I guess I've been slacking a bit on the posts. Its been a busy time but the Congo is starting to feel a bit more like home. It's hard to believe I've been here for almost 3 months now.

Earlier this month, I went on a mission to Goma and Minova with PPR. Goma is a city a little bit smaller than Bukavu on the north tip of Lake Kivu (Bukavu is on the southern tip). There is a road between Goma and Bukavu, but the most common way to travel between the two cities is by boat. I had the pleasure of taking one of the slow boats (Emanuel II) which takes about 6 hours. It's a nice slow ride where you get to see the lake and enjoy some lunch along the way. I was greeted at the dock in Goma by my two friends and co-seeders Aaron and Grachet. I stayed with them plus Elodie and Michelle at their house in Goma. It was a great chance to catch up with all of them and see the city of Goma. Goma is a nice city, a little more spread out than Bukavu, at the base of a big volcano. The streets of the city are littered with volcanic rock from the last time the volcano erupted (I believe sometime in the last 10 years). In addition to my time in Goma, I went on a mission to Minova and Kalehe to learn about the work of PPR. We took a number of refugees from Minova to a CNAR office. CNAR is a Congolese organization that PPR partners with, that repatriates Rwandan refugees.  

Since my time in Goma, I've been hanging around Bukavu working on my language skills, learning more about the region, and slowly carving out a role for myself in my work. My schedual has become somewhat routine, which is nice. I wake up around 7:30 and eat breakfast. Breakfast usually consists of potage (potato soup), bread, coffee or tea, and maybe a banana or a slice of papaya. On a special day, I might put some nutella on the bread. After breakfast, I leave for the office, usually arriving between 8:30 and 9. At the office, I sit around chating with my co-workers, reading news and other things in french or English, and listening to podcasts (generally things focused on the Congo). At various and seemingly random times throughout the day, people will come get me for meetings amongst PPR staff or with one of PPR's local partners. Most of my job at this point is just listening and learning. My french getting pretty good, but détails can still be difficult. Hopefully, I will start to become more useful in the next few months.

After work, I usually either go to an internet cafe or go home. If I go to the cafe I work on this blog or watch videos on youtube (usually things making fun of Donald Trump). I typically get home around 5 or 6. Then I eat dinner with my host parents and spend the rest of the night reading, listening to the radio, or watching tv with my host parents. My mom likes to watch an American preacher named Joyce Meyer. The other night, while we were watching her preach (translated into french) the words "Denver, Colorado" suddenly popped up at the bottom of the screen. I then realized that she was standing on the stage of the Pepsi Center. For those who don't know, the Pepsi Center is an event center in downtown Denver. I was there a few months ago when I went to a Denver Nuggets game. There is something surreal about watching a piece of home on tv halfway around the world.  

My Saturdays are usually spent wandering around the city, reading, and playing ultimate frizbee. There is a group of Egyptian guys we usually play with, who all work for MONUCO (the UN Peacekeeping mission in the Congo). They like to yell at each other in Arabic, which for some reason makes the game much more exciting. On Sundays I usually sleep in the mornings, and go to an English church service in the afternoon.

On the way to Minova, we ran into a spot where the road was flooded with water. There were people working to fill in the spot with dirt. There was also a group of people pushing a bus that had tried to drive through and gotten stuck in the middle. I felt very sorry for all these people. Luckily, our 4 Wheel drive pick up made it through without too much trouble. What can you do but laugh? The truck was probably 3 or 4 feet deep in water here.  

This is a picture of the country side on the way back to Goma from Minova. The guys I was with bought a big thing of plantains, because they are cheaper in the countryside. It was encouraging to see powerlines out there, because they seem to be uncommon outside of the cities.

This is back in Bukavu. A picture of lake Kivu close to my house.

Another neighborhood in Bukavu

This is a small park like area just outside of Bukavu called quinze kilometre (15 kilometers). I spent a nice afternoon here with my church here last Tuesday, which was a Holiday. We ate lunch (fries, salad, and Goat) and sat around talking. I had to smile when the servers brought out a case of Primus (the national beer of Congo). It was a very nice time.





The political situation in the Congo has slowly escalated over the past month. I don't want to say too much about the specifics, but if you're curious, you can learn a lot by googling "Congo", and you can email me at jacobmartin@mcc.org if you have any questions. If your someone who prays, now is a very good time to pray for the Congo. It seems like things are going to get pretty real throughout this election cycle. I could maybe also say that about America right now. I hope everyone reading this pays very close attention to this election, and uses their right to vote.

Anyway, that's all for now. I hope everyone is doing well. Here are a couple songs that I like. I think the first guy is french but I'm not sure. The second video is a Congolese-Dutch artist that lives in the Netherlands. There are a number of famous European artists that come from that Congo or Central Africa in general.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ2Ob0Uuk68

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK0CytIm0Ak

Buhrinyi, PPR, et le Autre Choses

I'm now into my third week of working with PPR. Most of what I've been doing so far is training and learning about thé organization. I went on a field mission last week to the town of Burhinyi, which was excited. Burhinyi is about 3 hours south west of Bukava by truck. This is not like three house in the United States, because you can't drive 70 to  80 miles per hour on dirt roads filled with holes. People still tend to drive as fast as they can, but it usually takes a little longer to get places. Nevertheless, it was a nice drive and I got to see the beautiful countryside of Bukavu. Burhinyi is a small town high up in the mountains. It's a bit chilly and foggy, and really beautiful. It would be a great place to live, if the FDLR didn't live in the forests on the other side of the mountain. We stayed in a small guesthouse without electricity for the two nights we were there. 

This week, I'm participating in a training seminar with other PPR staff members, focused on negotiation strategies. The seminar is led by a two students from Harvard law school, who are accompanied by a teacher. They're teaching us a style called open negotiation, that tries to consider the needs of both parties. So far, it's been a really interesting seminar, and I'm looking forward to the last day tomorrow.

I'm also adjusting to a new housing situation this week, because I moved out of my old house and into the home of my host parents last weekend. I've spent a couple weekends with them before, but now I will be living with them for a couple of months. I've been enjoying their cooking (they usually insist on me eating as much as humanly possible) and watching African sitcoms and french game shows with my mom.  

A picture of the hospital in Burhinyi. There are big valleys between the mountain ridges.

Moise was my partner on the trip to Burhinyi and he is the head animator at PPR. Germain, who is working on the car, was our driver. We had some car problems but we got there and back okay.

I'm writing this post from an internet cafe right next to a central market in Bukavu. I was here yesterday too, and there was some protesting and conflict going on outside. Moto drivers in this area often have conflicts with the police, because they are not supposed to stop to let off or pick up passengers. While I was using the computer there was a group of people watching the fighting from a balcony (the cafe is on the second floor). A cop sprayed some kind of gas towards us that filled the whole cafe. Everybody was coughing and my nose started to run and burn a bit, but it went away after 5 or 10 minutes. In the moments that I watched, the cops got pretty physically agressive with the drivers. It's hard for me to tell if this sort of thing is normal or related to the upcoming elections. My friend Moise (not the one who works for PPR, but the one who is in Seed) told me a few weeks ago that he thought protests and tentions related to the election would start to rise in May. I guess it's May now. Who knows what will happen?

That's all for now. Hope everyone is doing well.

Un peu de historire

Orientation has been over for a while now. Aaron, Grachet, Elodie, and Michelle, are living in Goma where they will be for the next two years. I've spent the last few weeks reading books and working on my french. I'm going to try and pass on some of the small understanding of the Congo and Central Africa that I've gained.

It's hard for me to judge where exactly the Congo is politically right now. The president of the Congo, Joseph Kabila has been in power since 2001, 10 days after his father, Laurant Kabila, was assassinated. The Congo was in the midst of a massive war at this time, involving 9 different African countries. Kabila worked with the international community to create some amount of stability and set up "democratic elections." He was elected president in 2006 and again in 2011. His second five year term is about to come to a close, meaning there is technically supposed to be an election this year. There have been various efforts to stall, and there is a lot of doubt as to whether or not the election will actually happen. The constitution clearly states that a president can only serve two terms and that elections must happen this year. Of course, this constitution was written with a lot of help from the international community. Who knows whether or not it will be respected. I'm not sure what will happen this November, but it's hard for me to imagine Kabila giving up power willingly. From what I've learned so far, this is pretty normal in Africa. 

I've recently read two books that have been very helpful in understanding Congolese and African Politics. One of the books is called The Sacrifice of Africa: A Political Theology for Africa. This book is written by Emmanuel Katongole, a Ugandan catholic priest. He writes about the history of colonialism that haunts Africa today, and the way that stories propel this despair. He also talks about the need for imagination and vision in creating a better for Africa, calling on the church to provide this vision. The other book is called "Dancing in the Glory of Monsters," and it's written by Jason K. Sterns. This book chronicles the recent history of War and Violence in the Congo. It's a great read for anyone trying to understand the modern Congo and central Africa in General. The title comes from a quote by the late former president Laurant Kabila, who said something along the lines of, "I saw you all dancing in the glory of the monster." The monster Kabila is referring to is Mobutuism, the culture of greed and corruption propelled by the former Congolese president/dictator, Joseph-Desire Mobutu. To truly comprehend the meaning of Kabila's statement, it's important to understand the colonial history that created the current Congo state.

The Congo Free State was created on June 1, 1885. The name was a lie, created by the man who schemed his way into personal ownership of the Congo, King Leopold II of Belgium. Claiming to be acting in the interest of humanitarianism, Leopold spent the next 23 years draining the Congo for every bit of wealth that he could squeeze out of it. In his wake, he left nothing but horror. An estimated 10 million people died. 100 years later, the Congo is a new place, but King Leopold's Ghost still seems to haunt the Congolese people. Various governments have come and gone, but the same system of ruling through fear and greed has remained. This is the culture that Kabila refers to in his statement. The monster is a culture of greed and fear, propelled by a king thousands of miles away on a quest for power and wealth.

In a recent interview with Pierre Englebert, Sterns discusses this problem. Englebert recently released an article talking about decentralization in the Congo. This has been an idea in African politics since the 1990's. The hope is that by giving more power to the provinces, Africans might find more accountability in their local governments. Decentralization was a major part of the plan in 2006, when the new government and the new constitution were created. Unfortunately, central leaders in the Congo were generally uninterested in giving up power, and the system of decentralization didn't end up working very well. Englebert concludes in his paper that decentralization probably hurt the Congo more then it helped. The interview gave me the impression that the actual structure of the government is not as important as the integrity of the government. He then went on to acknowledge the culture of greed and corruption in the Congo. He made an important distinction, which is that he is not making an attack on the character of the Congolese as individuals. It's not easy to be a person of integrity anywhere, but in the Congo it is especially difficult because corruption is so rampant. Some say it's impossible to survive in the Congo without being a little corrupt.  

As I've come to understand the trend of African leaders refusing to give up power, I've asked myself, why is this so much easier in the United States? The answer as far as I can tell is fairly simple; George Washington set the precedent that after two terms, a president steps down and hands over power to whoever is chosen. Thanks George Washington. I wonder if he knew that almost 250 years later, that precedent would still be followed. This takes us back to Emmanuel Katongole, and one of the essential points of his book. He writes, "who we are, and who we are capable of becoming, depends very much on the stories we tell, the stories we listen to, and the stories we live." In this case, the story of George Washington and his presidency has shaped our country for generations. Unfortunately, the Congo has also been shaped by the many stories of colonialism. I hope for the future of the Congo that this story can be changed. I also hope that all the people reading this remember the power of their actions and words. The stories we tell with our lives create the future. Let us pray that it is a good one.




That probably all sounds pretty grim, but there is a lot of good stuff that happens here too. The DRC is a magical country with a strange feeling of beauty, and a lot of really good music. I'm continually impressed by what I hear on the radio. This is probably the most popular song in the country right now. Everyone always gets excited when they hear it. The word that he says a lot in the chorus is a Lingala word that means "it didn't go it." People like to shout this word whenever a player misses a goal in a soccer game.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fYV6ul5Mrc


That's all for now. I'm starting an orientation with PPR tomorrow. I'm a little nervous, but I think it will go well. I hope everyone is doing well.

La vie dans Bukavu

It's getting close to a month now that I've been in Bukavu. Orientation is coming to an end and my french is slowly improving. I think I probably understand half of what people say to me at this point. I found out this week that I'll probably be working with a peace and reconciliation organization called PPR. They are an organization that works with various armed groups in the area. This means I'll probably be staying in Bukavu for the next six months or so. After that I may potentially move into a village, but I'm not sure. I'm happy to stay in Bukavu for now, because the weather is so good.

This is an article I read about PPR, when I originally became interested in the program:
http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/01/02/374574242/when-a-rebel-is-homesick-he-might-be-willing-to-surrender




I'm endlessly amazed by what people carry on their heads. This guy probably had at least 10 live chickens in that bag. I'm not sure how he got them to stay in the bag. I'm also not sure how he keeps the bag on his head without his hands, but he makes it look effortless. It's common to see someway walking with an object of this size on this head. Five minutes after this, I saw another woman doing the same thing. I also saw a man with a full sized wooden coffin, and I've heard people move couches this
way.


This is my host dad at a wedding party. The groom had to give six cows for the dowry. My host mom said a cow costs around 600 dollars. I'm not sure whether he gave the money or the actual cows.

This is the family I've been staying with on the weekends. Their son David is normally away at school, but he returned for Easter vacation, which lasts two weeks.

On another note, the power went out for almost a full 24 hours yesterday, for no reason other than that it happens sometimes here. It was a hassle, but it made me glad to have grown up in America. The power usually goes out a couple times a week, but usually only for an hour. The water also works only about half the time. I get really excited when the water and electricity are both working. That means it's a good day.

This is the last week of orientation. Next Monday, half of my group will leave for Goma, which is 4 hours north of Bukavu by boat. I'll begin studying french with a new teacher next week, which will hopefully improve my grammar. I'm not sure exactly when I will begin working.

Anyway, that's all for now. Hope everyone's doing well.

Republic Democratic du Congo

Hey folks,

Sorry it's been so long. I've been busy over the past few weeks settling into my strange new life. Today makes two weeks that I've been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Right now I'm living in a city called Bukavu, which is on the Eastern boarder of the country. My house is on the shore of Lake Kivu, which separates the Congo from Rwanda. The boarder that I crossed to enter the Congo is maybe a mile from my house. I've been living here with my fellow Seed members going through orientation and trying to learn french as fast as I can. Several of my team members don't speak fluent English, so most of our conversation is in French. This makes some things hard to understand, but in the long run it's probably good because it's forcing me to learn french quickly. 

It's hard to capture how stunningly beautiful the landscape is here, but I'll try to include some good photos as I find better lookouts. There are a lot of hills and the soil is very fertile, so there is lots of green everywhere. The temperature is consistently between 65 and 80 degrees, because of the altitude which is around 4000 feet. I think maybe the lake also affects the temperature. I was expecting it to be hotter, but on an average day I'm comfortable in pants and a t-shirt. It's really a very nice place to live.



This is a picture of lake Kivu from my backyard. My house is on a peninsula called Muhumba and you can see another peninsula across the lake. Behind that peninsula is Rwanda. This picture is nice, but fails to capture the size of the lake, which is really big.



This is a pretty typical Congolese meal. The meat is goat and that white stuff on the top left is called fufu. It's made of flour and water. It has the consistency of playdough and you use it to eat other foods with your hands. You grab a little ball and then use it to pick up other foods. Fries with mayo is also pretty standard. This is a practice the Congolese got from the Belgians. You can also mix the mayo with a hot pepper called pele pele.  




A picture from the road. Sort of the suburbs of Bukavu. 


It has been a good couple of weeks. Orientation so far has consisted of language lessons and lectures, as well as getting to know my fellow Seeder's. On the weekends, I've been staying with an eccentric older couple that lives next door. They are helping me to learn the language and culture a little better. Everything is slowly starting to feel a little more routine. All the details are still being worked out, so I don't know where I'll be or what I'll be doing in a month, but I'm sure it will be good.

So that's all for now. Things are going really well. I do miss home, but I'm really excited to spend the next two years here. I hope things are going well for everyone. Au revoir.

Afrique du sud

I've been in South Africa for over a week now, although it feels like I've been here much longer. Most nights I am asleep by 9, but I could sleep earlier if I wanted because I'm very tired. I usually sleep 9 hours a night, which is more than normal. I've heard this is common for people in a new culture. I'm staying at a Christian conference center just outside Johannasburg called eMensi. A lot of the last week has been spent doing orientation work for Seed, but I got to see a bit of he city as well. 

 

Last Wednesday, we had a tour of Soweto. Soweto is a neighborhood in the south western part of Johannasburg, where blacks lived during appartide. Although some parts of the neighborhood have improved since the end of appartide, there is still a lot of poverty. We visited Nelson Mandela's former house, where we learned about his legacy. We also visited the Hector Peterson museum. This museum honors the 500 schoolchildren who were killed in the Soweto uprising. This tragedy is the spark that started the anti appartide movement. Our tour guide said remembering this tragedy makes him very angry, but also that he is proud of the sacrifice these children were willing to make for freedom. The history here is violent and oppressive yet the people have a resilient and uplifting spirit. I'm inspired by their faith and their struggle.

 

 

 

On Sunday, we went to a local church in the morning and a zoo in the afternoon. The church was small but full of spirit. The zoo was large but the animals were equally full of energy. I got to see a lion roar and there was a very friendly elephant. We also went to the mall. 

     

A group picture at church

 

 

Elodie with Zebras

Moise at the mall

 

I found out today that my visa for the DRC has been approved. It will arrive on Friday and I'll fly to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda on Saturday. On Sunday, I will drive for six hours to Bukavu, where I will cross the boarder into the Congo. I will live in Bukavu with my 8 group mates for a month. I'm not sure where I will be after that. 

I'm sad to leave South Africa but excited to get to the Congo. This is where the real adventure begins. I hope your all doing well. Bye for now.

Au Revoir

Hi Everyone. My name is Jacob and this is my Africa blog. I'm going to be posting about my experiences in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where I will be living for the next two years. I'm not sure how often I will have access to the internet, so my posts may not be as frequent as some hope, but I'll try to update as often as I can. I'm gonna do some words, and some pictures, and maybe some other stuff too. I hope you all enjoy living vicariously though me for the next two years.

These two years will be spent serving with Mennonite Central Committee, an organization dedicated to peace and development work. I'm serving through an MCC program called Seed. I'm excited to be in this program, because it means I get to work with a group of young adults from a variety of different backgrounds and cultures. The group includes me and seven other people. Their names are Michelle, Aaron, Mariam, Moses, Steve, Elodie, and Sharon. Sharon is from Canada. Elodie is from Burundi. Michelle is from Rwanda. Aaron, Mariam, Moses, and Steve are all from the Congo. I also have two leaders named Karen and Serge. Karen is from Arizona and Serge is from the Congo. I'll write more about the group in future posts.

Tomorrow, I'll wake up at 7 and my parents will drive me to the airport in Denver. I'll fly from Denver to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to Johannesburg, the capital of South Africa. The flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg is 17 hours. I'll be in South Africa for two weeks for an orientation. I will meet some of my group members and begin to learn more about the work I'll be doing in the DRC.

Anyway, that's all I have to say for now. I'm sure I'll have lots of things to say or write by this time next week. So you know, pray for me and send me all your positive vibes.

This is a song by Koffi Olomide. He is one of my favorite Congolese musicians so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hax0fSHnAO4

Goodbye America. See you in two years.