep going to the gym or I will definitely gain a lot of weight while I am here).

Stephen, Scott and I spend a lot of time conducting Sports4Hope business but we have managed to find other fun ways to occupy our time.  We were invited to a Congolese wedding last weekend that was fun with lots of singing and dancing.  We also spend time in the internet (when it is working) making contact with people back home and the guys check the sports scores to various games that they are not able to watch here.  We play games to keep ourselves entertained like “Catchphrase”, “Stadt, Land, Fluss” (A German version of Scattergories that requires only paper and pencil), and various card games.  Yesterday the guys played volleyball with some other mzungus here in Bunia.  There is an NGO here called Medcare that does relief work in the area and every Sat. they have volleyball games at their compound. 

We have been very blessed to be living with the Rwabikangas.  The family is very hospitable and makes sure that we have everything we need such as hot water to take our “showers” twice a day which apparently is a requirement here.  You have to shower before breakfast and again before dinner.  Meal times offer an opportunity to learn more Swahili and more about the culture.  Many times though, Stephen, Akiki and Kalongo get engrossed in a conversation in French and Scott and I have puzzled looks on our faces.   Also Kalongo just rigged up the refrigerator (that man is truly a jack of all trades) so that it now works with some kind of stabilizer device that he bought so we will now have cold water to drink and will be able to refrigerate items.  Oh the life!