Such an amazing day

The day started with more UN running around. We went to the airport for our helicopter ride and, for the third time, it didn't work out. Then we thought about driving into the jungle where we went with the UN convoy before but this time on our own. Our fixer assured us it would be fine. On the way we stopped at a market to pick up waters. In there there was a male Congolese customer and 4 Congolese women working the "store.". Somehow we got into a discussion about gender riles in the Congo vs US. (We tend to talk a lot). In Congo the women take care of the children, clean the " house," do the laundry, cook the food, work the fields, etc. And the men do nothing. Women are really second class citizens. We were telling them in the states that women are our equals and we do things that our wives ask us to and help out. The man was not buying a word of it but the women were entranced by the idea. On our way out of the store the man asked why were we saying this nonsence and where were we from. I said "we are from the future." Congo is definitely a country that would massively change for the better if it had a female president.

We drove through villages and savanna's  to get to the area where the Congolese army (FRDC) is stationed near the Rwandan border and in the mountains of the jungle.  It is in fact right in the national gorilla reserve. We had a 4x4 Land Cruiser that our driver tried to drive through ditches that were way too big, and over fallen trees that I would never try to drive over. We got stuck multiple times.  We got in situations where we had to uses the villagers machete to chop down some tree to try and fit up the mountain. It was ridiculous. We finally told our fixer that we would walk it was about an hour walk up the mountain he said. We got to the top where were met by various troops.  We were invited into their greeting hut to discuss why were there. After a while they agreed to let us meet the commander in charge. His name was Jacques, so we hit it off right away. He took us through the gorilla reserve (where we were not allowed to go) and up to his post where he and his troops live. It was less than living in a small tent. We were told not to film, but as you might imagine, how could we not?  When we got up top they showed is a pi tire on their cellphone of a large male gorrila that frequents their tents. After the troop took the picture the gorilla slapped his legs which apparently sent him flying quite high. It sounded frighteningly hilarious. After befriending the guys they let us do some filming with them. It was great. We really needed this kind of footage. From there we made it back for dinner and the were picked up by a UN patrol. We hopped in their armed patrol vehicles with them and got some amazing shots. I felt like a kid in a candy store. It seemed like we were playing call of duty. It was so much fun hanging of the sides of the vehicles holding the camera driving through the streets if Goma.

Time for bed and off to Rwanda tomorrow for a visit to the Genocide Memorial and out flight home

Another great adventure.

Conference was a HUGE success

What a wonderful end to a great conference. So proud to be a small part. Such potential in these individuals. They are looking beyond the challenges to a bright future. I am inspired by their drive.

We got a chance to say goodbye to our Maji Matulivu friends at the weekly UN party at Le Chalet. So nice to have a sense of community in such a foreign place. Said our goodbyes to so many.

Tomorrow is our last attempt at the helicopter ride.

Wish us luck. We have to be up in 5 hours so a crazy turn around after a long day.

Goodnight.

Fantastic news

Prince has been found. He got lost in a shuffle. He didn't have his passport so he walked into the closest professional looking building. As it turns out, it was the Congolese version of the FBI. He told them his story, but knew no local names or numbers and didn't have his passport. They didn't believe his story and detained him. The only number he was able to remember was Esters. He called her this morning and all is underway to get him back on the next airplane.

This is fantastic news.

Prayers or hopeful thoughts requested

In April when we came to Goma for the first time, we interviewed two young men that were selected to complete their last year of high school and their college degree in California.  They are going to be traveling to the states shortly, for their five year journey. Their names are Prince and Kabundo. Part of the logistics with this process is that they have to get a 5 year visa. That visa is only accessible through their capital of Kinshasa. One of the huge challenges for Congolese is travel. The cost of a flight from Goma to Kinshasa is $1000.  With Camille and Esters assistance they raised the money and went to pick up their visas.

Randy and I had been told that Kinshasa was a big city with tall buildings, a good sense of fashion and culture and a much more thriving economy. It is Congo's only connection to the ocean.  This trip, however, our impression has changed due to the stories we have been told by others. They say because it is a big city, things happen and no body questions it. You can get robbed while in a taxi and no one will do anything about it. Some feel it is more dangerous than Goma. A crazy thought.

Well, the plan was that that the boys would meet us back at the conference after getting the visas. When they arrived at the Kinshasa office for the visas,they discovered that the office's printer was broken. They then had yo extend their trip from 1 to 5 days because that was the time if the next available flight back.
When they went the to pick up their visas the next day, Prince disappeared.  Apparently they were at the office and he just disappeared in the shuffle.  And now he has been missing for days. They have been trying to figure out what to do.  They have put pictures up at the borders, contacted authorities, and still no word. The time has extended to the point where Kabundo needed to get on his flight. He is expected back today, but without Prince. We are dumbfounded and very worried.

That is why I ask for prayers and hopeful thoughts. I am horrified by the thoughts of this kid alone in a city he has no knowledge of.

Moving testimony

Yesterday the conference began with a couple of women speaking on the gender equality issue and sexual violence. The body language from the men in the audience was obviously not in full agreement with what they were describing. Then, a soft spoken woman got up to speak. She was very appreciative and humble in her delivery. She spoke in tribal language, so that had to be translated to French and then to English just for our camera. I choose not to fully repeat the horrors that she described from her life in this blog. It was too graphic that I have to question who might be reading this  She described the murder of her husband in front of her, the solders then raping her on his mutilated body, the subsequent raping of her two daughters. Very shortly after her in laws told her she brought disgrace and they sold all her (husbands) possessions. Then the daughters were pregnant from the soldiers raping them and didn't want to care for the babies, so she did.  People called her a witch and she was outcast.  It got to the point where even her daughters called her a witch. This story was so powerfully moving, people began weeping and then some began waling.  There were some that passed out from the emotional strain and had to be carried out for air. Men were sobbing inconsolably.  One man (boy) got up and asked to speak. He spoke in her native tongue a because it was his too.  He apologized for what the men had done and asked for her forgiveness. It was an amazingly brave gesture.

Originally when the conference was being planned it was said the real healing could only come if Rwandans were a part of the conference.  However, having Rwandans would make it too heated as one great source of the issues stem from the Rwandan genocide rebels that fled to Congo on a killing spree. For this reasons no Rwandans were sought to be included. Some of the men that broke down, however, turned out to be hiding that they were half Rwandan and overcome with guilt. There were trauma sessions set up to deal with those that needed help. No body expected this kind of response.

After, they went into the Sunday church service which was very appropriately held. All in all the kids were in the conference tent for 6 hours and were engaged the entire time.

A very powerful day.

The conference is underway

I have been unable to update on the blog because there is no WiFi (and no power) at the conference area. Things are underway. Tons of great activities, team building, dancing,  trauma discussions, etc. I can't imagine what this experience must be like for the kids. Some got stuck in a broken down bus with no mechanic for miles, others had issues when dignitaries found out where they were going and tried to stop them. However, over 200 kids have arrived from all over Congo and are loving it. Yesterday they started the sports and that was amazing to see them in the faces of the other teams, often including individuals from their same tribe, to support the efforts of their team. It is very awesome to watch the transitions. There is a leader who was chosen before the conference that was wanting to leave the first day because her team was too disrespectful. I one days time she is energized and vocal about defending her team.
We have chosen to commute instead of staying at the conference at nights.  I should be able to get back in the blog with a little more regularity.

Big days around Goma

Yesterday we got some good shots around Africa New Day (Camille and Ester's organization). We shot and edited a promotional video that they will air on TV.  We also got some footage of the training for the youth conference. Multiple times we had to dance for the UN during the day.  They requested us to go to the base to meet with this major or that coronel who are in charge of troop that we will interface with. We had to sign documents that had to go to the UN headquaters in New York for approval, and then wait for them to be signed and returned.  In between the UN trips we managed to get some great shots of one of the students at his house and at a library.  We also were able to interview his mom. Such a sweet lady.  His bedroom is about 5x8 ft. He often has to share it with his 2 cousins. The walls that divide the rooms are tarps hanging down. The floor is dirt and rock, yet they sweep up to make it look tidy. His street is all built on the lava flow that occurred a few years ago.

Today, we got to the Goma airport at 6:30am for our helicopter flight. It was surprising, after entering the gates that there are people living in airplane hangers, much like they do in the village.  There is laundry hanging to dry, small fires set up for cooking, and kids running around. Our Fixer says they are there in case they can get on a flight somewhere. They have been there for at least 6 months. 

There are many people waiting for the helicopter and word is that they might take three.  So we sit and wait.

There were tons of people waiting for the helicopter, so it looks like we got bumped. That is actually fine because the helicopter was switched out to a larger one that we couldn't really shoot out of. We want one that we can fly with the doors open.

Still waiting. It appears there are some issues around the area we are flying to, so the ground time once we land has been reduced from 2 hours to 45 minutes.  There is a meeting right now in the situation room at the UN base.  There was some sort of fighting where we are going so we are awaiting word on the possibility of riding with four troops that are needed out there. So we wait, some more. 

Looks like no flights are going now and they say it is now due to weather. We are leaving and will see what might happen later

Came back to Maji Matulivu and had a wonderful interview with Nadine, Dr Joe and Lyn's daughter. It is pretty easy to see that she is the product of two fantastic people. So well spoken, so humble, and very passionate.

Looking forward to dinner.  Ready to just chill for the night.