The Beginning
2019 marked the beginning of DR Congoaid International, and our work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In September, our founder and CEO, Emmanuel Cibasu, along with his wife, Mimi Cibasu, took a trip back to the country they were born and raised in. They had a single mission: to improve the lives of their Congolese brothers and sisters in any way they could. They spent tens of thousands of dollars of their own money in pursuit of this mission, and the they were able to help many people in a short time. But for every mouth they were able to feed, and every person they were able to clothe, there are countless thousands of others that they could not. And this is why we are reaching out to others to join the fight.
Fire For Water
One of the biggest problems facing the people of Congo is the lack of access to clean water. Dirty, shallow wells and filthy streams are the only water sources that many poor Congolese people have. So the first order of business when we arrived in the district of Nsele (on the outskirts of the capital, Kinshasa) was to provide clean water to as many people as possible. Emmanuel and Mimi found a businessman who owns a deep well with a diesel powered pump. He was providing clean water to the people around him, but diesel fuel isn’t free. Many people could not afford to pay him for the precious water that they needed. We supplied him with 2000 liters of fuel so he could provide them with water from September through December.
Providing For the Elderly
The next stop on the trip took them to a nursing home in the capital of Kinshasa. Nursing homes in the United States are clean, well-supplied and professionally staffed. But a nursing home in many parts of Congo are just places where the elderly languish without proper sanitation, nutrition, and medical care. This particular nursing home was almost entirely lacking in every category of basic necessities. The Cibasus coordinated with team on the ground to purchase a truckload of food and other supplies and furnishings: mattresses, linens, mosquito nets, clothing, food, adult diapers, cooking supplies, cleaning detergents, and toiletries. They also paid for health care professionals to examine the residents. In addition to common diseases, many of them had the equivalent of baby rashes because of the lack of sanitary facilities. Many were malnourished, which is all too common in Congo.
In addition to the in-kind donations, we gave them funds for the ongoing purchase of necessities and medical treatments.
Caring For Orphans
From the nursing home, they then visited an orphanage, also in the capital city. They had a roof over their heads, but that was about all they had. Like so many others, they had no clean water, and like the residents of the nursing home, their bedding was old, dirty, and inadequate. So once again, the Cibasus coordinated the purchase and delivery of supplies: bottled water, canned foods, mattresses and bedding and mosquito nets. Since they were attending school, we also purchased shoes and school supplies for them. In order to provide for them for the longer term, we also left funds for the ongoing purchase of necessities.
Complexe Scolaire le Paradis
Leaving Kinshasa, they returned to the district of Nsele to visit a school. Once again, they found the students without any clean water and horrific sanitation—one bathroom that consisted of little more than a hole in the ground for 327 students. They had no chairs and no desks. Not even doors for the classrooms. The Cibasus purchased school bags for the elementary school students, and other school supplies for the middle school students. By this time, they were running out of money to give, and with great sadness they could only promise to return as soon as possible to address the numerous other problems.
Teach a Child To Fish
Although it’s important to help people in need, it’s even better to give people the tools to provide for themselves. This not only supplies their physical needs, but also gives them a sense of accomplishment, self-worth, and hope for a better future. The district of Nsele has reliable rainfall and borders the Congo River, making it ideal for farming. It is also home to another orphanage, Maison de l'esperance. Emmanuel and Mimi wanted to find something that the older orphans could do in order to generate an income for themselves, and when people are struggling just to feed themselves, farming is the only logical choice. With that in mind, they visited a farm, and found some fertile land for sale nearby. They purchased the land and arranged for neighboring farmers to teach the orphans to grow a variety of crops. This effort is ongoing.
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