Here is what I learned last night:
1. Snails do not like to eat asparagus.
2. Earth worms are nocturnal and are incredibly light sensitive.
3. Snails seem to like dandelions.
4. There are some people who are interested in my thoughts, musings, and questions as I continue finding my way along this path toward and for women & girls, human rights, local vs global.
I spent last night with my mom, Ellen, and my friend of 26 years, Marguerite. I've been back from Congo a month and still very few people have heard my stories and seen pictures from the trip. I hopped off the fast-moving train of everyday life for a little bit for my Congo adventure, but that train keeps on chugging. I was plopped right back onto that train when I got back and have been moving fast since I got back. There just hasn't been a lot of space and time to sit down with folks and download everything I saw, learned, experienced.
So, last night we had dinner at my mom's and talked and talked and talked about Congo and women and history and books and Molly Melching in Senegal and fundraising and gorillas. We looked at pictures taken by myself but mostly other women on my Congo trip who had cameras with HUGE lenses! Beeeeeautiful photos of beeeeeeautiful people! It was sharing on a deep level - not just stories and pictures of places I went and people I met but of the dynamics of our group, what it means to take a trip like this in terms of "what's next", questions and wonderings about "what's next" for the girls/women at City of Joy, what it was like for the Mayo docs and the politics involved to get a CAT Scan machine for Panzi Hospital, what it must feel like for Andre, the animal caretaker at the gorilla sanctuary near Virunga National Park, to have a 10 year old gorilla drape itself around his neck and be carried around. One topic lead to another.
I am grateful for the time with them...to keep Congo close and present in my everyday life. With every day it feels farther and farther away. Yet, I feel it under my skin. It's something I want to keep scratching to bring it to the surface. Sometimes it is hard having it on the surface, and I need a break. For example, while reading "King Leopold's Ghost" by Adam Hochschild (http://www.amazon.com/King-Leopolds-Ghost-Heroism-Colonial/dp/0618001905) the long-time suffering of Congo and the Congolese just gets to be too much. I mean, seriously, how is it possible for one country to endure so much abuse and suffering for 150+ years?
Our conversation went from Congo to Senegal where Molly Melching founded an organization called Tostan over 20 years ago (http://www.tostan.org). This is truly transformational human rights work on a community level. This program resonates for me on a deep level - a level where it all just makes so much sense - a theory of behavior change rooted in community and social norms. It takes time and patience and faith and IT WORKS! Her work has resulted in thousands of rural Senegalese villages denouncing female genital cutting and child marriage; increased literacy and commitment to keep boys and especially girls in school; primarily women learning to manage projects and start businesses for increased economic security for families and entire communities...I could go on and on. There is a fantastic book called "However Long The Night" written by Aimee Molloy. It is a biography of Molly Melching and the birth of Tostan. Please read it! (http://www.amazon.com/However-Long-Night-Melchings-Millions/dp/0062132768) It is a fantastic story, easy read and is inspiring...if you ever thought you couldn't do something, this book will show you that it's all possible.
My mom and Marguerite encouraged and inspired me to keep blogging...to share my thoughts, musings, questions as I continue down this path towards and for women & girls, human rights, service, fundraising, local vs. global. As someone who is more naturally a verbal processor and face-to-face connector, blogging isn't what I would gravitate towards as a way to advocate for things I feel passionate about. But, why not? I'm going to try.
I left my mom's house at around 11:00pm (that is super late for this early-to-bedder!) It was a cool, rainy evening. I got home, plugged in the car and noticed a whole bunch of snails crawling along our driveway retaining wall. My first thought was, "Oh shit! I hope the snails are not eating the asparagus plants!" Side note: I have been longing to plant asparagus ever since I read Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" about 8 years ago. Fabulous book about a family's year-long journey of eating things found within 10 miles of their home (http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/). I finally planted asparagus last week. They are a labor of love in that there are many steps to the initial planting and then you wait TWO YEARS before the first harvest. There was going to be hell to pay if those snails were munching on the new sprouts on the asparagus plants! Luckily for them and me, the snails were completely uninterested in the asparagus. But, they were everywhere! I grabbed a flashlight and started my hunt bucket in hand. Within 15 minutes I had harvested over 50 snails from the garden! I found them on the branches of the Hebes, mounded on the previously-weeded dandelions lying on the sidewalk, crawling on trellises, over the stone steps. I found a few slugs right along with them. Long, thick earth worms that disappeared instantly into holes at the sight of the flashlight. The snails were oblivious to the light. It was a complete rainy-night party going on in the garden!
This morning, Lucas, Che and I headed down the block to the neighbor's house. They have about 10 chickens. If you don't already know - chickens love to eat snails! They see us coming and we say our usual greeting, "Good morning, Ladies!" And they come running. Chickens running at full speed is absolutely hilarious! We dumped the bucket of snails and watched the feeding frenzy. It was a great morning for the chickens...not so much for the snails.
So, that is the story of my evening last night. More blogging to come.
One last note: Molly Melching is coming to the States in May and June to talk about Tostan's work. I am going to host a dinner for Molly when she is in Seattle. If you would be interested in joining us for dinner, please let me know. Also, if you know of anyone else who might be interested in meeting Molly and learning more about Tostan, please pass the word along.
much love,
ME
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Last leg
I'm sitting in the San Jose, CA airport, sun is streaming through the windows. It's hot. I need my sunglasses. I'm freshly showered as I had a few hours at Amy's house between the flight from Kigali and my flight to Seattle. Yet, I'm wearing my dirty clothes from Congo. I love it...my skirt smells like Congo mixed with the smell of the bug spray made from geraniums that Frannie swears by and gave us all a bottle of on the flight to Burundi. (Frannie is a minister from California who was on the trip...a person with a huge heart and eyes wide open to all. She is wonderful.)
I was reluctant to shower at Amy's...savoring the last bit of Congo still on me. My hair felt like I was wearing a wig - all stiff from the dusty drive from Virunga to Goma in the open-sided jeeps. I also had a lot of dirt in and around my toenails leftover from the mud fest on our gorilla trekking day.
I really am not ready to let Congo go. As I sit here, I am thinking about the ways that I can keep Congo present and alive in my every day life. My backpack is full of books that Amy gave me today about Congo and global human rights work...so that is one way to keep it in the forefront. Admittedly, it would help to know that I will go back...relatively soon. Just not sure about that yet. I could see going back with this group. I would need to tack on some other parts to it, though. I need more cultural immersion and time with people. Seeing it all from the window of a car or in NGO meetings isn't going to do it for me a second time around. I am a bit tempted to actually consider trying to go back in August with Matt and Lucas to go to Cyprien's wedding. Crazy? Probably. Fun to dream about? Definitely.
Right now, the folks at Virunga are finishing up a feature length film about the park and the threats to the park...especially the potential oil drilling near Lake Edward by a British oil company. If it happens, it stands to seriously impact water quality and access and fish access to thousands of Congolese. The impact on the livelihood of the people in the area would be devastating. We saw a 20 minute clip of the film while we were in Virunga. It was beautiful. It was accepted into the documentary section of the Tribeca Film Festival. It will screen there in NYC on April 17th. I'm hoping to make it work to take Lucas and hopefully Matt to New York for the film festival. There will be at least a couple of folks from the trip there as well. Fingers crossed.
I keep checking the clock. 50 minutes til my flight leaves. I'm ready now.
Lots of love, ME
I was reluctant to shower at Amy's...savoring the last bit of Congo still on me. My hair felt like I was wearing a wig - all stiff from the dusty drive from Virunga to Goma in the open-sided jeeps. I also had a lot of dirt in and around my toenails leftover from the mud fest on our gorilla trekking day.
I really am not ready to let Congo go. As I sit here, I am thinking about the ways that I can keep Congo present and alive in my every day life. My backpack is full of books that Amy gave me today about Congo and global human rights work...so that is one way to keep it in the forefront. Admittedly, it would help to know that I will go back...relatively soon. Just not sure about that yet. I could see going back with this group. I would need to tack on some other parts to it, though. I need more cultural immersion and time with people. Seeing it all from the window of a car or in NGO meetings isn't going to do it for me a second time around. I am a bit tempted to actually consider trying to go back in August with Matt and Lucas to go to Cyprien's wedding. Crazy? Probably. Fun to dream about? Definitely.
Right now, the folks at Virunga are finishing up a feature length film about the park and the threats to the park...especially the potential oil drilling near Lake Edward by a British oil company. If it happens, it stands to seriously impact water quality and access and fish access to thousands of Congolese. The impact on the livelihood of the people in the area would be devastating. We saw a 20 minute clip of the film while we were in Virunga. It was beautiful. It was accepted into the documentary section of the Tribeca Film Festival. It will screen there in NYC on April 17th. I'm hoping to make it work to take Lucas and hopefully Matt to New York for the film festival. There will be at least a couple of folks from the trip there as well. Fingers crossed.
I keep checking the clock. 50 minutes til my flight leaves. I'm ready now.
Lots of love, ME
Coming home
OK...now I'm just about an hour from CA...flying over Montana.
We got to the border of DRC & Rwanda about 2:30pm. It was hot sitting in our green park jeeps waiting for clearance to get out and walk to the Rwandan side of the border. Gave Eric, the Virunga driver I had gotten close to, the glass evil eye I had brought with me and some pictures from home. I hope to see him again. He is lovely.
Nothing moves quickly here. So, our border crossing was leisurely - superfluous baggage checks, questions about our various professions listed on our Rwandan entrance cards, conversations betweens all of the border guys instead of processing passports, etc. But, through we got and into cars for the 3 hour drive to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
I wrote about this a bit at the beginning of this journey, but the difference between Congo and Rwanda is staggering - beautiful, well-maintained roads, schools and health centers in every town and village along the way, clean. There is much less obvious, dire poverty here. It is also a beautiful country - tea farms, rolling hills and mountains, farms, small towns. We kept passing these "towers" of carrots just harvested. They are stacked in a woven kind of way in these white bags with metal stays sticking up that create a sort of cage/tower to hold the carrots, laid one layer one way and the next layer the opposite. Absolutely stunning.
Our driver was named Sam. He drives like a true African...well, a real Rwandan since they have real roads to drive on. He drives fast, breaks fast, passes on curves, ignores any sort of speed signs in towns, honks at anyone potentially in his way. My fellow passengers were not happy...quite scared for their lives actually. After driving in Morocco, it didn't phase me. Plus, I got super duper car sick the last hour of the drive as we wound our way up and over the twisty mountains road down into Kigali. Kigali was a shock - big city with about 1.5 million people. Same population of both Bukavu and Goma but those cities were built for 50,000. Quite a different feeling - it is cosmopolitan, clean, lively. Saw a big group of Chinese tourists and other "muzungus" (white people). That was a first since we landed in Burundi.
We reunited with the Mayo docs and Pat & Scott Mitchell and V-day staff at the airport. They had stayed in Bukavu when the rest of us went to Goma. Lovely to all be together again. It is deeply sad to leave Congo and it is sad to leave this group. We are a diverse group with a common love of Congo and commitment to human rights and justice. Feeling so connected to this group has been a lovely surprise and addition to this journey for me.
We got on the plane around 8:30pm. It was like a pajama party - everyone washing off the layer of dust, changing into comfy clothes and making up beds. We were a very tired group. Most people passed out after dinner (a couple before!) A handful of us stayed up (or tried to) the first leg to London in hopes of sleeping on the London-CA leg to help with jetlag. I was one of those. I watched two movies and slept about an hour. Then I went to sleep before take off from London and slept for about 3 hours. Not quite enough...but the adrenaline I feel from the trip and the excitement to see Matt and Lucas, I will be fine. No doubt I will sleep well tonight.
No guarantees that I won't greet you in French or try out some Swahili with you. I really got in that zone while I was in Congo. I am deeply committed coming home to studying French and Spanish simultaneously. Most of the Congolese we met speak 3-7 languages. It was inspiring to watch their ability to talk and connect with so many people. I want that. I long for that.
I will spend the morning and afternoon at Amy Rao's house in Palo Alto before heading to the San Jose airport for my 3:30pm flight home to Seattle. Amy, the mama and hostess to everyone, will not hear of any of us who have flights today hanging out at the airport. Seriously, she must be so sick of us! And yet, off to her lovely, welcoming home we go. No doubt her husband, Harry, is cooking for us as I write. Which, I have to say, will be lovely as he is an absolutely amazing cook! :)
Writing these blog posts has added so much to my Congo experience...sharing it all with you while it was happening. It was a gift to write and a gift to know you were reading it and in some small way were experiencing it with me. Thank you for your interest and support along every step of this journey. You all are invaluable to me.
Ok, off to spend the last minutes with my co-travelers before we all head our separate ways.
I love you. I look forward to being in touch this week.
Love, Joy & Justice...my (FIRST) trip to Congo signing off.
ME
We got to the border of DRC & Rwanda about 2:30pm. It was hot sitting in our green park jeeps waiting for clearance to get out and walk to the Rwandan side of the border. Gave Eric, the Virunga driver I had gotten close to, the glass evil eye I had brought with me and some pictures from home. I hope to see him again. He is lovely.
Nothing moves quickly here. So, our border crossing was leisurely - superfluous baggage checks, questions about our various professions listed on our Rwandan entrance cards, conversations betweens all of the border guys instead of processing passports, etc. But, through we got and into cars for the 3 hour drive to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
I wrote about this a bit at the beginning of this journey, but the difference between Congo and Rwanda is staggering - beautiful, well-maintained roads, schools and health centers in every town and village along the way, clean. There is much less obvious, dire poverty here. It is also a beautiful country - tea farms, rolling hills and mountains, farms, small towns. We kept passing these "towers" of carrots just harvested. They are stacked in a woven kind of way in these white bags with metal stays sticking up that create a sort of cage/tower to hold the carrots, laid one layer one way and the next layer the opposite. Absolutely stunning.
Our driver was named Sam. He drives like a true African...well, a real Rwandan since they have real roads to drive on. He drives fast, breaks fast, passes on curves, ignores any sort of speed signs in towns, honks at anyone potentially in his way. My fellow passengers were not happy...quite scared for their lives actually. After driving in Morocco, it didn't phase me. Plus, I got super duper car sick the last hour of the drive as we wound our way up and over the twisty mountains road down into Kigali. Kigali was a shock - big city with about 1.5 million people. Same population of both Bukavu and Goma but those cities were built for 50,000. Quite a different feeling - it is cosmopolitan, clean, lively. Saw a big group of Chinese tourists and other "muzungus" (white people). That was a first since we landed in Burundi.
We reunited with the Mayo docs and Pat & Scott Mitchell and V-day staff at the airport. They had stayed in Bukavu when the rest of us went to Goma. Lovely to all be together again. It is deeply sad to leave Congo and it is sad to leave this group. We are a diverse group with a common love of Congo and commitment to human rights and justice. Feeling so connected to this group has been a lovely surprise and addition to this journey for me.
We got on the plane around 8:30pm. It was like a pajama party - everyone washing off the layer of dust, changing into comfy clothes and making up beds. We were a very tired group. Most people passed out after dinner (a couple before!) A handful of us stayed up (or tried to) the first leg to London in hopes of sleeping on the London-CA leg to help with jetlag. I was one of those. I watched two movies and slept about an hour. Then I went to sleep before take off from London and slept for about 3 hours. Not quite enough...but the adrenaline I feel from the trip and the excitement to see Matt and Lucas, I will be fine. No doubt I will sleep well tonight.
No guarantees that I won't greet you in French or try out some Swahili with you. I really got in that zone while I was in Congo. I am deeply committed coming home to studying French and Spanish simultaneously. Most of the Congolese we met speak 3-7 languages. It was inspiring to watch their ability to talk and connect with so many people. I want that. I long for that.
I will spend the morning and afternoon at Amy Rao's house in Palo Alto before heading to the San Jose airport for my 3:30pm flight home to Seattle. Amy, the mama and hostess to everyone, will not hear of any of us who have flights today hanging out at the airport. Seriously, she must be so sick of us! And yet, off to her lovely, welcoming home we go. No doubt her husband, Harry, is cooking for us as I write. Which, I have to say, will be lovely as he is an absolutely amazing cook! :)
Writing these blog posts has added so much to my Congo experience...sharing it all with you while it was happening. It was a gift to write and a gift to know you were reading it and in some small way were experiencing it with me. Thank you for your interest and support along every step of this journey. You all are invaluable to me.
Ok, off to spend the last minutes with my co-travelers before we all head our separate ways.
I love you. I look forward to being in touch this week.
Love, Joy & Justice...my (FIRST) trip to Congo signing off.
ME
Goma & Virunga National Park
I finally have an internet connection again...have been without since we left Bukavu on Wednesday. The reason I have connection is I'm on the plane just about 3 hours from San Francisco! More on that...first I want to tell you about my days in Goma and Virunga National Park.
We started the day with an early rise to visit two organizations in Bukavu before we headed to Goma around noon. We went to a place called Centre Olame. They are a less funded City of Joy. They work with women to help them with skills training and education. Matilde, who runs the center, is like a Congolese Mother Teresa. She is fierce, smart, savvy, resourceful and committed. They are in the process of building more dorms for the women to live there while they are at the university. They help girls get educated starting with primary school (a scholarship is $60/year!) through university.
The second organization was called BVES. The help rescue children who have been forced into being soldiers - boys and girls. We went to the girls center. Many of the girls live there for a few months (some come just during the day). They have school classes to help get them ready to go back to full school, trained in sewing and other skills, therapy, etc. Mubashi is the director. He walks on water...his heart is a mile wide. Talk about fierce...he and his staff actually talk directly with the rebel groups to negotiate the release of the girls (and boys). They do so much on so little. The visit was deeply impactful for all of us. The center is beyond bare bones. Small, dark classrooms, rickety fencing around the outside, steep steps that lead down to a dirt courtyard with a handmade tire swing in the middle surrounded by open-air class rooms. Many of the girls have babies or are pregnant when they come, so there are many little children here as well. They desperately need more space and better space.
Then to the boat to Goma. 2 1/2 hours to the very north end of beautiful Lake Kivu. Might I add, the boart was completely orange! Loved it. In fact, orange is everywhere here. No wonder I feel so at home! We were greeted by several of the staff from the Goma office for Human Rights Watch. (Look up the organization...they are doing vital work all over the world for the protection of human rights.) Stepping out of the gates of the boat dock was quite a shock. Bukavu was over-crowded and there were signs of poverty everywhere, but Goma was on a whole different level.
A little reminder about Goma: it sits right on the border of Rwanda, and it is a main commerce hub. So, it has been captured and recaptured over and over again by rebel groups for decades. The most recent of which was the horrid M23. They came in from Rwanda and displaced thousands of people from their villages, raped countless women, forced men into labor and tricked young men into being soldiers. It was just this past November that the M23 was defeated, so Goma and the surrounding areas have just barely started to recover.
In addition, Goma sits at the foot of Nyirgongo, an active volcano that last erupted in 2002. Lava flowed through a third off the city into Lake Kivu. So, it is like a lunar landscape - black lava rock everywhere, very little green.
There is an edge here in Goma. The people smile less, the kids are more aggressive, there is garbage everywhere, houses and buildings are hovels. It was super hard for me. This is what I had tried to prepare myself for coming to Congo and had not yet witnessed.
We first went to the Human Rights Watch (HRW) office for a meeting with the full staff and a film about their work here. Then onto the hotel...let's just say that the contrast between the street scene along the drive there and the setting of the hotel was stark. It rattled me. I felt so angry and disgusted and confused. I wanted to blame someone. I wanted to turn and walk back out of the gates. The hotel was lush and cozy and quiet and utterly picturesque poised right on the shore of Lake Kivu. There were bottles of cold water and a decanter of cold fruit juice waiting for us.
I retreated to my room and called Matt at work. Just needed to download some feelings. It helped. Another meeting that night and then a lovely dinner on the stone patio by the lake. Early to bed for me. I think all of the adrenaline from the trip so far had kept me going, going and now I crashed. Got into bed and slept 9 1/2 hours.
Thursday we hopped back into our green, open-sided jeeps from Virunga that met us at the boat when we arrived. They would be with us all the way to the Rwandan border on Saturday when we headed to Kigali for our flight home. I got quite friendly with Eric and Jean Paul, two of our drivers. The drive to Virunga was breathtaking. I have to say, it was a relief to drive out of Goma and head into the small, lush farming villages everywhere along the road up to the park. So much more remote but less poor and desperate. So much hard work - they have to walk far from where they live to where they farm. There was joy and beauty everywhere despite the arduous work. I long to return and live in one of these villages for a while and farm and play with the kids and talk with the mamas.
It's hard to capture the beauty of Virunga. There are volcanos around and moutains and hills and farm land. The Mikeno Lodge was an oasis in the jungle. Blue monkeys and Colobus monkeys scrambled over head in the trees like squirrels as we walked down crushed lava rock trails to our individual bungalows in the trees. There are big, beautiful hounds dogs that are used for finding poached ivory and a gorilla sanctuary for the 4 orphaned Mountain Gorillas that have been found over the years as a result of their parents being killed.
We spent Thursday hearing testimonies from 3 groups of people who have so bravely come forward to share their stories with HRW in order to hopefully further the efforts for justice. One was a group of 3 women - 2 rapes survivors of the M23 and the other a social worker who supports the women; the second were 2 young men who had been tricked and then forced into being soldiers and Herve who runs a center that helps boys like this; the third was two men who were forced into labor by the M23. The testimonies were devastating and moving and awe-inspiring...the resiliency of each of these individuals is astounding. And, how utterly grateful we are for the work of HRW to end these atrocities.
Friday found us all up and dressed for a trek to see mountain gorillas. There are 5 families in this area of the park. We were split into 3 groups - each group visiting a different family. Each group had a main guide, 3-4 armed rangers, and porters to carry backpacks. We hiked for an hour over the richest farmland in the most beautiful setting. We were quite a sight to the families working in their fields! It started pouring 10 minutes into the trek so we were all decked out in our colorful raincoats, hats and boots and gators. I can only imagine what we looked like to them. Once we hit the border of the park, we shimmied under and electric fence and started the slog up the un-trailed mountain in the jungle. The rangers in the front used machetes to make a passable route. It was wet, wet, wet and very slippery. Many had walking sticks the rangers cut with the machetes others wore gloves and used the plants for stability. After about 2 hours we found the Humba family, named after the big silver back daddy. There are 16 in the family. We saw about half of them. They were not psyched about the rain either. We watched a male and female sit in a nest they had each made to keep their legs and feet dry and wam, hunched over with their long arms wrapped over their bellies. A little later we found a mama and a young baby. Got to hear the baby cry for milk, mama roll over and baby crawled on top and started to nurse. Amazing!
Then came the long, very wet and slippery slog back down the mountain. We had all been soaked completely through (I mean completely) for 3 hours already. So, all of the falls and slides on our butts didn't really matter much. Once we reached the farm fields, the rain stopped and the sun started to come out. It was a total mud fest in the fields but so lovely to dry out as we walked. Overall, we were gone for about 5 hours. One of the groups had to hike for about 4 hours just to find the gorillas and then one of the members hurt her knee. So, they ended up having to hike out of the jungle in the dark and were out for 10 hours. All of us at the lodge were very happy to see them when they got back.
Even though we were all absolutely exhausted, it was hard to go to sleep knowing it was our last night in Congo. I staggered off to bed around 11:00pm. Others in the group stayed up til 3:30am!
The story of the park: it is the oldest national park on the African continent, formed in 1925. There is incredible wildlife diversity there. Many large mammals as well - two types of elephants, water buffalo, hipps, gorillas, etc. There are huge 15,000 foot mountains with glaciers, that lead to lowland jungle, then to savannahs and then to the volcanos. It is a huge area to manage. It has suffered right along with the people of Congo with the endless wars. Emmanuel is the director of the park. His vision for conserving the park is about lifting up and supporting the humanity that borders the park. He is a visionary - creating jobs, inventing alternative fuel options so women don't have to go into the forest to get wood and expose themselves to rape and torture, etc. The projects and ideas he has are my ideal of true sustainable development and capacity building.
It was so very sad for me when it came time to leave Virunga and head back to Goma on Saturday morning. Lots of tears for me...not just about Virunga but for Congo. I have fallen in love with this country and the people here. Warmth and beauty and resiliency abound here. It has gotten inside of me. With all of the driving we've done I never tired of leaning out the window and waving and saying "Jambo" to everyone...especially the women. We would look each other in the eye and hold that waving until we were out of view. It may sound silly and implausible but I feel connected to them in some small way. I have also have connected with several of the drivers (who I've mentioned), a couple of the rangers at Virunga, and one man who works at the Virunga lodge. His name is Cyprien. He is getting married in August to a woman named Ida who is studying medicine. He invited me to his wedding. What a dream to be able to be there...
I miss all of you. I miss Matt and Lucas. And, I am not ready to leave here. I dug in here quickly. My French ability surprised me...so much more in there after 18 years than I ever could have imagined or hoped for. It made connecting with people so much easier. That coupled with my deep desire to connect made for some great conversations, laughs, sharing of language, sharing about our families and countries. As a result, I believe I've had a different experience than most of my fellow travelers. I took every opportunity to engage with Congolese colleagues or guests or hosts. I have loved it. I want more.
I can't wait to share stories, photos and videos with you.
See you all very soon!
lots of love, ME
We started the day with an early rise to visit two organizations in Bukavu before we headed to Goma around noon. We went to a place called Centre Olame. They are a less funded City of Joy. They work with women to help them with skills training and education. Matilde, who runs the center, is like a Congolese Mother Teresa. She is fierce, smart, savvy, resourceful and committed. They are in the process of building more dorms for the women to live there while they are at the university. They help girls get educated starting with primary school (a scholarship is $60/year!) through university.
The second organization was called BVES. The help rescue children who have been forced into being soldiers - boys and girls. We went to the girls center. Many of the girls live there for a few months (some come just during the day). They have school classes to help get them ready to go back to full school, trained in sewing and other skills, therapy, etc. Mubashi is the director. He walks on water...his heart is a mile wide. Talk about fierce...he and his staff actually talk directly with the rebel groups to negotiate the release of the girls (and boys). They do so much on so little. The visit was deeply impactful for all of us. The center is beyond bare bones. Small, dark classrooms, rickety fencing around the outside, steep steps that lead down to a dirt courtyard with a handmade tire swing in the middle surrounded by open-air class rooms. Many of the girls have babies or are pregnant when they come, so there are many little children here as well. They desperately need more space and better space.
Then to the boat to Goma. 2 1/2 hours to the very north end of beautiful Lake Kivu. Might I add, the boart was completely orange! Loved it. In fact, orange is everywhere here. No wonder I feel so at home! We were greeted by several of the staff from the Goma office for Human Rights Watch. (Look up the organization...they are doing vital work all over the world for the protection of human rights.) Stepping out of the gates of the boat dock was quite a shock. Bukavu was over-crowded and there were signs of poverty everywhere, but Goma was on a whole different level.
A little reminder about Goma: it sits right on the border of Rwanda, and it is a main commerce hub. So, it has been captured and recaptured over and over again by rebel groups for decades. The most recent of which was the horrid M23. They came in from Rwanda and displaced thousands of people from their villages, raped countless women, forced men into labor and tricked young men into being soldiers. It was just this past November that the M23 was defeated, so Goma and the surrounding areas have just barely started to recover.
In addition, Goma sits at the foot of Nyirgongo, an active volcano that last erupted in 2002. Lava flowed through a third off the city into Lake Kivu. So, it is like a lunar landscape - black lava rock everywhere, very little green.
There is an edge here in Goma. The people smile less, the kids are more aggressive, there is garbage everywhere, houses and buildings are hovels. It was super hard for me. This is what I had tried to prepare myself for coming to Congo and had not yet witnessed.
We first went to the Human Rights Watch (HRW) office for a meeting with the full staff and a film about their work here. Then onto the hotel...let's just say that the contrast between the street scene along the drive there and the setting of the hotel was stark. It rattled me. I felt so angry and disgusted and confused. I wanted to blame someone. I wanted to turn and walk back out of the gates. The hotel was lush and cozy and quiet and utterly picturesque poised right on the shore of Lake Kivu. There were bottles of cold water and a decanter of cold fruit juice waiting for us.
I retreated to my room and called Matt at work. Just needed to download some feelings. It helped. Another meeting that night and then a lovely dinner on the stone patio by the lake. Early to bed for me. I think all of the adrenaline from the trip so far had kept me going, going and now I crashed. Got into bed and slept 9 1/2 hours.
Thursday we hopped back into our green, open-sided jeeps from Virunga that met us at the boat when we arrived. They would be with us all the way to the Rwandan border on Saturday when we headed to Kigali for our flight home. I got quite friendly with Eric and Jean Paul, two of our drivers. The drive to Virunga was breathtaking. I have to say, it was a relief to drive out of Goma and head into the small, lush farming villages everywhere along the road up to the park. So much more remote but less poor and desperate. So much hard work - they have to walk far from where they live to where they farm. There was joy and beauty everywhere despite the arduous work. I long to return and live in one of these villages for a while and farm and play with the kids and talk with the mamas.
It's hard to capture the beauty of Virunga. There are volcanos around and moutains and hills and farm land. The Mikeno Lodge was an oasis in the jungle. Blue monkeys and Colobus monkeys scrambled over head in the trees like squirrels as we walked down crushed lava rock trails to our individual bungalows in the trees. There are big, beautiful hounds dogs that are used for finding poached ivory and a gorilla sanctuary for the 4 orphaned Mountain Gorillas that have been found over the years as a result of their parents being killed.
We spent Thursday hearing testimonies from 3 groups of people who have so bravely come forward to share their stories with HRW in order to hopefully further the efforts for justice. One was a group of 3 women - 2 rapes survivors of the M23 and the other a social worker who supports the women; the second were 2 young men who had been tricked and then forced into being soldiers and Herve who runs a center that helps boys like this; the third was two men who were forced into labor by the M23. The testimonies were devastating and moving and awe-inspiring...the resiliency of each of these individuals is astounding. And, how utterly grateful we are for the work of HRW to end these atrocities.
Friday found us all up and dressed for a trek to see mountain gorillas. There are 5 families in this area of the park. We were split into 3 groups - each group visiting a different family. Each group had a main guide, 3-4 armed rangers, and porters to carry backpacks. We hiked for an hour over the richest farmland in the most beautiful setting. We were quite a sight to the families working in their fields! It started pouring 10 minutes into the trek so we were all decked out in our colorful raincoats, hats and boots and gators. I can only imagine what we looked like to them. Once we hit the border of the park, we shimmied under and electric fence and started the slog up the un-trailed mountain in the jungle. The rangers in the front used machetes to make a passable route. It was wet, wet, wet and very slippery. Many had walking sticks the rangers cut with the machetes others wore gloves and used the plants for stability. After about 2 hours we found the Humba family, named after the big silver back daddy. There are 16 in the family. We saw about half of them. They were not psyched about the rain either. We watched a male and female sit in a nest they had each made to keep their legs and feet dry and wam, hunched over with their long arms wrapped over their bellies. A little later we found a mama and a young baby. Got to hear the baby cry for milk, mama roll over and baby crawled on top and started to nurse. Amazing!
Then came the long, very wet and slippery slog back down the mountain. We had all been soaked completely through (I mean completely) for 3 hours already. So, all of the falls and slides on our butts didn't really matter much. Once we reached the farm fields, the rain stopped and the sun started to come out. It was a total mud fest in the fields but so lovely to dry out as we walked. Overall, we were gone for about 5 hours. One of the groups had to hike for about 4 hours just to find the gorillas and then one of the members hurt her knee. So, they ended up having to hike out of the jungle in the dark and were out for 10 hours. All of us at the lodge were very happy to see them when they got back.
Even though we were all absolutely exhausted, it was hard to go to sleep knowing it was our last night in Congo. I staggered off to bed around 11:00pm. Others in the group stayed up til 3:30am!
The story of the park: it is the oldest national park on the African continent, formed in 1925. There is incredible wildlife diversity there. Many large mammals as well - two types of elephants, water buffalo, hipps, gorillas, etc. There are huge 15,000 foot mountains with glaciers, that lead to lowland jungle, then to savannahs and then to the volcanos. It is a huge area to manage. It has suffered right along with the people of Congo with the endless wars. Emmanuel is the director of the park. His vision for conserving the park is about lifting up and supporting the humanity that borders the park. He is a visionary - creating jobs, inventing alternative fuel options so women don't have to go into the forest to get wood and expose themselves to rape and torture, etc. The projects and ideas he has are my ideal of true sustainable development and capacity building.
It was so very sad for me when it came time to leave Virunga and head back to Goma on Saturday morning. Lots of tears for me...not just about Virunga but for Congo. I have fallen in love with this country and the people here. Warmth and beauty and resiliency abound here. It has gotten inside of me. With all of the driving we've done I never tired of leaning out the window and waving and saying "Jambo" to everyone...especially the women. We would look each other in the eye and hold that waving until we were out of view. It may sound silly and implausible but I feel connected to them in some small way. I have also have connected with several of the drivers (who I've mentioned), a couple of the rangers at Virunga, and one man who works at the Virunga lodge. His name is Cyprien. He is getting married in August to a woman named Ida who is studying medicine. He invited me to his wedding. What a dream to be able to be there...
I miss all of you. I miss Matt and Lucas. And, I am not ready to leave here. I dug in here quickly. My French ability surprised me...so much more in there after 18 years than I ever could have imagined or hoped for. It made connecting with people so much easier. That coupled with my deep desire to connect made for some great conversations, laughs, sharing of language, sharing about our families and countries. As a result, I believe I've had a different experience than most of my fellow travelers. I took every opportunity to engage with Congolese colleagues or guests or hosts. I have loved it. I want more.
I can't wait to share stories, photos and videos with you.
See you all very soon!
lots of love, ME
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Big update #2 - City of Joy, Panzi Hospital & V-World Farm
I'm back after the most absolutely glorious, inspiring day at V-World Farm! But...I get ahead of myself...I will back up and write about yesterday first.
I wish I had internet capacity enough to post a video of the welcome we received from the women at COJ when we arrived. You could hear the singing and drumming from quite a ways outside the gate as we drove down the road. They were there in the courtyard and spilling down the walkways. Joyous and singing and dancing. The energy of the music and their joy reached deep inside. I could feel it all inside. We danced our way as one big group down the main walkway into the big hall that was decorated in beautiful Congolese fabrics. We sat in chairs around the room and alternated between hearing testimonies from current residents and graduates and singing and dancing. Most moving were the testimonies from the women who have graduated. How they feel about and carry themselves and what they are doing in their communities. Really, quite unbelievable what these women overcome in 6 months and what they have taken on and become afterwards. One has a sewing business and is giving work to other women, another has become a natural medicine healer (she brought with her various of her medicines), another spoke of the incredible importance and value of the network of graduates to support each other. COJ is truly a transformative experience.
Then came the bowls! I had prepared myself to tell them the story of the bowls in French. So, when it came time to present and they wanted me to speak in English with a Swahili translator I was actually thrown off! They got the message though and couldn't wait to open them. We handed them out to everyone including the staff. I was so preoccupied I don't have any memory of actually seeing the girls and them with the bowls. But, others on the trip with me took tons of pictures and told me how absolutely thrilled the girls were to get them. And has hoped and anticipated, they are already using the muslin bags for other things. Many of them had them at the farm today to carry their water bottle and other things. It may turn out to be like the small child you give a present to and they are most interested in the ribbon! I actually sort of miss the bowls and miss them being all together. Yet, I am thrilled to know that they are in their new home and hope that they are something special for the girls and women. NOTE: I keep saying girls because that is what most the "women" at COJ are - 16 & 17 year olds. There are some older in their early twenties...I knew this yet was really taken aback how young they all are and seem. Perhaps even more amazing what they are accomplishing post-COJ graduation. They are fierce, courageous women.
We all ate lunch together. Noelle (DD at V-Day) and I sat at a table with 6 of the COJ girls. It was a blast. I shared pictures of home with them. They all wanted copies (Thank you, Lib, for the reminder to bring copies!) We took pictures and asked each other about our lives...getting by mostly in French. Not all of the girls speak French but they are learning and learning English. They seem to really love speaking English with us. It's fun.
Then on to Panzi Hospital. A very stark contrast to the joy of COJ. Run down, surrounded by total poverty outside the gates, populated with many patients waiting, waiting to be seen and treated. We had a brief encounter with the wonderful Dr. Mukwege. He has the most gentle, warm, welcoming face. And, it was clear from his demeanor and that of the Mayo Clinic docs who had been at the hospital since 7:00am that it had been a long, hard day...a "crazy day" as Dr. M put it in his limited English. It was so clear that we needed to just go...to abandon the plan for a chat with Dr. M and a tour. That didn't entirely happen. A few of us ended up on a very brief tour with Dr. M. Quite overwhelming and certainly a reality check about what is available here for medical care. We ended up sitting with a group of 150+ women who were all waiting for surgery...mostly needed due to sexual violence. One woman shared her graphic story (I will spare you the utterly horrific details). At that point, we stopped the discussion b/c it was not our intention to have the women share like this. It is often so completely traumatic for them to relive it by sharing their stories. I think it all happened b/c of communication details trying to manage btw English, French and Swahili. We are able to convey our hope, support, and solidarity for these women with them. We will see the Mayo Clinic docs tonight so will get an update on how things are going. One of the docs was going to have about 30 or so surgeries btw Tues-Fri. Whew!
V-World Farm, however, instills nothing but hope, happiness and inspiration. The thoughtful, phase-by-phase development happening there is something to be modeled. They have taken the approach of going slowly to learn as they go. The land was purchased in 2012 and despite a very thoughtful and well-planned approach it is absolutely unbelievable what has been accomplished there:
- they started with 12 pigs. They now have 168.
- Talapia ponds for farming fish
- They grow beans (dried beans), soy beans, corn and maize.
- Lots of vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, cassava (they eat both the root and the greens), amaranth for the greens, they're not so into the grain.)
- they harvested 16 tons of crop last year!
- They have started the warehouse to store the crops after harvest and it will include an office, refrigeration for the fish.
- All of the materials for the construction are either produced on the farm and/or are created from materials on the farm. They currently create 400 cement-like blocks a day, weld the frames for the roof of the warehouse, etc. It's impressive.
- They are building a road to be able to access all parts of the farm. It is a HUGE undertaking here to build a road that doesn't wash out every year and half to be rebuilt. They have come up with a sustainable road construction plan. Again, very thoughtful.
The next plan is to build housing for women who want to come live at the farm. They will need housing for 50. They will build one house first to learn from the process and then make changes for the others as needed.
The plan for the farm is based on a comprehensive permaculture plan designed by a team of permaculturalists from the Bay Area that spent a month here last year. They will implement the plan in phases. But it is all completely full circle or called a "closed loop system". For example, currently the pig shit feeds the fish, the water from the fish ponds is used for fertilizer and the vegetable waste from the vegetable crops feed the pigs. (Are you smiling, Maryann?! You would love what they are doing here!) I could spend a lot of time there! It is absolutely such a beautiful setting. We were once again greeted by the girls singing and dancing as we walked down the road-under-construction. I danced and danced with them in the hot sun. Awesome! Got to see them draining one of the talapia ponds and harvesting the fish. They didn't go without a fight! Quite fiesty they are...I guess I would be too if I were suffocating! I got lots of great photos of the process and got pretty well splattered with mud from the flapping and flopping fish.
We shared a picnic lunch with the girls before having to hightail it out of there because of the coming rain. They were nervous about what would happen to the roads with the rain. I should reiterate that the roads here are beyond in horrid condition. It is really unbelievable. How can a country rebuild itself without passable roads?! Seriously.
I really love it here. I feel such warmth from the people. True beauty. So hardworking. I could really spend time getting to know people here. I would love to farm with them. Alas, that is not the structure or purpose of this trip and we leave for Goma tomorrow. Look up Goma on the internet. It is a city at the very north end of Lake Kivu on the Congo/Rwanda border. It has seen unbelievable violence and unrest. It's kind of a badge of honor for each of the rebel groups over the years to "take" Goma. Recently, too...as recent as this past October by the M23. It is also a crazy landscape being at the foot of a big volcano called Nyaragongo. The last eruption was 2002 and lava rolled through a big part of the city until it hit Lake Kivu. So, I've heard it's a bit of a lunar landscape. That mixed with the war the area has experienced I believe will make for a stark contrast to hear that is so lush and colorful.
OK, time to go shower. We are having a surprise b'day party for Christine tonight. And, it will be the last time our whole group is together. The docs and a Pat and her husband, Scott (Pat is a longtime V-Day board member) are staying here. They will meet us in Kigali, Rwanda on Saturday for the flight home. Pat and Scott are staying here b/c Scott is the solar power engineer responsible for the solar panels that we brought with us on the plane for COJ. He has a lot of work to do to get them installed and up n' running.
I miss you all. I am happy. Really happy. I feel like I am in my 20-something travel the world mode. I long to get to know these people and this place. I will hopefully have internet access going forward but one never knows. The plan is to meet with the Goma-based group from Human Rights Watch tomorrow. Maybe another group, too...not sure. Then we head to Virunga National Forest on Thursday to meet a visionary man, Emmanual, who is the director of the park. Turns out he is actually a Belgian prince. He has completely given his life to the park and has come up with the most amazing programs and processes for protecting it that are more about giving people work, turning militia members into park rangers and construction workers, developing technologies for making coal briquettes so the women don't have to go into the forest to gather wood and get raped, etc. Can't wait to meet him. We'll end our stay with another gorilla trek and a visit to a chimpanzee sanctuary. Then the long drive to Kigali on Saturday. I am anticipating absolutely breathtaking scenery when we are in and near Virunga. Lots of pictures to share with you all.
Lots of love, ME
I wish I had internet capacity enough to post a video of the welcome we received from the women at COJ when we arrived. You could hear the singing and drumming from quite a ways outside the gate as we drove down the road. They were there in the courtyard and spilling down the walkways. Joyous and singing and dancing. The energy of the music and their joy reached deep inside. I could feel it all inside. We danced our way as one big group down the main walkway into the big hall that was decorated in beautiful Congolese fabrics. We sat in chairs around the room and alternated between hearing testimonies from current residents and graduates and singing and dancing. Most moving were the testimonies from the women who have graduated. How they feel about and carry themselves and what they are doing in their communities. Really, quite unbelievable what these women overcome in 6 months and what they have taken on and become afterwards. One has a sewing business and is giving work to other women, another has become a natural medicine healer (she brought with her various of her medicines), another spoke of the incredible importance and value of the network of graduates to support each other. COJ is truly a transformative experience.
Then came the bowls! I had prepared myself to tell them the story of the bowls in French. So, when it came time to present and they wanted me to speak in English with a Swahili translator I was actually thrown off! They got the message though and couldn't wait to open them. We handed them out to everyone including the staff. I was so preoccupied I don't have any memory of actually seeing the girls and them with the bowls. But, others on the trip with me took tons of pictures and told me how absolutely thrilled the girls were to get them. And has hoped and anticipated, they are already using the muslin bags for other things. Many of them had them at the farm today to carry their water bottle and other things. It may turn out to be like the small child you give a present to and they are most interested in the ribbon! I actually sort of miss the bowls and miss them being all together. Yet, I am thrilled to know that they are in their new home and hope that they are something special for the girls and women. NOTE: I keep saying girls because that is what most the "women" at COJ are - 16 & 17 year olds. There are some older in their early twenties...I knew this yet was really taken aback how young they all are and seem. Perhaps even more amazing what they are accomplishing post-COJ graduation. They are fierce, courageous women.
We all ate lunch together. Noelle (DD at V-Day) and I sat at a table with 6 of the COJ girls. It was a blast. I shared pictures of home with them. They all wanted copies (Thank you, Lib, for the reminder to bring copies!) We took pictures and asked each other about our lives...getting by mostly in French. Not all of the girls speak French but they are learning and learning English. They seem to really love speaking English with us. It's fun.
Then on to Panzi Hospital. A very stark contrast to the joy of COJ. Run down, surrounded by total poverty outside the gates, populated with many patients waiting, waiting to be seen and treated. We had a brief encounter with the wonderful Dr. Mukwege. He has the most gentle, warm, welcoming face. And, it was clear from his demeanor and that of the Mayo Clinic docs who had been at the hospital since 7:00am that it had been a long, hard day...a "crazy day" as Dr. M put it in his limited English. It was so clear that we needed to just go...to abandon the plan for a chat with Dr. M and a tour. That didn't entirely happen. A few of us ended up on a very brief tour with Dr. M. Quite overwhelming and certainly a reality check about what is available here for medical care. We ended up sitting with a group of 150+ women who were all waiting for surgery...mostly needed due to sexual violence. One woman shared her graphic story (I will spare you the utterly horrific details). At that point, we stopped the discussion b/c it was not our intention to have the women share like this. It is often so completely traumatic for them to relive it by sharing their stories. I think it all happened b/c of communication details trying to manage btw English, French and Swahili. We are able to convey our hope, support, and solidarity for these women with them. We will see the Mayo Clinic docs tonight so will get an update on how things are going. One of the docs was going to have about 30 or so surgeries btw Tues-Fri. Whew!
V-World Farm, however, instills nothing but hope, happiness and inspiration. The thoughtful, phase-by-phase development happening there is something to be modeled. They have taken the approach of going slowly to learn as they go. The land was purchased in 2012 and despite a very thoughtful and well-planned approach it is absolutely unbelievable what has been accomplished there:
- they started with 12 pigs. They now have 168.
- Talapia ponds for farming fish
- They grow beans (dried beans), soy beans, corn and maize.
- Lots of vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, cassava (they eat both the root and the greens), amaranth for the greens, they're not so into the grain.)
- they harvested 16 tons of crop last year!
- They have started the warehouse to store the crops after harvest and it will include an office, refrigeration for the fish.
- All of the materials for the construction are either produced on the farm and/or are created from materials on the farm. They currently create 400 cement-like blocks a day, weld the frames for the roof of the warehouse, etc. It's impressive.
- They are building a road to be able to access all parts of the farm. It is a HUGE undertaking here to build a road that doesn't wash out every year and half to be rebuilt. They have come up with a sustainable road construction plan. Again, very thoughtful.
The next plan is to build housing for women who want to come live at the farm. They will need housing for 50. They will build one house first to learn from the process and then make changes for the others as needed.
The plan for the farm is based on a comprehensive permaculture plan designed by a team of permaculturalists from the Bay Area that spent a month here last year. They will implement the plan in phases. But it is all completely full circle or called a "closed loop system". For example, currently the pig shit feeds the fish, the water from the fish ponds is used for fertilizer and the vegetable waste from the vegetable crops feed the pigs. (Are you smiling, Maryann?! You would love what they are doing here!) I could spend a lot of time there! It is absolutely such a beautiful setting. We were once again greeted by the girls singing and dancing as we walked down the road-under-construction. I danced and danced with them in the hot sun. Awesome! Got to see them draining one of the talapia ponds and harvesting the fish. They didn't go without a fight! Quite fiesty they are...I guess I would be too if I were suffocating! I got lots of great photos of the process and got pretty well splattered with mud from the flapping and flopping fish.
We shared a picnic lunch with the girls before having to hightail it out of there because of the coming rain. They were nervous about what would happen to the roads with the rain. I should reiterate that the roads here are beyond in horrid condition. It is really unbelievable. How can a country rebuild itself without passable roads?! Seriously.
I really love it here. I feel such warmth from the people. True beauty. So hardworking. I could really spend time getting to know people here. I would love to farm with them. Alas, that is not the structure or purpose of this trip and we leave for Goma tomorrow. Look up Goma on the internet. It is a city at the very north end of Lake Kivu on the Congo/Rwanda border. It has seen unbelievable violence and unrest. It's kind of a badge of honor for each of the rebel groups over the years to "take" Goma. Recently, too...as recent as this past October by the M23. It is also a crazy landscape being at the foot of a big volcano called Nyaragongo. The last eruption was 2002 and lava rolled through a big part of the city until it hit Lake Kivu. So, I've heard it's a bit of a lunar landscape. That mixed with the war the area has experienced I believe will make for a stark contrast to hear that is so lush and colorful.
OK, time to go shower. We are having a surprise b'day party for Christine tonight. And, it will be the last time our whole group is together. The docs and a Pat and her husband, Scott (Pat is a longtime V-Day board member) are staying here. They will meet us in Kigali, Rwanda on Saturday for the flight home. Pat and Scott are staying here b/c Scott is the solar power engineer responsible for the solar panels that we brought with us on the plane for COJ. He has a lot of work to do to get them installed and up n' running.
I miss you all. I am happy. Really happy. I feel like I am in my 20-something travel the world mode. I long to get to know these people and this place. I will hopefully have internet access going forward but one never knows. The plan is to meet with the Goma-based group from Human Rights Watch tomorrow. Maybe another group, too...not sure. Then we head to Virunga National Forest on Thursday to meet a visionary man, Emmanual, who is the director of the park. Turns out he is actually a Belgian prince. He has completely given his life to the park and has come up with the most amazing programs and processes for protecting it that are more about giving people work, turning militia members into park rangers and construction workers, developing technologies for making coal briquettes so the women don't have to go into the forest to gather wood and get raped, etc. Can't wait to meet him. We'll end our stay with another gorilla trek and a visit to a chimpanzee sanctuary. Then the long drive to Kigali on Saturday. I am anticipating absolutely breathtaking scenery when we are in and near Virunga. Lots of pictures to share with you all.
Lots of love, ME
Monday, March 3, 2014
Big update #1: food & gorillas
Good morning! It's 8:30am here on Tuesday. You all are in bed or about to be so. I wake up early each morning around 5:00am to the singing of the fisherman in their small wooden boats called pirogue (in french) or mutumbu (in swahili). It's often a little misty. And often there are 3 boats attached together. It is beautiful. This morning I was so tired I rolled over and went back to sleep instead of getting up to watch them and take pictures. The hotel is up on a high hill above the lake, so the view of the big lake is quite expansive. Oh yeah, if I haven't mentioned it, the lake is Lake Kivu. There are so many large lakes in this region of Africa. I have been eating a lot of fish.
OK, here is a food report. As you can probably imagine, Congo is not a hub of culinary delights. Here is what we've seen/experienced (realizing that most likely it is a skewed perspective b/c they are cooking for what they think we like or what we can eat without getting sick):
Fish (sometimes with parts like heads and tails intact)
Chicken in various forms
Peas, carrots, greenbeans cooked to no end and mixed together
Vegetable curry with white rice
Potatoes - either frites or boiled
Samosas (not sure why there is the indian theme...didn't think there had been much Indian presence in central Africa versus Eastern Africa)
Fresh fruit - pineapple, endless bananas, occasional mango, a fruit called prine in french or tamarillo in New Zealand
Avocado
Endless pizza
Eggs for breakfast
So, we are eating well, especially if you're willing to step out of the pizza comfort zone.
On to the gorillas. Sunday we went to Kahuzi-Biega National Park to try to find a family of Eastern Lowland Gorillas. Christine's father started this park back in the 70s. He was a fierce man with big vision. Christine's husband, CArlos, took over the effort after Christine's dad died. The park is about 600,000 hectares and touches 3 different provinces in Congo. One of the areas is lowland and goes all the way up to the mountains. We met up with 4 Congolese guides when we got to the park. Carlos is such a visionary and so smart about true community development, most of these guides are formerly poachers. He figured out how to approach them and bring them into the other side of this situation.
So, off we went with two guides in the front with sharp machetes clearing our path in the jungle. We were not on an actual trail. We only had to hike about 30 minutes before we found the gorillas. We started to see huge gorilla poops and completely striped branches - leaves and the outer-layer of green "bark". We found Chimanuka, the big silver back daddy, mama with a Swahili name that means "loved", 2 teens and a baby. They were spectacular. At ease with us moving around to eat...sometimes on the ground sometimes in the tree.
The gorillas were wonderful and it felt SO good to move my body after all the travel. But, the drive up there was the true highlight of the day. In fact, the drives everywhere have been the highlights of my trip so far. I get to really see true African life in all of its beauty and hardship and color and simplicity and unbelievably hard work. Sunday was church day so there were people in there best clothes heading to church and others doing chores and others hanging out. On the way home it was clearly market day. As we climbed up higher and higher into the mountains I thought we had left the people behind in Bukavu but we came across a handful of rural villages along the way and rich farmland.The crops changed as we headed higher. Toward the highest point I saw sorghum growing...very fun to see the crop that goes into all that gluten-free beer! Mud huts, huts made out of anything one can get their hands on, lots and lots of kids, kids carrying kids, women selling beautiful and bountiful onions and bananas, men with 4-5 flats of eggs sometimes on their heads. Sometimes we would get stopped at a gate of a "rue tarif" (toll road). Yes, a toll road in the middle of no where...just another way to make money and make problems for people. Our anything but discrete convoy of SUVs causes quite a stir, but it would be a time for some interaction with the folks living along the road as they could approach the cars.
My interactions (so so limited as they have been outside of the hotels) with the Congolese have been so warm. They are a truly beautiful people. I never feel threatened or even overly pressured by those selling stuff. They are curious about us and I feel they want to connect in some small way. I have really loved these encounters. Would really love to have more...thought that is not what this trip is about. It is not a travel trip. It is not about getting immersed in Congolese culture. It is really a work trip to learn about inspiring, forward thinking work happening here to build capacity and help the Congolese to realized their power to create better living and change the country.
So many of my fears about being consumed by the suffering here and the huge gap between how we live in the US and what life looks like here have not materialized. It's not to say that the poverty here is not absolutely staggering. And yet, there is joy here. There is beauty here. They are so incredibly industrious. I am in awe rather than afraid and broken.
Ooops, just looked at the clock. Time to head to the V-World Farm. I'm looking forward to it. I have some downtime this afternoon between when we get back from the farm and Christine's surprise birthday party. I will be back for "Big Update #2". We head to Goma tomorrow and then up to Virunga National Park, and I don't yet know what the wifi situation will be. So, I'll be sure to get back on today.
Lots of love, ME
OK, here is a food report. As you can probably imagine, Congo is not a hub of culinary delights. Here is what we've seen/experienced (realizing that most likely it is a skewed perspective b/c they are cooking for what they think we like or what we can eat without getting sick):
Fish (sometimes with parts like heads and tails intact)
Chicken in various forms
Peas, carrots, greenbeans cooked to no end and mixed together
Vegetable curry with white rice
Potatoes - either frites or boiled
Samosas (not sure why there is the indian theme...didn't think there had been much Indian presence in central Africa versus Eastern Africa)
Fresh fruit - pineapple, endless bananas, occasional mango, a fruit called prine in french or tamarillo in New Zealand
Avocado
Endless pizza
Eggs for breakfast
So, we are eating well, especially if you're willing to step out of the pizza comfort zone.
On to the gorillas. Sunday we went to Kahuzi-Biega National Park to try to find a family of Eastern Lowland Gorillas. Christine's father started this park back in the 70s. He was a fierce man with big vision. Christine's husband, CArlos, took over the effort after Christine's dad died. The park is about 600,000 hectares and touches 3 different provinces in Congo. One of the areas is lowland and goes all the way up to the mountains. We met up with 4 Congolese guides when we got to the park. Carlos is such a visionary and so smart about true community development, most of these guides are formerly poachers. He figured out how to approach them and bring them into the other side of this situation.
So, off we went with two guides in the front with sharp machetes clearing our path in the jungle. We were not on an actual trail. We only had to hike about 30 minutes before we found the gorillas. We started to see huge gorilla poops and completely striped branches - leaves and the outer-layer of green "bark". We found Chimanuka, the big silver back daddy, mama with a Swahili name that means "loved", 2 teens and a baby. They were spectacular. At ease with us moving around to eat...sometimes on the ground sometimes in the tree.
The gorillas were wonderful and it felt SO good to move my body after all the travel. But, the drive up there was the true highlight of the day. In fact, the drives everywhere have been the highlights of my trip so far. I get to really see true African life in all of its beauty and hardship and color and simplicity and unbelievably hard work. Sunday was church day so there were people in there best clothes heading to church and others doing chores and others hanging out. On the way home it was clearly market day. As we climbed up higher and higher into the mountains I thought we had left the people behind in Bukavu but we came across a handful of rural villages along the way and rich farmland.The crops changed as we headed higher. Toward the highest point I saw sorghum growing...very fun to see the crop that goes into all that gluten-free beer! Mud huts, huts made out of anything one can get their hands on, lots and lots of kids, kids carrying kids, women selling beautiful and bountiful onions and bananas, men with 4-5 flats of eggs sometimes on their heads. Sometimes we would get stopped at a gate of a "rue tarif" (toll road). Yes, a toll road in the middle of no where...just another way to make money and make problems for people. Our anything but discrete convoy of SUVs causes quite a stir, but it would be a time for some interaction with the folks living along the road as they could approach the cars.
My interactions (so so limited as they have been outside of the hotels) with the Congolese have been so warm. They are a truly beautiful people. I never feel threatened or even overly pressured by those selling stuff. They are curious about us and I feel they want to connect in some small way. I have really loved these encounters. Would really love to have more...thought that is not what this trip is about. It is not a travel trip. It is not about getting immersed in Congolese culture. It is really a work trip to learn about inspiring, forward thinking work happening here to build capacity and help the Congolese to realized their power to create better living and change the country.
So many of my fears about being consumed by the suffering here and the huge gap between how we live in the US and what life looks like here have not materialized. It's not to say that the poverty here is not absolutely staggering. And yet, there is joy here. There is beauty here. They are so incredibly industrious. I am in awe rather than afraid and broken.
Ooops, just looked at the clock. Time to head to the V-World Farm. I'm looking forward to it. I have some downtime this afternoon between when we get back from the farm and Christine's surprise birthday party. I will be back for "Big Update #2". We head to Goma tomorrow and then up to Virunga National Park, and I don't yet know what the wifi situation will be. So, I'll be sure to get back on today.
Lots of love, ME
Eastern lowland gorillas, Essence Road, City of Joy and more...
Hi all -
No internet yesterday and a super busy today. SO SO SO much to share with you. Alas...I am exhausted. Here is a quick teaser of details to come:
- Yesterday bushwhacked into the jungle to spend an hour watching a family of Eastern Lowland Gorillas. Chimanuka is the big silver-back daddy and therefore the name of this family - papa, mama, 2 teenager and a baby one year 7 months old. I have gorilla poop on my hiking gators!!
- Essence Road is the road that leads to City of Joy and Panzi hospital. Bukavu, the city we are in, was built for a population of 50,000. There are currently over 1 million people living here...forced to flee there villages and homes over the years of the war. There are many that live along Essence Road in conditions beyond belief. We drove down the road to get to COJ. Hard to put all that I saw and all that I feel into words.
- City of Joy - so many beautiful women so full of joy in one place. The music, dancing and color that met us as we entered the gates was overwhelming. They loved the bowls and the photos of all of you that helped. It was a true gift. They totally got how much love is infused into each bowl.
- Panzi Hospital - heartbreaking. So many in so much need with so little resources. There are 5 Mayo clinic doctors who came with us to see patients and do surgeries this week. They had been at the hospital since 7:00am this morning. It was 5:00pm when we saw them and they all looked quite shocked, overwhelmed and tired. 4 of the 5 have been here before. The 5th is the doctor that did the surgery that saved Eve's life.
Tomorrow we go to the V-World farm. I am really looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll have time for a newsy post before we leave. Otherwise, I promise to post tomorrow night. We leave for Goma on Wed...not sure if there will be email there. So, I want to share a bunch with you before we head there.
I love the group I'm traveling with. They are good, loving, smart, interesting people.
More tomorrow.
lots of love, ME
No internet yesterday and a super busy today. SO SO SO much to share with you. Alas...I am exhausted. Here is a quick teaser of details to come:
- Yesterday bushwhacked into the jungle to spend an hour watching a family of Eastern Lowland Gorillas. Chimanuka is the big silver-back daddy and therefore the name of this family - papa, mama, 2 teenager and a baby one year 7 months old. I have gorilla poop on my hiking gators!!
- Essence Road is the road that leads to City of Joy and Panzi hospital. Bukavu, the city we are in, was built for a population of 50,000. There are currently over 1 million people living here...forced to flee there villages and homes over the years of the war. There are many that live along Essence Road in conditions beyond belief. We drove down the road to get to COJ. Hard to put all that I saw and all that I feel into words.
- City of Joy - so many beautiful women so full of joy in one place. The music, dancing and color that met us as we entered the gates was overwhelming. They loved the bowls and the photos of all of you that helped. It was a true gift. They totally got how much love is infused into each bowl.
- Panzi Hospital - heartbreaking. So many in so much need with so little resources. There are 5 Mayo clinic doctors who came with us to see patients and do surgeries this week. They had been at the hospital since 7:00am this morning. It was 5:00pm when we saw them and they all looked quite shocked, overwhelmed and tired. 4 of the 5 have been here before. The 5th is the doctor that did the surgery that saved Eve's life.
Tomorrow we go to the V-World farm. I am really looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll have time for a newsy post before we leave. Otherwise, I promise to post tomorrow night. We leave for Goma on Wed...not sure if there will be email there. So, I want to share a bunch with you before we head there.
I love the group I'm traveling with. They are good, loving, smart, interesting people.
More tomorrow.
lots of love, ME
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Safely arrived in Congo
I have arrived in Congo! We left Burundi about 12:00pm Friday and spent 4 hot, sweaty hours driving through Burundi, into Rwanda briefly and then arrived Bukavu,DRC. The drive was indeed hot and it was amazing. I saw true Africa today. Here are some of the notes I took on my phone of all that I saw:
Women with huge loads of everything on their heads - water, stalks, vegetables. Sometimes walking with their daughters who are still learning to carry this way and have to hold the parcels with one hand.
Men on bikes with 4-5 HUGE bundles of empty plastic water bottles.
Lots and lots of young men hanging out along the road in Burundi
Shanties and a prison
Nissan dealership?
Groups of kids all working together repairing their bikes
Small roadside stands selling root vegetables a few other things
Brick making "factories" - hand-made bricks coming from a hand-made brick oven
Got further and further away from the city of Bujumbura...more remote...people everywhere farming in the fields...for as far as the eye can see. Where do they live?
Later come across Burundian "tract housing". I have a video to show you. Hand-made brick house with a roof and window openings. Off the grid completely. Most are empty.
As we get closer to Rwanda the road gets much better, there is a gas station, bank, church.
Fun story: our convoy stopped to buy fruit from some women selling along the road that Christine supports often. I really had to pee. My driver asked a local woman. She lead me deep into their living compound to the pit toilet. A brick closet with a tin door. On the floor a piece of corrugated tin with a hole in it. She even brought me a bottle of water for cleaning up (as there is no toilet paper). She couldn't speak any french. The small children were terrified of me...running away crying. The women loved it...waving to and smiling at me. Men singing while working. Baby goats with umbilical cord still hanging, pigs, baby chicks,
Long wait at the Rwandan border. Hot and sweaty. Non-threatening...just waiting b/c one of group had a prob with his visa. Then up up into the Rwandan mountains. So incredibly lush. Beautiful roads, prosperous farms, obvious higher quality of life here. The US and other western countries have poured incredible amounts of money into Rwanda since the genocide to assuage their guilt for not intervening during the genocide. The infrastructure here is astounding. Power lines, gas stations, banks...
Lovely rain as we head higher and higher. It cools off nicely. At the top is the Congo border. Many Congolese come into Rwanda every day to buy vegetables b/c they are all displaced and no longer have land of their own to grow their food. Many live along the roads in Congo. The border crossing is again a bit slow due to another visa problem but non-threatening.
The difference btw Rwanda and Congo is almost to much to believe. The roads are barely passable. People everywhere in the roads - women hauling incredibly heavy loads on their heads and backs, people with disabilities in hand-made wheeled carts that you "pedal" with your hands. Huge houses abandoned on the hillsides never finished...people with money who either ran out of money or who fled during the war.
The settting of Bukavu is absolutely stunning. It looks like northern Italy if you're just looking out at the mountains over the lake. Hard to rectify it with everything else around me. I have seen very little of Bukavu so far. I know I am in store for witnessing a great deal of suffering and raw humanity. 800,000 people used to live here. There area now over 2.5 million with no infrastructure and no where to go.
Tomorrow is a down day. We are going to a nearby wild area to trek for gorillas. Christine's (director of COJ) was hugely involved with conservation and the gorillas before he died. Her husband has carried on that role. Monday we go to City of Joy. Can't wait to meet and dance with the women and give them the bowls.!
I will work on posting some photos tomorrow. I am very, very tired at the moment. Sleep time for me.
lots of love, ME
Women with huge loads of everything on their heads - water, stalks, vegetables. Sometimes walking with their daughters who are still learning to carry this way and have to hold the parcels with one hand.
Men on bikes with 4-5 HUGE bundles of empty plastic water bottles.
Lots and lots of young men hanging out along the road in Burundi
Shanties and a prison
Nissan dealership?
Groups of kids all working together repairing their bikes
Small roadside stands selling root vegetables a few other things
Brick making "factories" - hand-made bricks coming from a hand-made brick oven
Got further and further away from the city of Bujumbura...more remote...people everywhere farming in the fields...for as far as the eye can see. Where do they live?
Later come across Burundian "tract housing". I have a video to show you. Hand-made brick house with a roof and window openings. Off the grid completely. Most are empty.
As we get closer to Rwanda the road gets much better, there is a gas station, bank, church.
Fun story: our convoy stopped to buy fruit from some women selling along the road that Christine supports often. I really had to pee. My driver asked a local woman. She lead me deep into their living compound to the pit toilet. A brick closet with a tin door. On the floor a piece of corrugated tin with a hole in it. She even brought me a bottle of water for cleaning up (as there is no toilet paper). She couldn't speak any french. The small children were terrified of me...running away crying. The women loved it...waving to and smiling at me. Men singing while working. Baby goats with umbilical cord still hanging, pigs, baby chicks,
Long wait at the Rwandan border. Hot and sweaty. Non-threatening...just waiting b/c one of group had a prob with his visa. Then up up into the Rwandan mountains. So incredibly lush. Beautiful roads, prosperous farms, obvious higher quality of life here. The US and other western countries have poured incredible amounts of money into Rwanda since the genocide to assuage their guilt for not intervening during the genocide. The infrastructure here is astounding. Power lines, gas stations, banks...
Lovely rain as we head higher and higher. It cools off nicely. At the top is the Congo border. Many Congolese come into Rwanda every day to buy vegetables b/c they are all displaced and no longer have land of their own to grow their food. Many live along the roads in Congo. The border crossing is again a bit slow due to another visa problem but non-threatening.
The difference btw Rwanda and Congo is almost to much to believe. The roads are barely passable. People everywhere in the roads - women hauling incredibly heavy loads on their heads and backs, people with disabilities in hand-made wheeled carts that you "pedal" with your hands. Huge houses abandoned on the hillsides never finished...people with money who either ran out of money or who fled during the war.
The settting of Bukavu is absolutely stunning. It looks like northern Italy if you're just looking out at the mountains over the lake. Hard to rectify it with everything else around me. I have seen very little of Bukavu so far. I know I am in store for witnessing a great deal of suffering and raw humanity. 800,000 people used to live here. There area now over 2.5 million with no infrastructure and no where to go.
Tomorrow is a down day. We are going to a nearby wild area to trek for gorillas. Christine's (director of COJ) was hugely involved with conservation and the gorillas before he died. Her husband has carried on that role. Monday we go to City of Joy. Can't wait to meet and dance with the women and give them the bowls.!
I will work on posting some photos tomorrow. I am very, very tired at the moment. Sleep time for me.
lots of love, ME
Friday, February 28, 2014
Hello Burundi
We landed in Burundi around 6:00pm Burundi time on Friday...dropping through a thick layer of white clouds. It's been raining here for a few days...reports of roads that normally take 1.5 hours to drive now take 4. It was a delight to step off the plane into the moist air laced with wood fire smoke (we could see many many fires as we were landing) especially after the dryness of the long plane ride.
Eve Ensler and Christine Schuler Deschryver (the director of City of Joy) were waiting for us. They came on board and it was a total love fest. So many of the folks on this trip have worked with Eve for a long, long time and have been involved with COJ from the beginning. So, it is incredibly emotional to see one another again in Congo. I get that it is also quite overwhelming for Christine to have so much support for her women. Not only are there 22 people on board who believe in her program and are fierce supporters but there are 10,000 pounds of greatly needed supplies in the cargo hold.
We file through the airport with our carry-ons. We are quite a sight...a river of white women and men speaking English. Lots of onlookers...plus no doubt the plane was a spectacle as well.
We were greeted by a handful of folks from the Village Health Center here in Burundi. Fairly new...only been up n' running since 2008 based on the Paul Farmer model. They do have in-patient capability but no surgery yet and have over 100 health educators and child birth educators that work in the surrounding area. The group with the 11th Hour Project (part of the Schmidt Family Foundation) are meeting with the health center tomorrow to learn more and consider potential funding for them.
Iam leaving for Congo tomorrow. Won't get to seethe health center. Kind of bummed about that but am working on just going with the flow and being along for the ride. I will leave with Eve, Christine, the 5 Mayo docs and two other Vday supporters. The rest of the group will meet us in Bukavu on Sunday.
I am regretting to no end that I brought the Ipad instead of my computer as a mode for staying in touch. The Ipad is very hard to blog on so please bear with all of the typos. Often I can't see the part of the page that I am currently typing on. Ah yes, as Lib's kids say, "it's a first world problem." I am lucky to have an internet connection...it is central Africa afterall.
I am missing home quite a bit. Got a pretty good does of homesickness. I knew I would. I'mout of practice from all of this adventuring far from home. It will get easier. I find myself dragging my feet about going back to my hotel room...it feels lonely and isolated. So, here I sit atin the lounge by the pool at the Hotel du Lac de Tanganyika typing away. WE all had dinner together as big group. Food is as to be expected...kind of funkyand not that good. Though my fish wasn't bad. I've been listening to a Burundi band play Hotel California, Hey Jude and a whole host of other american favs. Pretty funny and fun to listen to.
I told Eve and Christine aobut the bowls tonight to find out how best to give them to the women at COJ. They weree touched and thrilled. IO might get to spend extra time at COJ knitting with the women teaching them some knitting tips and how to felt. Who knows...perhaps that is my purpose here/! A lot of people think it could be a gresat thing for them to learn to make and sell. I love it. Those of you who know knitters and felters who helped with the bowls who may not be following my posts, please pass along the news of how much further reaching this gift may go.
Tinme to go to bed. It is midnight here. I am mamking myself good n tired in hopes of a good night sleep. More from Congo. I will hopefully figure out how to post photos!
lots of love, ME
Eve Ensler and Christine Schuler Deschryver (the director of City of Joy) were waiting for us. They came on board and it was a total love fest. So many of the folks on this trip have worked with Eve for a long, long time and have been involved with COJ from the beginning. So, it is incredibly emotional to see one another again in Congo. I get that it is also quite overwhelming for Christine to have so much support for her women. Not only are there 22 people on board who believe in her program and are fierce supporters but there are 10,000 pounds of greatly needed supplies in the cargo hold.
We file through the airport with our carry-ons. We are quite a sight...a river of white women and men speaking English. Lots of onlookers...plus no doubt the plane was a spectacle as well.
We were greeted by a handful of folks from the Village Health Center here in Burundi. Fairly new...only been up n' running since 2008 based on the Paul Farmer model. They do have in-patient capability but no surgery yet and have over 100 health educators and child birth educators that work in the surrounding area. The group with the 11th Hour Project (part of the Schmidt Family Foundation) are meeting with the health center tomorrow to learn more and consider potential funding for them.
Iam leaving for Congo tomorrow. Won't get to seethe health center. Kind of bummed about that but am working on just going with the flow and being along for the ride. I will leave with Eve, Christine, the 5 Mayo docs and two other Vday supporters. The rest of the group will meet us in Bukavu on Sunday.
I am regretting to no end that I brought the Ipad instead of my computer as a mode for staying in touch. The Ipad is very hard to blog on so please bear with all of the typos. Often I can't see the part of the page that I am currently typing on. Ah yes, as Lib's kids say, "it's a first world problem." I am lucky to have an internet connection...it is central Africa afterall.
I am missing home quite a bit. Got a pretty good does of homesickness. I knew I would. I'mout of practice from all of this adventuring far from home. It will get easier. I find myself dragging my feet about going back to my hotel room...it feels lonely and isolated. So, here I sit atin the lounge by the pool at the Hotel du Lac de Tanganyika typing away. WE all had dinner together as big group. Food is as to be expected...kind of funkyand not that good. Though my fish wasn't bad. I've been listening to a Burundi band play Hotel California, Hey Jude and a whole host of other american favs. Pretty funny and fun to listen to.
I told Eve and Christine aobut the bowls tonight to find out how best to give them to the women at COJ. They weree touched and thrilled. IO might get to spend extra time at COJ knitting with the women teaching them some knitting tips and how to felt. Who knows...perhaps that is my purpose here/! A lot of people think it could be a gresat thing for them to learn to make and sell. I love it. Those of you who know knitters and felters who helped with the bowls who may not be following my posts, please pass along the news of how much further reaching this gift may go.
Tinme to go to bed. It is midnight here. I am mamking myself good n tired in hopes of a good night sleep. More from Congo. I will hopefully figure out how to post photos!
lots of love, ME
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Goodbye loneliness
I'm exhausted and yet cant' quite end the day. I arrived at Amy's house around 7:00pm in a total down pour. California is getting some much-needed rain. I have been so warmly welcomed and embraced. Amy and Harry, Pat & Scott, Frannie, Jane, Marcia & Hannah. All but Amy's husband, Harry, will be traveling tomorrow. The small group of the total group of travelers ranges in age from 25-70. It's fantastic. They are all intimately connected in various and often multiple ways. I am the outsider and newcomer and yet feel completely included.
Harry prepared the most delicious lentil soup I've ever had in my life. (Yes, Maryann and Marissa, I will get the recipe!) Roast chicken, salad, and close to the perfect home-baked chocolate chip cookies. My gluten-free self could not resist.
4 of us have not been to COJ before. The other half have been 2-3 times. They keep going back...it is as if they can't stay away. They are connected to the place and the women in a profound way.
There are many jokes about "the plane". For inquiring minds...I will not be allowed to take pictures of the inside. Strictly verboden. I will do my best to capture the opulence in words. The little I know so far is that there are 4 bedrooms (all going to the Mayo clinic docs who will be performing surgeries literally around the clock for the week we are in Congo. They each work 8 hours straight then rest for a stretch then back to the OR. Amazing.) Room to dance, to-die-for food. I'll fill in the details tomorrow.
I am no longer scared and no longer feel alone. I am part of this group now...slowly finding my place. There are still many to meet. I believe we are 28 total. I miss Lucas a ton, Think about him constantly. I have one of his "snugs" draped over my shoulders as I write. I didn't wash it before leaving so it smells like his beautiful self.
Bowl makers (you know who you are) I shared the story and picture of the bowls with Jane, Scott, Frannie and Pat after dinner. They are moved and blown away. They can't wait to see and touch them for real. They want to figure out a special way to present them to the women at COJ.
If the rain lets up in the morning a bunch of us are getting up to walk before the 20 hour flight ahead of us. So, off to bed I go. I am ready for this journey to begin. I guess it already has.
lots of love, ME
Harry prepared the most delicious lentil soup I've ever had in my life. (Yes, Maryann and Marissa, I will get the recipe!) Roast chicken, salad, and close to the perfect home-baked chocolate chip cookies. My gluten-free self could not resist.
4 of us have not been to COJ before. The other half have been 2-3 times. They keep going back...it is as if they can't stay away. They are connected to the place and the women in a profound way.
There are many jokes about "the plane". For inquiring minds...I will not be allowed to take pictures of the inside. Strictly verboden. I will do my best to capture the opulence in words. The little I know so far is that there are 4 bedrooms (all going to the Mayo clinic docs who will be performing surgeries literally around the clock for the week we are in Congo. They each work 8 hours straight then rest for a stretch then back to the OR. Amazing.) Room to dance, to-die-for food. I'll fill in the details tomorrow.
I am no longer scared and no longer feel alone. I am part of this group now...slowly finding my place. There are still many to meet. I believe we are 28 total. I miss Lucas a ton, Think about him constantly. I have one of his "snugs" draped over my shoulders as I write. I didn't wash it before leaving so it smells like his beautiful self.
Bowl makers (you know who you are) I shared the story and picture of the bowls with Jane, Scott, Frannie and Pat after dinner. They are moved and blown away. They can't wait to see and touch them for real. They want to figure out a special way to present them to the women at COJ.
If the rain lets up in the morning a bunch of us are getting up to walk before the 20 hour flight ahead of us. So, off to bed I go. I am ready for this journey to begin. I guess it already has.
lots of love, ME
Ready to go
I'm at Seatac airport. Hard leaving Lucas. Lib took me to the airport. Lots of tears for both of us. Hard to be going to far away with limited contact. I am out of practice with this adventure stuff!
I am flying from Seattle to San Jose, CA today. I will spend the night with a V-day board member named Amy Rao tonight. We head to the plane tomorrow morning for the flight.
"The plane" refers to the Google jet we are all flying on to Congo. Crazy, I know. Wendy Schmidt (wife of Eric Schmidt, founder and CEO of Google) is on the board of V-Day. The Schmidts also have their own family foundation an arm of which is called the 11th Hour Project. They are currently funding several efforts in the Central African region. So, the Google plane is headed there with their foundation team, V-day board members and staff, 5 doctors from Mayo clinic, a handful of supporters (like me) and 10,000 pounds of medical supplies and essential items for the women at City of Joy.
We leave CA tomorrow at 11am. Fly to London (land at 5:30am London time...they are 9 hours ahead of us). We refuel and change crew then head to Burundi. It's a well-known no-no to fly into the DRC. It is notoriously dangerous...fatal actually. So, into Burundi we go. Spend the night and then drive 2-3 hours into Congo.
I feel rather numb at I sit here at my gate...my flight is delayed...surrounded by all of these other travelers. I also feel very alone. This feels like a very big journey for me. So much unknown. Lots of deep breathing and trying to stay in the moment.
I am looking forward to staying with Amy tonight. She kind of took me under her wing as soon as I was invited on this trip. She is full of love. She will be a great comfort to me tonight.
Time to board. Gotta go. More to come.
lots of love, ME
I am flying from Seattle to San Jose, CA today. I will spend the night with a V-day board member named Amy Rao tonight. We head to the plane tomorrow morning for the flight.
"The plane" refers to the Google jet we are all flying on to Congo. Crazy, I know. Wendy Schmidt (wife of Eric Schmidt, founder and CEO of Google) is on the board of V-Day. The Schmidts also have their own family foundation an arm of which is called the 11th Hour Project. They are currently funding several efforts in the Central African region. So, the Google plane is headed there with their foundation team, V-day board members and staff, 5 doctors from Mayo clinic, a handful of supporters (like me) and 10,000 pounds of medical supplies and essential items for the women at City of Joy.
We leave CA tomorrow at 11am. Fly to London (land at 5:30am London time...they are 9 hours ahead of us). We refuel and change crew then head to Burundi. It's a well-known no-no to fly into the DRC. It is notoriously dangerous...fatal actually. So, into Burundi we go. Spend the night and then drive 2-3 hours into Congo.
I feel rather numb at I sit here at my gate...my flight is delayed...surrounded by all of these other travelers. I also feel very alone. This feels like a very big journey for me. So much unknown. Lots of deep breathing and trying to stay in the moment.
I am looking forward to staying with Amy tonight. She kind of took me under her wing as soon as I was invited on this trip. She is full of love. She will be a great comfort to me tonight.
Time to board. Gotta go. More to come.
lots of love, ME
First blog post ever
It is Monday night around 8:30. Lucas is sleeping and I am trying to figure out how to set up this blog site so I can share what I am about to experience on my trip to DRC. Hard to believe it's just 2 days away.
Not yet sure how all of this blog stuff works..,guess I'll find out with this post. I will try to post a picture of the "felted bowls of love." Bowls knit and felted by hand with so much love by family, friends and myself for the 90 women at City of Joy (drc.vday.org). How moving it was to finally see all 115 complete and together for the first time today. Lib, Maryann and the Allens were all here. We put them together on the basement rug, arranging them to maximize color and pattern. Even put them in the shape of a giant heart. When Scott came downstairs and saw them he said, "I just want to spell the word 'hope'." The bowls exude hope, abundance, joy, beauty and love. I cannot wait to give them to the women.
More to come...just want to get started to see if this works.
Big love, ME
Not yet sure how all of this blog stuff works..,guess I'll find out with this post. I will try to post a picture of the "felted bowls of love." Bowls knit and felted by hand with so much love by family, friends and myself for the 90 women at City of Joy (drc.vday.org). How moving it was to finally see all 115 complete and together for the first time today. Lib, Maryann and the Allens were all here. We put them together on the basement rug, arranging them to maximize color and pattern. Even put them in the shape of a giant heart. When Scott came downstairs and saw them he said, "I just want to spell the word 'hope'." The bowls exude hope, abundance, joy, beauty and love. I cannot wait to give them to the women.
More to come...just want to get started to see if this works.
Big love, ME
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