Having safely arrived back in Gamboula last week, we have had the last week to settle back into work and our somewhat hectic but wonderful routine. We were welcomed back with both good and bad news regarding life here but I suppose that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. The good news is that Calvin, whom we and others back home having been helping with school fees, passed his exams and now holds his BPC, a kind of diploma that opens doors to college, nursing school and other government related jobs. He is now continuing on with school and we, and hopefully others (hint, hint) will pitch in to help make his goals a reality. He is last of twelve children so you can imagine that he doesn't get any help from family in regards to school as all of his brothers and sisters have married and have families of their own. In fact, one of his older sisters gave birth this morning and I have just returned from visiting them in the hospital. What a precious sight to see a brand new baby. Speaking of babies, we were also greeted with the news that our friend Reufen and his wife are proud parents of a baby girl that they have named Angela, after me. I am feeling quite honoured and the baby is beautiful with lots of curly black hair. Precious!
In other news, the saga of Constant continues. He has been 'released' from prison but is being kept at the president of the tribunal's house. Technically he is still in jail but he has really become the presidents house boy and chauffeur while he awaits a trial that has been post-poned twice. The police reports say that Constant is not at fault, but now, one of the family members of one of the deceased has come forward to sue Constant, stating that the accident was his fault because prior to the accident he had had a fight with a women and that caused the accident. Hmm? Sounds suspect to me. Roy has brought in a lawyer twice who has come all the way from the capital in Bangui, only to have them post-pone the proceedings, ONCE THEY HAVE SEEN the lawyer. They really just want Roy to give up and pay them all off and call it a done deal, which Roy will not do. Of course. We have not been given a new date and it looks as if this may never end. Perhaps once the president gets tired of having Constant around he will finally put an end to the cherade but in the meantime it is a game of waiting. It is about as corrupt a system as you could imagine. Every day his family has to bring him food to eat so imagine how anxious they are to get this over with.
We received a letter from Constant the other day and he is also quite discouraged. He accused three employees of ours of putting a curse on him so that either the trial won't happen or he will die in prison. No one can accept that the system is corrupt, instead, there must be some evil spiritual reason behind it all. Arrgh! Everything in baby steps. Upon our return from Bayanga I found that my friends younger brother was also in jail. He was imprisoned under false charges and they refused to give him a proper trial or let him argue his case. They only wanted money which they knew he had a bit of because they waited to arrest him until after he got paid for helping build a house locally. After seven days in squalor the family managed to negotiate down his 'fine' and he was released much to our relief. He was sick and hungry but happy to be home with his wife, kids and family. Everybody in the village knew he was falsely charged but no one could do a thing about it. Don't they call that a police state.
It has been cool here for days but no real rain fall. This afternoon there has been a lot of thunder but no rain. Monday and Tuesday are holidays so we will be able to work around the house and in the gardens with relative peace. I also put together a report this week of the Women and Children Gardening for Health Program and since January we have given away 19 machetes and vegetable seeds to mothers with infants in the hospital nutrition centre. These women represent nearly 190 hours of labour that they put into the nutrition garden. Of these 19 women, 8 were Fulani and 11 were Gbaya villagers. Since January only two women have outright refused to work and the rest have been very happy to help out, harvest food for their kids and receive a machete and seeds at the end of their stay. The hospital staff are more than pleased with the program, and frankly, so am I.
We have three visitors coming out this October, the president of our mission, NMSI, and two US staff. We are looking forward to their visit immensely as hopefully this will open up more doors for people to come and work here in the future. The local evangelist that we worked with in Bayanga was adamant that more people come out to help him in his work in the area of development-agriculture, health, small business, what ever would be a help to the Aka pygmies that he works with. I fully agree with the needs he sees.
Speaking of needs, anyone wanting to help put some wonderful (no bias here) kids through school this year, as little as twenty dollars will put a child through school for the year. Any size donations can be sent via NMSI (in the United States) or CCWM (in Canada) marked 'Bosses-special projects' and we will direct the funds specifically to pay for school fees and supplies. If you have any questions please contact us through NMSI. (www.nms-intl.org)
Have a great week, Angela
