Nsanda

After breakfast we set out for Nsanda, to spend the day at our agricultural project. First, we ran some errands in town. To begin, we left our water containers at a water distributor. For a long time, there has been no water in the taps, and now, there was water left from the heavy downpour the other day. Hence, people could fetch water at different locations in town in containers.

We visited the immigration office and met with an officer, Thomas Tonongo. Yapeco had been asked to bring his white guests to the office. The official spent a good while talking to our host, he read the passports forwards and backwards, and when asked how much he understood (of the Swedish) the answer was that he looked at the pictures. By now, we have quite an amount of visas to a number of different countries and the visas are often beautiful artwork.

Opposite to the immigration office, two of our contractors, Dialendua and his wife, have their shop. It is called Mson Groupe Sports, and Dialendua and his wife are accomplished entrepreneurs who play their cards well. It was very nice to exchange a few words with him. Note that under his name on the sign above the shop, it says “God’s will”. Then we fueled up the car and filled up on hydraulic oil to manage the rough road out to Nsanda.

In Nsanda we met Clement, Juliennes man and Jima, their driver, and factotum, a guy who is worth his weight in gold. He had admitted to us that he has two wives, but he is very dutiful and knowledgeable and much appreciated by Julienne and Clement. We parked Yapecos car and went together the last 15 km to the fields in the old Toyota Land Crusier. We took a bogie wagon loaded with banana plants in tow. Inside the car, we were seven people. The banana field has to be supplemented with some new plants. Some banana plants have died because of weed – the two meter high elephant grass. You must exert yourself to keep up with the rapidity of the vegetation here.

On the way to the fields, we met a group of men who wanted to talk. They had cut down bushes and elephant grass on an area of ​​30 x 30 m. Clement told me that their friend Nzau from Kvakva, 85 years old, died a few days ago. Now, these men were preparing his gravesite. Nzau had owned the land. With the approval of the government, you are allowed to be buried on your own property. This is a way to consolidate the family’s ownership of the land.

Contrary to last time, it was a joy to see the plantations today. The ten hectares of cassava looked very nice. The five new acres of cassava, planted in december are taking up well. There are 300 banana trees on their way. The sesame shrubs are growing, as well as the pili pili and some other plants. Now, the challenge is to take good care of the harvest and make it profitable.

While we walked through the fields, Jima and another guy gathered firewood which they loaded onto the bogie wagon. When we got to the village, Jima dismanteled the injectors of the tractor and some other parts used for fuel supply, which we will let renovate in Sweden.

Our hosts Yapeco and Augustine

As appropriate, we started the day and the week with porridge. Today, there are new opportunities to catch and new efforts to be made. We inaugurated a Bodum teapot we had brought to Congo at the breakfast table. We want to have quality morning tea. Teabags simply will not do.

We spent the morning reviewing ongoing projects with Yapeco and Julienne. Our agenda began with our auditor’s views on the control of the cash funds. Then we went on to discuss the import of second-hand items. Right now, we can state that Matadi seems to be flooded with second-hand stuff from abroad. To get profitability in such an operation would be very difficult. Considering the developments in this area, we will not undertake any more exports/imports of second-hand goods. The high tariffs are another obstacle, and of course, Congo in itself is not an easy market.

We went through the import of solar lights. The first shipment of 500 lights came on February 19 to Matadi. Sales are in progress, but so far they have been slow. Our current goal is to build a sales organization and put efforts into marketing. Yapeco is working with Bas-Congo and Tutondele work in Kinshasa. Both of them are focused on achieving the correct volume of sales by establishing a functioning organization and produce relevant marketing. Then we went through the procedures of accounting. With the assistance of computers and the internet, the accounting can be put to efficient use.

In the afternoon we worked on the accounting of the Nsanda Group. We try to nail the correct cost structure of our hitherto production of manioc, corn, peanuts, soybeans, pili pili and bananas, pineapple and sesame. The cost structure will be the underpinning of our next production estimate. At Nsanda, we have also begun planting acacia trees.

Yapeco had to go to the provincial Office of Immigration with our passports and report how long mundeles would stay in his house. It is important to keep track of nonresidentials.

The cats of the house

In our bedroom we have two walls with window openings. There are no regular glass windows. Externally, there is a window grid and inside there are mosquito nets and shutters. The shutters are always open so we have a good contact with the surroundings even at night. We also get a comfortable ventilation. But our sleep is anyhow quite undisturbed, except for when a couple of roosters start to crow in the morning. The poultry farm is just a few meters away from our walls. Augustine probably has about 500 chickens. There is no shortage of eggs and we have grilled chicken for dinner every now and then.

At 10 a.m. we went to the Baobab Church. We went to the kikongo version today. As usual, there are many elements in a worship service here. We pray many prayers for various causes. A major part of the service was dedicated to the welcome of guests from near and far. Bernt, Julienne and I were invited onto the platform and I forwarded greetings from the friend churches in Sweden – Hökerum and Blidsberg. I also said a few words about our stay in Matadi. Some people in the congregation claimed that the sound of the Swedish language is like the sound of a heavenly language. Then the pastor speculated for a while about the language of heaven. If we will speak Kikongo or Swedish in heaven remains to be seen. I think that no matter what language we originally speak, we will be able to understand each other. At 1 p.m. the service ended.

One meeting in the church which I appreciated was the meeting with the father of one of our earlier entrepreneurs. We had been thoroughly taken in by the son. Instead of starting a business, he had bought a car for the $ 3,000 that we lent him. When the fraud was discovered, we were very clear about what he had to do. The money had to be paid back immediately. The father had arranged the money, and the last part of the loan was paid back last week. I was now able to show my appreciation and thank the him for keeping his word. He said that he had only done what he promised. If there were more people who worked hard to keep their promises, life would be much easier.

It is hot today, approx. 30-40 C. Bernt and I took a siesta before dinner. Augustine offered grilled fish, rice, cassava, plantains, sakasaka (Congolese spinach), peas and carrots, and three dishes without Swedish equivalents for dinner. Nothing is missing on the table, and we are really well taken care of. The food provides satisfaction and strength.

There are six cats in the house, two moms and four kids. The mothers have apparently given birth at the same time. They share the care of the kids and they feed them alternately. Sometimes, the kids take their nap at my desk where they put themselves in a single little heap. Interesting. They are welcome to be there but I’m no great cat enthusiast. Bernt however is a cat lover.

After dinner there will be blog writing and preparations for the week. On the schedule are meetings with entrepreneurs, politicians and government officials.

Our workplace

Today, one of the kittens came during the morning work session and wanted to show off her cleverness. The cat mother had apparently taken a rat, almost the same size as the kitten. Everyone has a need to show off their cleverness and be confirmed, but I was only moderately interested in the rat and I tried to find something to wrap around the rat and throw it outside. Unfortunately, I found nothing suitable, and the kitten could continue to play with the rat. It’s their training to become a good mouser. It’s actually the first wild rat I’ve seen in the Congo. When Yapeco saw the rat, he banished the beast to happier hunting grounds.

We went to the Airtel office to acquire a mobile broadband. Unfortunately we have had problems getting internet access, hence the delay of the first blogposts. The broadband I first purchased did not cooperate with my computer, but it worked passably with Bernt laptop. Slowly but surely we sent off the e-mails in the morning. We sat in Yapeco’s office where he usually has reliable broadband capacity. But the thunder and lightning during the night had destroyed this.

Yapeco hade gone to see the mayor and to plan the next week’s meetings with him and the governor.

The afternoon was devoted to reporting the decisions of MSG’s annual meeting to Yapeco and Julienne. She translated the business plan orally to Yapeco. We also went through the compendium with thorough presentations of our projects. Subsequently, we reported our strategy going forward. When we had reviewed and discussed the projects it was six o’clock and time to close shop.

Augustine offered evening tea and afterwards we had a short impromptu discussion about the Nsanda Group and the harvest of 10 acres of cassava that will be taken care of, processed and distributed to markets in the near future.

Stig collecting water in the rain

Today, it felt great to get up and feel healthy, there is much to be thankful for. Adele cooked a good oatmeal porridge for breakfast. I mixed a little dry milk with water as usual, to eat it the Swedish way. You must have milk with your porridge, don’t you? In Congo, they sometimes put the dry milk directly into the porridge. It was the first time I ate porridge with a teaspoon but it was probably good for my stomach, the intake was thus a bit slower and habituation to food came gradually.

Yapeco had bought bus tickets to Matadi the day before. We were thus going by public transport today. I went with Jbam in his car with all the bags to the bus stop. Bernt and Yapeco had to take a taxi. It took about half hours to get there. The bus we were traveling with were of Indian manufacture, not so great but powerfully built.

Boarding was a bit chaotic, but everyone who would like a ride came aboard and when we all were seated, the calm settled among the passengers. Baggage was marked up with the numbers on your ticket, at this point the bus company was very organized. An inspector of some kind suddenly showed up before we left. He was only interested Bernt and me and he asked for our tickets and passports. We were a bit annoyed at first. But it proved to be an actual police officer who wanted to check that our papers were in order. Our papers were fine, and to confirm that we got his stamp and signature on our bus tickets. We were lucky not to be undocumented. Probably works the police in the same way in the Congo and in Sweden. They go on appearance.

At 8 a.m. the bus departed and we arrived to Matadi at 3 p.m. We had traveled a distance of about 400 kilometers. It took more than two hours just to get out of Kinshasa, but then it went fast and we had a good driver. The bus stopped at a toll for the lavatory and at two markets for grocery shopping. When we reached the halfway point, the bus company offered Fanta or Coke, a bun and cheese. A bus host in overalls distributed the snacks. Distinguished service. The bus tour was pleasant except for the last part which was a little too warm.

This time, we will stay with Yapeco and Augustine and their children Stig and Signe, their six cats, a dog and several chickens in Matadi. Bernt and I have a good bedroom and in their living room, I have set up my office in a corner.

Dinner was served when we arrived at 16. After the meal we installed ourselves and rested for a while. Later that evening came also here a real congo rain with thunder. There was so much rain that the roof couldn’t manage – some of the water got inside. Bernt has his bed by the window, and he was getting a water bed. Here, as in many houses, there is no glass in the window holes. They are equipped with external grilles and interior shutters.

The municipal water supply is poor and hasn’t worked for a long time. Instead, rainwater is utilized. Stig went out in the rain and took care of as much as he could. So now we have the shower water for several days.

When the outer and inner precipitation had calmed down, and the lightning had expired, Yapeco gathered the entire house to evening prayer at the conclusion of the day.

When I woke up, I felt that my stomach was not as it should. I had probably swallowed a bacteria that it did not like. Soon enough, it was clean house internally, but it was also a clean sweep of all ability to do anything useful. The only activity I could devote myself to was to go to the toilet on regular intervals, otherwise, I had only to lie still in bed. Adele gave me a tablet that I would take two to three times during the day. I followed her orders. I also drank water in small portions, which were gradually accepted by the stomach. Water is needed. It was 30 degrees in the sick room.

Tutondele came in the morning for a meeting about solar cell sales, and Bernt held the meeting. They talked about sales channels and the necessity of marketing. We also presented a wedding gift to Tutondele. Unfortunately, his wife Aimérance was in the hospital for an investigation, she probably has malaria. Or perhaps it was something else that may occur after a wedding?

Later in the evening, my spirits returned. A lady who visited us in Sweden last year, at a dinner party in Töve, came to visit me and Bernt and she could well remember the Flying Jacob Kerstin had offered as main course. She said it had been very tasty. One of our volunteers, Nina, came to hear how we were doing. We were supposed to have had a meeting with them today, but because of my illness we had postponed it. Now, our plan is that Nina arranges a meeting on April 19, when we are expected to be back in Kinshasa. Emma, ​​daughter of Julienne, also came by with some things that we would bring to her mother. One meeting, with Nestlé, we had to cancel altogether.

The following night we got to experience a real congo rain. During one hour, the windows of heaven were open wide and the thunder shook the houses. The houses have fairly flat roofs and only thin ceilings, which makes the sound of the thunder deafening. There was no possibility of getting any wink of sleep during this hour, but the rest of the night gave much needed recovery.

On the flight to Kinshasa

At noon we left the hotel by bus for a half-hour trip to the airport. To get into the airport, both our bodies and our belongings had to be scanned. Then we went through check-in, passport control and a final scan to to get to the gate. I approve of the thorough control of the passengers and that the aircraft is a closed area. Anything else is unthinkable. Hereby, travellers with terror in the luggage don’t take the trouble to make trouble.

At 3 p.m. we took another bus out to the plane and half past three the plane took off. Shortly after nine local time, we will land on Ndjili, Kinshasa. Turkey is one hour ahead of us in Sweden. Congo, in Kinshasa, has the same time as our winter time. That means Congo is two hours after Turkey, so the time of flight to Kinshasa becomes almost eight hours, in other words it takes almost the whole day. Our first hours on the plane we spent in hibernation. It is good and necessary to relax sometimes. For dinner we ate grilled salmon with salad, bread and some other snacks. A meal that was welcome and which replenished our energy.

The plane we are traveling with is not that large, a Boeing 737-900 ER, with capacity for 154 passengers, but it is new and fresh. I estimate that we are about 100 passengers. Half black and half white. There are a lot of empty seats. The company has headquarters in Istanbul. Each and every plane is labeled Turkish Airlines at the airport, and the airport seems huge.

At 21:03 we landed at Ndjili Airport in Kinshasa, two minutes in advance of the timetable. Yapeco had hired a guy to take care of our luggage, and all bags were with. This guy use the straight track through customs and other intricacies. We have to pay some service charges but it’s worth it. Outside stood Yapeco and Dikéns, our bus driver in 2010. They took us to Jbam Reny Makuala with wife Adele and their five children. Jbam is a lawyer. Here we will stay for two nights. As soon as we got inside the door Jbam gathered us in prayer. A very natural act for a Congolese. They were very welcoming and they really wanted us to feel at home. As we are impressionable, we felt at home immediately. Hospitality is something that is common to all Congolese people we have met.

Istanbul

Our sixth trip to Congo began on Tuesday afternoon. Kerstin and Renee drove me and Bernt to Landvetter. This time we travel with Turkish Airlines departing at 5:45 p.m. and arriving in Istanbul 9.00 p.m. The journey will then continue on Wednesday at 3 p.m. At Landvetter we got the good news, that if you have to wait for more than ten hours at the airport, the airline will provide you with hotel rooms. Luckily, we were by far qualified for hotel rooms.

At the airport in Istanbul we went to the airline office and an hour later we got on a bus that took us to the Hilton Hotel. Here we had a restful night’s sleep and a delicious breakfast. At breakfast we talked with Isak, Swedish citizen since 23 years but originally from Ghana, where he was now on his way for a one-month vacation. His description of his former homeland is on many points consistent with the experiences we have from Congo, a country rich in natural resources but with very poor people.

Turkish Airlines is said to be Europe’s best, and when we had finished breakfast with Isak, we agreed on agreeing with that statement, because they take such good care of their travelers when there are long waits. And the price of tickets is low. We purchased them online and saved several thousands SEK on choosing this company. A “knalle” does not pay more than absolutely necessary. The downside is the slightly longer journey.

Based on what little we’ve seen of Istanbul, it seems to be a city of orderliness. It is said to be the largest city in Europe. Outside the hotel windows there was a small lake, or perhaps a river, with beautiful surroundings. The houses are in good condition, and here and there are minarets. From here I can see at least seven of them, but I can´t see any churches. It is a Muslim country. We also passed several mosques on the way to the hotel. In the bus I talked to a family from Cairo. They were on their way from California to their hometown. They told me they were Copts which I found interesting. They belong to one of the world’s oldest churches, if not the oldest. According to the Coptic tradition the disciple of Jesus, the apostle St. Mark came to Egypt and founded this church. Today, there are 10 million Copts and they have quite recently elected a new pope. It is not just the Catholic Church with its Fransiskus I that has new management. Copts are spread throughout the world.

Årsmöte 2013.

Saturday, 16th March, Matadi Support Group had the annual meeting in Immanuel Church in Jönköping. About twenty members attended the meeting. It was customary cases with review of the past year’s work by the management of the economy to the various missions in the Congo.

The annual meeting was pleased with the board’s work and presented statements to the documents. The Board re-elected but the chair went to Lars-Ola Rydberg,  previously had Lennart Fridén that task.

Most of the time was devoted to the business plan for 2013 which the Board has developed. It can be read in its entirety under “About Us.”Many challenges lie ahead, but one of our goals is to involve as many Congolese people as possible in our business. It must be Congolese to lift themselves and their country. Our mission is to be knowledge and experience brokers on entrepreneurship and give them the tools that will help them to develop.

And all development must lead to the Congolese themselves build a society that can meet people’s different needs.

On April 2 Bernt and Yngve travel to the Congo for a month’s work. You can follow us here on the blog with daily reports from the Congo.

The Church of Ivetofta

Bernt and I traveled to Bromölla in southern Sweden on Sunday, March 3, to talk about our work in Congo. We were welcomed by Reverend Pia Wiktors and Aina and Anders Nicander, who also made sure we got dinner on arrival, supper after church services and a roof over our heads during the night to Monday, breakfast, sightseeing around Ivösjön, morning coffee and a last meal, pie and salad, before we went back home.

In the church four girls sang with the cantor at the piano. Bernt introduced Matadi Support Group and sang accompanied by a guitar the song “Send me”. With the help of a power point, I talked about MSG’s work in Congo. Some language problems arose, the dialect of Västergötland is not that easy to understand for southern people. But essentially, I think the audience got the message. I talked a little too long, but none of the 60 who listened fell asleep and nobody went home before Pia had read the blessing. Some even stayed for a glass of apple cider, and we had some nice conversations with the church visitors, including some who had a strong commitment to the organization FBB (For Children’s Best).

When we got back home on Monday afternoon, we went straight to a MSG board meeting at Liisa’s and Bertil Rickäng’s home in Sjömarken. Liisa offered a good and invigorating meal and then we went on to the reports of what has happened since the last meeting, and made preparations for the annual meeting. Action plans and strategies for 2013 were established.