We packed our belongings again in the Pilot villa. Augustin came and secured the forty-eight cardboard boxes of lamps on the roof of the presidential car. It is a blessing that the car is large. Helén came with her employer and we paid for two nights and two dinners in the practical villa with strong ties to Sweden. Thus began the ten-mil long journey towards the ferry in Kimbemba. The trip took almost four hours.

For quite a while, I was astonished by the improvement of the road compared to October 2010. But later on, after Yapeco invited us for coffee, it was noticeable that the rains had destroyed the road. Augustin drives the car safely and quickly, he parries cavities and he always honks before tight curves. When we caught sight of the Congo river, we felt that we could make it in time. But the ferry had left the station when we arrived at Kimbemba. Luckily, Yapeco knows the captain of the ferry and he called him. The ferry turned around, and we were soon on board. We didn’t discern any hostility because of the delay.

The ferry ride to Luozi feels safer than the trip across the Congo river, Kinshasa – Brazzaville.

We went up to the CEC Church’s center and visited Gunnel Jönsson from Blidsberg. In the apartment next to her’s we would be able to leave the solar lamps that we are going to sell in Luozi. Gunnel told us that we would be sleeping in Ruth and Robert Diabanza’s nice villa and we went there with our bags.

When we had made ourselves at home at Diabanza’s, we went back to the Gunnel’s apartment, where we had dinner made by Mama Pauline. Pauline and Gunnel have collaborated all the eight years that Gunnel has worked in Congo. This summer, Gunnel will leave her post in Congo. She has been here for five years in a row in recent years. There is a five-year limit associated to the post.

Gunnel has promised us that we can have all meals in her house. We would be just fine anywhere in Congo if I only could get used to the different diet. I guess I am considered choosy.

We awaited Yapeco, Augustin and the solar lamps in the late morning, but they did not arrive until 3.30 pm. Helén who cooks for us arrived at 11 am. Today she made french fries for my sake. She had to cook twice because of the late arrival of our friends. In preparation, Yngve spent the day going carefully through the binders about entrepreneurship.

I keep on reading about Potemkin. Today I read about the background of the expression “Potemkin’s scenery”. According to the book it is one of history’s great lies. I was baffled, I have always believed in it.

Yapeco, Yngve and I went to Nganga and paid a visit to Yapeco’s newly established hotel, room for eight guests, currently housing three guests.

The next house we visited was Emy Mantezila’s, where he also has his bakery. Emy is a pastor and has made a new translation of the Bible from Hebrew into Kikongo. Emy came with us to the student pastor Esther who lives in the neighboring house. Esther Luhunu Mahema is working at CECO University in Kimpese. CECO = Centre Evangelique Coperation.

The university has three faculties: agronomy, economics and medicine. At the university there are 430 students. Yngve talked with Emy and Esther about MSG and the desire to get into the curriculums of the university, working with professional teachers. Yngve handed over the training material. Emy and Esther promised to speak to the university management. Among other things, Yngve stated the importance of collaboration between educators and lenders/banks. The three tools to inspire healthy entrepreneurship are, according to MSG, education, start-up loans and longterm follow-ups.

It seems that Emy and Yapeco could be coordinators for the entrepreneurial education in Congo Kinshasa.

When we went home the night was dark. On all roads there are multiple speed bumps, sometimes there are two in a row. It is an effective way of calming the traffic, something that is used by many street vendors who offer their wares to the slow-moving motorists.

The time had come to leave Kinshasa for Kimpese and Louzi. We ate breakfast early and at 8:40 am we were ready to leave, this time in the large car. It says “President of CEC” on the car. This means that we will not have to stop for roadblocks or police controls. That is especially good, knowing that we are going 220 kilometers today. Yapeco is going to Matadi to collect the remaining solar lamps. We thanked the staff at Nzo Binati and said goodbye. Ruth Diabanza came and asked us to bring some tea to Sweden. She traveled to Sweden today after half a year in Luozi. We didn’t have any solar lamps to pack since everything had been sold. They went like hot cakes in Kinshasa.

Kinshasa is a hundred kilometers across, so it takes a while to get out of town

Edi Diafukuna, president of the Church, said a prayer when we had got into the car. Young Augustin started driving and he drives well. The roads are of very varying quality and we are grateful that we felt fine all four hours of the trip. We listened to a lot to music, first Swedish songs, then Congolese. The Congolese songs often repeat the same words over and over again. Then I wish we had a translation.

Yapeco wanted to stay along the roadside at one point and buy some things. A little girl came up to my car window and wanted to sell plastic bags. I shook my head and said “Non” through the window, but she looked happy anyway and stayed there the whole time while we were waiting for Yapeco. She imitated me and shook her head, when I did, a limited but cheerful kind of contact. I wanted to take her picture, but I was afraid she would disappear if I did.

We went through many different types of nature, many valleys and hills. And we drove through different villages, most of which looked very nice and two who were just puddles of mud. People were selling goods right next to the mud puddles and it looked like a difficult life. We often see goats in the villages and sometimes pigs, looking around for something to eat.

We passed by the Lukala cement plant, a huge facility, and soon we were in Kimpese.

We went up to the IME hospital which we visited in October 2010 and we came to the pilot villa, where Hélène Bunisama received us with very good food. When we had eaten, Yapeco and Augustin continued to Matadi. They are returning Friday morning. Yngve and I were “off duty” during the afternoon and evening in the nice and well kept pilot villa.

The birds are chirping and reminding us of spring at home. Yngve and I took a walk in the nice surroundings and the temperature is comfortable.

After breakfast we had a meeting with the Church director Edi Diafukana. In two years, he wants to go to Sweden to work for two years. He has been in Sweden eight times before, and is fluent in Swedish.He will be coming to the Church conference in Gothenburg in May.

Edi participated in the entrepreneurial course once. We talked about entrepreneurship and the new training material from Focus Business School. Further on, we talked about Luozi and the twenty-six students of theology there. It is plausible that they might be interested in entrepreneurship and the training material of MSG. Edi received the binders with training material and an explanatory letter from MSG. Yngve said “Take it or leave it.”

Edi raised the question of the Luozi fruit plant, Prodibas, and Yngve reminded him of the three criteria that must be met before the plant can be realized. There has to be 1. Access to electricity in Luozi, 2. An examination of the raw material supply in the area and 3. Financing. Edi has spoken with authorities in Kinshasa about access to electricity, but so far nothing has happened.

When we checked MSG’s bank account, we were pleased to find that an additional 6900: – SEK has been donated for the benefit of the campaign “Light a solar lamp in Congo”. The campaign now has raised a total of 36 000: – SEK. That means we can sell 120 packages of lamps for 100, – per package. Each packet contains 2, 3 or 4 lamps. We truly thank all who has contributed to light a solar lamp in Congo.

The afternoon meeting took place at the Church’s largest university, the Protestant University with approximately 2,000 students. The first person we met was Wanani, a theology student who is supported by the Mission Church in Rimforsa.

As the financial manager of the university, Ngwala Ray, is known in Sweden, we got to talk to him too. Yngve talked and Nsimba Anderson translated. It was noticeable that Ngwala had heard about MSG’s work before. Yapeco’s son Stig is studying law at this university, and he has also met Ngwala before.

We met Ngwala when we were here in the autumn of 2010. Now he said, “I’m glad to know what you are doing for my country and my province.” Yngve gave him the two binders and the letter from MSG, all in French. Ngwala talked about how important it is for students to learn a profession. You can not perform well if you have not learned first. He will inform the professor of economy of our meeting.

We went by a store where Yngve bought a modem to use in Kimpese and Luozi. Then we went back to Nzo Binati, where Albert met us at the car door with a large umbrella. It was raining cats and dogs.

Tuesday morning we moved from the room we have stayed in since Friday to another with both Internet and air conditioning. Very good.

In the TV room we met Pastor Nzuzi from Mukimbungu. He is applying for visa to Sweden, where he is going to visit Rimforsa and Yngve’s sister Inga-Maj’s congregation. Another pastor from Kingoyi is planning to go to Asklanda.

Today, we went to UCKIN University together with Yapeco. Augustin drove us there. UCKIN is one of the largest universities of the Church. We were met by the school’s English-speaking director, Jean Mvuezolo, who told us about the school. When it was founded in 1965, it was a theological seminary. In 1995, the scope of subjects was expanded with medicine and economics. Presently, UCKIN has 1361 students. They have exchange programs with other universities in order to use their respective resources efficiently. Medical students go to another university to get practice. In return, other students come to UCKIN to practice in the laboratory.

Recently, a faculty of peace and conflict research started. There is certainly a great need of this in the world today. “We do not have any legal certainty in Congo. If you have money you can go to court. If you do not have money, you will not get any help.” The Congolese are a peace-loving people, stressed Mvuezolo.

The university rector Mbelolo ya Mpiku, English speaking he too, came by and told us that Joseph Nsumbu, former pastor of Borås, was one of the first students at the university.

We went inside to sit down and the rector began to inquire about MSG and the entrepreneur courses. He became immediately interested and Yngve gave him the two binders in French about entrepreneurial education and Focus Business School. The rector approved of the fact that the program contains both theory and practice. From before, he knows Kukangisa Nyambodi who has worked a lot with the courses. Yapeco who has been involved since the start talked about his experiences of the training.

When the rector asked why MSG wished to hand over the training to another party, Yngve said that the MSG members in Sweden do not speak French, which puts a barrier between the teacher and the student, and that MSG realise that there is a need of trained educators. After the meeting, we took a walk on the campus and spoke with several university teachers, including a lady who stressed the importance of women’s role in society.

We had a soft drink and parted with hopes of a fruitful cooperation.

Back at Nzo Binati we met The Church director Edi Diafukana in the dining room. Yngve booked a meeting with him.

The two ladies Nzyzi and Educatrice who visited us in Töve four years ago came by with peanuts and saffofrukter. Michel helped us to talk to them and we offered them soft drinks.

The lamps are selling. Since Yngve in January put the price down thanks to donations, the lamps are much more attractive. Probably, there won’t be many left to bring to Kimpese and Luozi. If necessary, we will sell the lamps from Matadi. Tutondele was here today with the rest of his stock. In the last months he has sold 110 lamps.

I am glad that Yngve decided to make this trip, and I am grateful that I joined him and got to meet everyone involved. Many Congolese now get the pleasure of having light even though the power fails. The lamps have a much higher quality than Chinese solar products that are flooding the market. It will be wonderful to be home in Sweden, knowing that the lamps are put to use rather than just lie in a warehouse and go to waste.

We continue to practice French and it is fun. I guess that we might get visits from Congo in the future, and then it will come in handy.

Today we visited the vice director of the CEC Church, Levi Matondo.
When we were here in 2010, his wife travelled with us to Kinshasa where she was going to attend her brother’s wake.

When I went to the TV room at Nzo Binati, Miriam, the daughter of Nsimba Andersson, had come. A proud father told me that Miriam had come directly from the school to wait for her dad.

Today Augustin, the driver, drove us for the first time. We went to church in the Toyota belonging to the Church director. It was not an easy place to go to in a large car. There were market stands on both sides of the road and a lot of people walking in the street. The last part, we had to take a very bumpy narrow road and we arrived at the church at exactly 10 o’clock.

The service had probably begun before 10, and now, the sermon was in full swing. The generator was making noise outside but it couldn’t supply enough power for the speakers and they gave up. The preacher went down from the podium, so that the congregation would hear him, but we sat so far back we didn’t hear anything anyway. At the end we were invited onto the stage for a special welcome, together with Yapeco and Augustin. Nice!

We talked to several people afterwards, among them a man who gave Yngve shelter once when Yngve was sick. Now Yapeco’s son Stig rents a room in his house, and Stig gets to drive his car. We talked to Yapecos sister and her family. Hellen speaks English. Furthermore, two elderly ladies came to say hello. They visited us in Töve together with seven other Congolese in March 2011.

It was delightful to be in a room with a fan. We believe it’s forty degrees now. A young man, Horly Tsasa Nkayilu, wanted to speak to Yngve. He is the grandson of Samuel Nkailu. Horly is the director of an insurance company in Kinshasa called Papa Social. The company offers its 15,000 policyholders free health care. Papa Social collects insurance fees through the telecom operator Orange. If a parent buys phone services for at least 5 USD a month, the whole family is insured. The limit is five family members, ie two parents and three children. 15% of telecommunications fee goes to Papa Social. Horly is seeking partners in European countries. Today, he had an English-speaking interpreter with him.

At 3 pm, Augustin, Yngve and I ate at our usual restaurant very close to Nzo Binati. We want to be sure that we can tolerate the food. So far, we stick to french fries. We get a good helping of salt too. As we waited for the food, Yngve practiced saying the numbers in French. He got approval from Augustin on counting to ten. In the same fashion, I practiced the French names of the days of the week.

Yapeco missed our meal for a football game, but later in the afternoon he remembered that I like to have bananas on my bread. On the plastic bag is the picture of Obama with the text “America’s first black president.” It is the rainy season now, and in the afternoon we had a tremendous thunderstorm.

Now we are resting, and looking forward to a new week.

It is Saturday and I am certain it is forty degrees outside. We have started to open the boxes with solar lamps and they seem to work and be in good condition. This morning, Yngve o I started to put the first lamps out in the sun to charge.

Because they are in better condition than we expected, we have decided that we will check them at the time of sale. That will be easier than checking all of them now.

Yapeco had just arrived from Matadi and now we are waiting to Tutondele, the other solar lamps seller, to show up with the rest of the lamps. The car and the driver is already here. Good!

We are also waiting for someone to help us with the fan in our bedroom. It worked fine yesterday. In the middle of the night I shut if off, and after that, it wouldn’t start again. Annoying. Until our fan is mended, Albert who works on Nzo Binati, has lent us another fan. We are very grateful for this.

Tutondele came, and he had sold substantially more lamps than he had reported. Great!

Together with Yapeco and the driver Augustin, we had lunch at the restaurant near where we live.

The wind started blowing heavily when we were at the restaurant, a rainstorm came and it suddenly became easier to breathe. We managed to aviod the rain, it held up when we walked back. When we came home, Albert had rescued the box with the four lamps that we had left outside in the sunshine.

Yapeco had an errand in town and promised to buy bananas to us. I put bananas on my sandwiches, instead of marmalade.

But last night we ate something even better: Sally’s crisp bread with caviar.

Tonight, Yapeco and Yngve are planning for the next week. If we can arrange the meetings that we want to take place here in Kinshasa, we hope to leave the capital Wednesday afternoon. We will then sell as many of the solar lamps as we can in the Luozi area. The lamps would fill a greater need there than here, in the capital. In Luozi, they have also done much advertising on the radio for our lamps.

After twenty minutes on the Congo River, we returned to Kinshasa Friday morning without any mishaps. Now we hope that our plans will fall into place here, too.

We have 2½ weeks ahead of us of travel, the sale of solar lamps and meetings before we go home to the Swedish spring. At the ferry station in Kinshasa, we were very kindly treated. When Yngve showed the staff our friend Teddy’s business card, we were invited to sit and wait in a nice air-conditioned room.

We are grateful that we haven’t experienced any major health problems. Right at the beginning of our trip, I had terrible pain in one leg and was unable to walk. I thought I would have to have knee surgery in Sweden. But pretty soon I understood that it could be erysipelas. I had had a spell of it in December. I e-mailed the Health Center in Ulricehamn, got the name of the penicillin and Yngve could then purchase it here without a prescription. Soon I was healthy again. Today, I just have three tablets left of the regimen. As a result of the episode I missed one meeting.

We have also suffered from upset stomachs a few days, and have felt somewhat exhausted, but it has ended without having to medicate. We drink a lot of clean water and eat salt. We hope that we are a little bit hardened health-wise. But we haven’t got used to the heat yet.

Eventually Teddy’s chauffeur came and picked us up and we are now installed at Nzo Binati, where the Church’s offices and accommodation in Kinshasa are located. We were very thirsty when we arrived and luckily we were offered cold water at one of the offices. The water had gone through a filtration apparatus.

We will stay in Kinshasa until all remaining solar lights are sold. During these weeks we will borrow the car and the driver of the director of the CEC Church. The driver arrived at Nzo Binati in the afternoon and his name is Augustin Kubanza Babanza. Yngve have prepared a meeting in Kinshasa and in some cities on the way to Matadi. This afternoon, we ate french fries on a newly discovered restaurant very close to our accommodation. It was delicious.

It’s Thursday and our last night in the apartment Saka Saka in Brazzaville. We have had meetings every day except Sunday. Today, Joseph Mandzoungou has been the the only visitor. He and Yngve have gone through the summary that Yngve has made of these days in Brazzaville. The days have been well-planned, and they concluded that good decisions have been made. We are satisfied. Joseph speaks more and more English and we try to communicate with single words in French.

Both Nanith and Yvette helped us to clean our rooms, put laundry to soak and they cooked omelets for us. They are both very nice and efficient. Joseph helped us pay the bill. One CFA is little more than a Swedish “öre”.

Throughout the week, Yngve has tried to come in contact with Myriam Mbama. She used to work for MSG. Myriam and her sister Anita was in Sweden and Skara – Lidköping 2012 and visited us in Töve. Myriam’s phone number could not be reached. Through Ing-Marie in Sweden, we learned yesterday that Myriam is in a hospital, and via Kerstin Kvernes, we found out more about Myriam’s condition and finally, through Maria L, we got the information about which hospital to contact, namely the Hosptial de Base.

We got hold of Myriam brother’s phone number and took a taxi to a very nice hospital of high standard built by a Chinese contractor. All signs were in both languages. The brother did not answer his phone though, because he was in school. But an exceptionally nice nurse came and asked if she could help us, and she let us look in to the patient rooms of the wards to look for Myriam. And to our delight we found her quite soon. Myriam looked much healthier than we had expected. Her mother was there to visit her. We talked for a while with Myriam, who had been admitted to the hospital a month ago now and undergone several tests. We took photos. She received an Alva Angel and when we asked her how she is feeling, she said she gets tired quickly. We prayed together before we went.

When we tried to hail a taxi Myriam’s siblings came up to us and her sister Anita helped us get a taxi. Now, only a nights rest awaits before the boat trip across the Congo River tomorrow morning. Then we start over in Kinshasa.