Tears of Joy!!!

Kiboba Village was the winner of the women’s soccer match with Lycée Gina Gisanga, a local school, in second place and Malundu Village in third. Malundu Village came from 50 km away to participate as did many of their supporters. 

Colette’s dominant memories of the event were all the faces beaming with glee and all the enthusiasm from everyone who participated, and yes, tears of joy and tears of …

It was truly an event to remember!  Colette remarked that she observed a genuine change in the attitude of the players. There was a new level of discipline and sportsmanship and a commitment by all the teams to the professional experience.

The winning team received a cash prize, a big trophy, medals, and bibles. Even the fourth place team, Mukwatshi Village, received jerseys and bibles. 

The chef de district, (head pastor), Thumbuga Nyingu Corneille, got into the spirit of the event when the marching band paraded around the field. He kept talking about how things are changing for the best in his community. 

The success of the match has set a very high bar for competitions in the future.

The roof on the third block has been completed and the drop ceiling will be in place by the publishing of the Communiqué. The students and teachers are chomping at the bit to take possession of the three new classes, especially now that the rainy season has started. Colette has observed an increase in student enrollment in the high school from many communities throughout the region. After interviewing several students, the opinion is that the dormitories are far superior to the makeshift accommodation they have previously stayed in; and the quality of the new classrooms, allow them to study without the interference of rain leaking through the roof.

The children of the Ami du Livre program and the girls in the dormitory are

sporting their newly donated outfits.

Colette has returned to Kinshasa to reflect upon a very productive eight weeks. At the moment the intention is to return in the new year to begin work on the fourth block.  It has been a whirlwind trip with many accomplishments and there is much to be thankful for and to look forward to in the year ahead.

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Fanfare!

On Tuesday the 23rd, a truck arrived from Kikwit carrying the needed supplies to complete the roof of the third block. The lumber, the tin sheets and cement were all unloaded. 

Presently the wooden support structure for the 3rd block is about to be installed and the tin sheets should be in place in another week.

The drop ceiling was put in place on the second block and the students eagerly carried their chairs and desks into the new structure. 

All the while, just a stone’s throw from the ongoing construction, the First Regional Women’s Football match has been going full force. As of this writing, all 32 teams have competed in the first round of elimination and the remaining 16 teams have moved on to the quarterfinals. 

The excitement is explosive and the attendance of the matches has been jammed packed. Colette has commended all the members of the advisory board, the referees and the athletes for their professionalism and impressive sportsmanship.

It has been a very positive event, and Kick for Knick and the family of Mama Kanemu have played a very important role in supporting the growing enthusiasm for football in the region.

Individuals have been calling from towns that are hours away by motorcycle in the hope of catching their local team playing. She has received innumerable messages of praise and wonder as this is the first serious women’s match to have ever taken place in the region. 

The first quarter final match between Kudi and Malundu was one of the most impressive. In many of the previous matches the players ‘moved like fish in a pond’, to quote Colette, but the Kudi and Malundu teams were very well organized and implemented complex strategies on the field. Malundu won 3:0. Malundu has one of the best players in the tournament, a very young girl who has scored 6 goals on her own already. They play Nzemba Giboba next, which is another great team.

Several members of the community have been coming up with ideas to take advantage of those in attendance by marketing fresh produce, frozen fish, beignets and offering a variety of beverages. The demand for frozen fish has been growing steadily. Several booths were set up including a nail polish booth, a hair salon, phone services and air time.   

The events that have been highlighted in the past several Communiqués have a resounding impact on the community and the region. The fact that these projects and events materialize successfully is a testament to Colette’s hard work on the ground and the seemingly endless organizational meetings. They are also a testament to the constant support of our donors.  And finally a huge shout out goes to Eudes Mashini Fana or Cephado to his friends, for his tireless photography and incredible action shots. The images speak volumes to the excitement, the camaraderie and the fierceness of these events. They document a unique moment in Kandale, one that will live on in the memories of all those who have participated.

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What's Cookin'?

Right on the heels of the Teacher Training, the ABCD training has been going at a full clip.  The roof on the second block of classes is now complete and the walls on the third block will be ready for a roof in another week. Oh, and the 1st Womens Regional Football Competition started on Friday.  It is a hectic time and Colette has been working overtime to keep everything in motion. 

No sooner did all the newly minted Trained Teachers leave to begin their education responsibilities, than the 50 participants of the agricultural based ABCD training began. The tukuls were aired out and Tumba and her crew began restocking the kitchen for the next round of enthusiastic learners. 

Similar to previous sessions the training focused on ways to develop individual gardens and maximize the volume and quality of the harvest. This session placed an emphasis on practical solutions based on individual experience and pragmatic entrepreneurship. This session had two new ‘hands-on’ workshops including the building of a bread oven and an in depth lesson in making soap. 

In addition to the technique behind making soap, the training unpacked the ideas of cost analysis; how much do the raw materials cost, the equipment required and the labor involved. All of these lessons could be applied to other products including crops. The first loaves of bread look delicious.

Work has been moving at a steady pace on the classrooms. The roof on the second block of classes has been completed and no sooner had the scaffolding been taken down and the rooms swept, than the students eagerly took possession. 

The bricks require a week to cure and the team is wasting no time incorporating them into the walls of the third block.  Presently they are waiting for a truck to arrive from Kikwit with another shipment of roof sheeting.

Last weekend Kandale held a big ceremony to initiate the Women’s Football Competition. Everything began with a prayer which was followed by speeches from the local sports committee. They have been working very hard to coordinate the 32 regional teams, training the referees and explaining the rules for this years' competition. 

This past weekend there was an elaborate mask dance including Munganji dancers.  It was truly a special event.

As of Friday the two local teams faced off, Gufwa Gubila and the Lycée. It was a very exciting match that ended in a penalty shootout with Lycée being the winner at 3 to 1.  Tomorrow there will be two more matches between four local teams, Kiboba and Zembe which have two teams each. The community has been mobilizing to take advantage of this event and of course Tumba has been in the midst of it with her delicious beignets.

This is a photo of the third block in progress. The bricks are starting to frame out the windows. The first block of classes can be seen in the background left and behind the trees in the background right, is the second block with its completed roof. So much progress has happened in such a short time and there is still more to come!

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Ideas into Action

Colette arrived in Kandale over three weeks ago. The drive was long, (it is always long), but the journey along the unpaved road was less challenging than in the past. Colette indicated that there was significant improvement en route, especially traversing the Kwilu River valley into Gungu. 

This bodes well for future deliveries of critical construction materials. Two land rovers made the journey, a convoy of sorts. Frederic was among the passengers as well as Joseph Mange, the individual who would be leading a two week training course for teachers, and Exaucé, the assistant engineer who would be installing a freezer…yes, a freezer. Change is definitely taking place.

Without wasting a moment Frederic, Olivier, and the whole crew returned to finishing the walls on the second block of classes.  At this point the walls are tall enough to receive the framework for the roof. 

Simultaneously they have begun digging the trenches and laying the foundation for the third block of classes. They will start building the walls in the next few days.

Colette has enlisted a group of youth as unofficial apprentices. This has greatly increased the progress being made. In order to manufacture more red clay bricks, the local chiefs have been tasked with motivating their respective communities to bring more red clay.

Shortly after arriving Joseph Mange started the new teacher training program. It was a full capacity group and everyone was very excited to participate. Joseph began the presentation by engaging the attendees with the question, ‘If a child can’t read, whose fault is it?” This question identifies the network involved in the education of children: the parents, the teachers, the children, the community and even the political will to ensure that education is a priority

Success for the youth of Kandale begins at a very early age and REVE Kandale’s Ami du Livre initiative is setting the stage for this success. The Congolese government has provided many excellent documents to facilitate the process of teaching reading at the elementary school level. Two of the key documents are “The Guide for the Teacher” and an exercise book for the students”. The Teacher’s Guide provides very specific guidelines for teachers to teach reading to first and second grade students. The Student Guide provides many exercises for children to follow and develop their reading proficiency. 

The intention is for children to learn to read a paragraph fluently in their regional language by the time they complete second grade. These documents are available in other regional languages such as Lingala, Swahili and Chiluba, but unfortunately there are presently no books available in Kikongo. Kikongo is the regional language of the Kwilu Province and Congo-Central Province, Between the two provinces, there are many variations of Kikongo, thereby making it challenging to create a single text that embraces all the different varieties. If funding becomes available, it is the hope of the teachers in Kandale that these documents will be translated into the regional form of Kikongo and made accessible for the teachers in Kandale and the greater Kwilu Province.

During the first week Joseph sought out those individuals who were capable of becoming Master Teachers. Of the seven teachers identified, four were women. In the week ahead these Master Teachers will take on the responsibility of teaching the remaining teachers using the techniques developed during the Master Teacher Training.  Part of the process will include the writing of ‘local’ stories in Kikongo, that young students can relate to, a ‘Book Bank’ of a sort. 

Like the ever-present motorcycles and solar chargers, change comes once again to Kandale. Now there is a freezer, actually two freezers, that are powered by solar panels.  For most of the community ice is a completely new concept. People are fascinated. Merveille has been quick to utilize this technology and she has begun to store shipments of fish from Gungu and sell them to the community. 

Fresh vegetables, a tangy local fruit called fita-fita, and Tumba preparing beignets.

Prior to this invention, fish was available either as dried fish or via the occasional opening of a local fishpond. With the arrival of this new appliance there has been a great deal of speculation over how to take advantage of its potential. One of the suggestions has been to freeze vegetables, such as cassava leaves and ngai ngai that are abundant during the rainy season, but unavailable during the dry season. Presently, there are no trays for ice cubes so the gin and tonics will have to wait.

Meeting with the soccer team representatives to discuss the upcoming sport camp and referee training

With the girls soccer match only a few weeks away, the enthusiasm has been building. The teacher training will have finished and the ABCD training will commence. The Communiqué will continue to document the advances in the classroom construction that are moving very quickly.

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A Love of Learning

Education is at the heart of REVE Kandale’s efforts in Kandale. For education to be successful it must address the needs of the community and in turn the community must see the value in the opportunities provided. REVE Kandale has remained constant in its development of both the infrastructure to teach, and in its support of educational practices. The building of the primary school classrooms has anticipated the middle school classrooms, which in turn has led to the building of the high school classrooms. It is very encouraging to think that many students have followed the progress of the new classrooms as they graduate to each new level.  The construction of the Multi-Purpose Education Center, including the Polyvalente meeting room, has allowed students to take their national exams in a formal setting that validates the process. 

Ami du Livre

A year ago Colette began work on the very successful, Ami du Livre program. This program familiarizes pre-school children with books and it creates a positive attitude toward learning. The Ami du Livre program parallels the educational goals of the DRC government and prepares students for success through their entire education.

Exams d'État

Colette will be leaving for Kandale soon. Her departure has been brought forward as a result of a visiting trainer, Joseph Mange from Kinshasa. Joseph is originally from Mukedi, which is very close to Kandale. He has been working in eastern Congo, as the regional director for a USAID funded education project called ‘Sasa Tunasoma ’ or ‘Now We Can Read’. This program promotes early reading under Save the Children and is identical in many ways to Ami du Livre. RKF has recruited him as an expert to provide teacher training in Kandale similar to “Sasa Tunasoma”. He will be running a two week training session from August 14 -26. Matsoro Libenge Olivier, the provincial minister of education for the Kwilu 2 educational province in Idiofa, will be conducting the opening ceremony. There will be over 50 participants and they will represent a cross-section of teachers, principals and educational advisors from Kandale and the surrounding region. In a nutshell, the program is designed to educate primary school inspectors and principals about how to coach primary school teachers in reading and writing skills. They will be trained to implement specific educational goals and evaluate the success of those programs. This training is in line with the educational goals established by the DRC government for the academic years of 2024 through 2026. Developing a love for learning at an early age is a crucial part of the training.

Building the Tukuls

The educational training will start after the high school students complete their national exams. The exams have been delayed due to the strikes in the fall. After the educational training has been completed, ABCD sessions will start, and immediately thereafter the Women’s Football Tournament will begin. School will resume at the beginning of September. The summer break will be a month shorter to make up for the lost time.  It will be a busy couple of months. With all the new development on the REVE Kandale compound, it has become a pivotal site for the region. The REVE Kandale team has been busy building three new tukuls in anticipation of all the new visitors.  Presently it is caterpillar season and many of the guests can look forward to finding this delicacy with their meals. In addition, mango season is getting under way.  

he truck carrying construction materials and solar power equipment arrived in Gungu on Wednesday. It is expected to arrive Thursday in Kandale. Merveille has organized a crew to unload the truck upon arrival wherein it will be taken to the river to collect stones and sand for the continued construction of the classrooms.

Three neighboring communities, Kashitu, Muwangi, and Kandale Mission were mobilized to bring red clay to REVE Kandale for the making of bricks.

As mentioned in the previous Communiqué, the roads have been undergoing much needed repair so hopefully Colette’s journey will be relatively uneventful. Please refer to our link on the REVE Kandale website, https://www.revekandale.org/education, for more information about our educational programs. We wish Colette and her team a safe and uneventful journey.

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Stories Big and Small

Earlier in the year, in the 'Oasis' edition, The Communiqué wrote about the conflicts that were occurring in Eastern DRC. At the end of this June a peace deal was signed between DRC and Rwanda. It is a hopeful sign. The Kandale Community has not been directly affected by these ongoing conflicts, and any movement toward a sustained peace is a movement in a positive direction.

Many weeks have passed since the last Communiqué, but progress toward a better life continues in Kandale. As of last reporting, the roof on the first block of classes was completed and the foundation on the second block was constructed in anticipation of the brick walls. 

Exams D'État

The students have since moved into the first block of classes despite the absence of windows and doors, but the structure is far superior to the adjacent mud classroom. That ‘mud’ classroom has since been dismantled and the clay/sand walls have been repurposed toward the construction of the new block. Construction was postponed as Colette contracted malaria and needed to return to Kinshasa. Colette is presently in excellent health and she is preparing for her return to Kandale toward the end of August.

Grinding the Corn Harvest

Clearing the REVE Kandale compound and discovering caterpillars.

The ABCD training was delayed until the beginning of September. As with many conferences there are many moving parts and all the presenters will be available for this final part of the cycle. The ABCD training that started in 2022 has been organized in a very deliberate way. Initially, participants were presented with ideas around community development and business marketing. The next training focused on entrepreneurship and an evaluation of the experiences of the participants. Recently in April, there was an extensive presentation around the many aspects of agriculture. As always the experience of the local farmers is an integral part of the discussion. 

This training was very popular and it will be repeated in September.  The agriculture lessons will be revisited to ensure that anyone who missed the first session can be in attendance. Additionally, there will be workshops on how to make soap and bread.

The girls’ soccer tournament was delayed as well and to quote Colette, “the delay provided a greater opportunity to organize all the communities”. With 32 separate communities participating, it has become quite the undertaking, training coaches, communicating with all the communities about the goals of the event, and preparing Kandale for this event. Kandale has been hosting several exhibition matches in anticipation of the tournament. As part of the tournament a Congolese- born trainer will be arriving from the US to provide training for all the girls participating in the competition. The goal is to present the idea of respect for this unique opportunity. Participants will be taught discipline and fair play during the games, in order to foster positive inter-village relationships with all the visiting communities.

The local team leader, Merveille, made the decision to utilize the remaining cement to make more bricks for the construction of the second block of classes rather than have it deteriorate. This will require the purchase and transportation of more cement from Kikwit. Fortunately there has been significant progress on the reparation of the road to Gungu as a result of the intervention by an MP in Kinshasa. Word around town is that the road has been significantly improved.

Ami Du Livres

In a growing forest, saplings extend toward the light and grow into trees. The trees in turn provide shelter, sustenance, and connectivity. With the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development, communities in DRC are relying more on community-based organizations such as REVE Kandale. The REVE Kandale Foundation is dedicated to community development and establishing programs that greatly encourage self-reliance. The list of empowerment programs in Kandale is long and continues to grow.  The stories continue to be told and Colette will be busy creating many new stories upon her return.

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Picking Up Where We Left Off

The previous Communiqué documented the arrival of two trucks filled with supplies to begin work on the roof of the first block of classes and to initiate construction of the foundation of the second block. Several weeks ago Colette left in a ‘convoy’ bringing two Land Rovers packed with supplies for a six-week stay in Kandale. Amongst the passengers were Colette and Frederick, along with James who would be inspecting the water pump station and assessing the feasibility of a drip irrigation system to improve the growing of crops during the intense dry season. The list of goals was long, least of which was the construction. ABCD training was in full swing, targeting lessons on agronomy for the first group of 50 local participants. In addition, Colette would be rallying the communities in support of the first girls’ regional soccer match. All of this would be in coordination with the day-to-day business of REVE Kandale and the important communications between the various local community representatives as well as discussing the status of local contribution (gravels, rocks, sand, labor, etc.) for the new construction of Institute Gufwa Gubila HS.  

The rainy season continued to take its toll on the roads and the conditions were no kinder to Colette than they were to the trucks that journeyed to Kandale earlier. According to Colette the roads were more treacherous and frightening than previous years, but with the help of a new truck company, they were able to make it from Kikwit in one day. As is the custom, the community burst out in celebration upon their arrival.

Colette was thrilled by the success of the ABCD training on agronomy. People were genuinely excited by all the new information that had been presented. The new trainer, Justin Mundele, was excellent and he made full use of the participants’ skills and experience in agronomy. He began his training from the ground up as it were, point by point. How was the ground tilled, how was the soil rejuvenated, how were the seeds planted, and in what rotation? How was the soil assessed for nutrient level, and how were the plants taken care of? Were people aware that different crops required different soils, moisture levels, and nutrients? There was a discussion of diseases and pests and the importance of worms in the soil, they are the gold that breaks down the nutrients and feeds the plants. The 50 attendees were provided with a very thorough syllabus containing pictures and descriptions of various crops and how to care for them, including a calendar on when to plant each crop.  Justin Mundele arrived with a great deal of experience, having worked with a variety of European funded projects throughout Congo.   The final installment of ABCD will be in June. It will focus on small business training in addition to making soap, building an oven for making bread, and another session of agronomy for those who were unable to attend the first session.

Shortly after arriving, a referee from the national team arrived.  He spent many hours training referees from the surrounding villages and setting up a schedule.  Due to the excitement of the tournament, there are now 32 teams with over 700 girls who will be participating.  With such large numbers, it will be a tournament with two matches a day of direct eliminations with the winners moving forward.  As part of the organization, all the chiefs from the participating villages have been asked to visit Kandale to support the team and the tournament.  Each village arrived with a delegation of three from which eight referees will be chosen.  Colette met with all the delegations for a long afternoon to explain the process.  It goes without saying that the event included a lot of singing and dancing as these individuals seldom have the opportunity to see one another.  The joy and enthusiasm was overwhelming.

Work on the first classroom block began immediately, with the construction team organizing the materials to prepare the roof for the wooden supports. Within a week the framing had been completed and was ready for the tin roofing.  It has been a dance with the weather, but there were many productive days and often the crew worked in the rain.  It is important to note that all the work is done with hand tools and there is no concern about getting electrocuted or ruining the tools.

Recently several fuses in the water pump had blown out due to a serious storm. These fuses were designed to blow out for just this reason. The pump was shut down temporarily to protect the system. After removing the fuses, James was able to start the pump up once again. He trained Merveille and Eudes about how to operate the system manually in order to avoid the problem from recurring. The long lines have returned to both the pump house and the grinding station.

Soon the dilapidated structure adjacent to the first block will be dismantled and the clay in the walls will be used to build more bricks. While there won’t be any windows or doors for a while, the new structure will be infinitely better than the crumbling classes they had previously been using. Colette has several more weeks of organizing before she returns. So much has already been accomplished and the positive progress is contagious throughout the community.

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An Oasis

As you are all no doubt aware, the political system in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been undergoing some upheaval. The eastern cities of Goma and Bukavu have been taken over by a rebel military group known as M23. As a result of those attacks, there were a few days of protests and rioting in the western capital Kinshasa in early January, which targeted some embassies including those of neighboring Rwanda and Uganda. Fortunately for the past several weeks, things have been relatively quiet in Kinshasa. Many NGO’s and businesses are still operating, but things are in no way back to normal.  Negotiations are under way to cease the fighting and to reach a peaceful solution to a conflict that has been happening in the East for the last 30 years.

Kandale in many ways is an oasis from the world outside, life goes on without disruption, not unlike during the pandemic. At the board meeting last month, the REVE Kandale Board discussed ways to continue with all the ongoing projects, in view of the current situation in DRC.  Colette is still intent on returning in March for six weeks to complete the roof of the first block of classes and to complete a second block, roof and all. If there are enough materials they will begin work on the foundation for the third block. The intention for this year is to complete three blocks of classes. 

The second truck was originally scheduled to leave for Kandale in mid-January. There have been delays, but the truck left on Wednesday the 19th along with Olivier to assess the materials available on site for the construction. Unfortunately, the truck broke down on the way to Gungu and a replacement part arrived the next day. The truck made it to Gungu on Saturday after getting stuck along with several other trucks on the uphill climb from the Kwilu bridge to Gungu. Fortunately a REGIDESO truck (Congolese national water service company) helped to pull everyone out. The following day the truck was again delayed heading to Kandale due to significant erosion en route. The crew spent many hours filling in the ruts to allow the truck to continue. The truck made it successfully to Kandale this past Sunday around 10PM and was unloaded the following morning. One might think about the journey to Kandale as a metaphor for the greater challenges DRC is facing. The road is arduous and tests the mettle of those making the journey, but in order to make progress, people must believe that the sacrifices are worth the journey.

Many young people headed down the hill early to prepare the stones in anticipation of the empty truck. The truck made several trips, carrying big stones and sand up to the construction site, before returning to Kikwit. Despite all the difficulties along the way, everything came together in preparation for the construction of the next two blocks. 

The community has been digging out red clay to make bricks and tirelessly collecting the small stones needed for the foundation. Presently Doka and his crew have created over three thousand bricks in anticipation of the miracle team, Colette, Frederick and Olivier. 

Even though the rainy season arrived late, the peanut crop yield was excellent. Corn has supplanted millet at the grinder, and Bea has begun preparing the harvested fields for beans. 

The fourth and final ABCD training will commence and word has gone out to many distant communities. This year’s session will focus on building local economies and learning how to start a successful small business of which Tumba and her beignets are an excellent example. There will be presentations on agriculture and composting along with other trainings on soap making and bread making. After the ABCD training, there will be another training for the referees in preparation for the upcoming regional girl’s soccer tournament in June this year. This will be the first tournament focusing on girls in the region. Rumor has it that members of the National Soccer Team will be present for the kick off to inspire the region and bring attention to this one of a kind event. 

Lastly, 'Ami du Livre', a pilot program to instill a love for books and reading in small children, continues to grow stronger and stronger. Recently parents attended a meeting to discuss their responsibilities, conduct and hygiene. The meeting was chaired by Khenda and mama Patience, the Présidente of women in Kandale.

As always we wish Colette and her team a safe journey. She has a very full agenda for her visit.

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A Truck is a Beautiful Thing

A truck was dispatched to Kandale last Saturday from Kikwit. It was loaded with 300 bags of cement, roughly 7 1/2 tons, along with other materials. While the journey from Kinshasa is long and arduous, the trip down to Kandale has formidable challenges. There are small windows of time that lessen the difficulties, but the rainy season isn’t one of them. It had rained hard the previous week and the road down the Kwilu River valley was heavily eroded and complicated by slippery mud. Drivers are continually navigating new paths down, but there is no avoiding the steep muddy ravine. The team arrived at the bridge in the evening but there were several trucks still negotiating the difficult ascent on the other side with limited success. They were given approval at the bridge checkpoint to spend the night and they started out fresh in the morning.

They reached Gungu, a few miles away, after several hours of digging, backtracking, and slogging through the heavily rutted road. With the heat of the day underway, they decided to postpone the final leg to Kandale until the early morning. The road from Gungu to Kandale is primarily sand but the rain makes the sand heavy and the wheels of the passing trucks tend to burrow down into the ruts for traction and make the roads even deeper. The truck arrived on Monday the following day to a joyous crowd. The local crew had been mobilized days earlier to expect the truck on Saturday, and now that it had arrived. The crew made quick work unloading the cement. 

Prior to the trucks arrival the congregation spent the day preparing the road down to the Kwilu, (a different part from Gungu), to enable the truck to drive the five miles down and collect the large rocks that had been piled up.  It will require several trips to retrieve all the rocks that have been assembled. Once the rocks are unloaded in Kandale, the truck will return to Kikwit and retrieve the remaining materials needed to continue work on the roof of the first block of classes and the foundation of the second block. These materials include lumber, rebar, and corrugated tin for the roof.  When the truck returns for a second time it will again be repurposed to collect more stones and clean sand that is in abundance at the river.

The chain of construction wakes up long before the architect and the engineer arrive in March. Cement, rocks and sand are the primary components in the laying the foundations for the classrooms, but cement is also a key element for making bricks. Doka has taken time off from the grinders to prepare the brickmaking machine in anticipation of making bricks for future blocks. Fresh bricks may need a few weeks to dry before they are ready. They need to be kept in the shade, turned and watered daily until cured so that they are suitable for construction. The team will start making bricks on Monday and when Frederick and Olivier arrive they will have an ample source of bricks to begin work on the second block. In addition to making the bricks, several other individuals have been busy breaking the large rocks into smaller rocks to create concrete for the support columns and roof supports. Children have been organized to scavenge for small rocks, which will be included with the other gravel.

It can’t be over-stressed that there are many working parts that come into play for these projects to successfully move forward; from the organizers in the US, to the contributions from our donors, the many interactions with the dealers of construction materials in the Congo, the truck companies, and the hundreds of individuals organized on the ground collecting and processing all the materials by hand. And with every success it becomes increasingly more efficient and effective as the next project begins. A truck is a beautiful thing. It brings a promise for the future and keeps communities connected.

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Happy New Year 2025!!!

Happy New Year!!! Every year is full of promises and challenges. Thanks to your ongoing support the solar powered water pump has been installed and the foundation for the first block of high school classes has been constructed. The REVE Kandale team in Kandale continues to keep all the programs up and running. 

The photo above includes growing corn and peanuts, the chaperone of the girl's dormitory, Dido Zunga and his wife, and the immaculate grounds of REVE Kandale

Maintaining all the grounds and preventing the jungle from encroaching is a full time job, especially during the rainy season. The people of Kandale are in the middle of the rainy season and everyone is busy managing their crops to sustain them through the next dry season. It is a process that has continued through many generations. The rainy season also provides a variety of locally sourced plants and mushrooms to supplement the standard diet.

Colette will be returning to Kandale in March. Prior to her arrival a truck will be transporting cement, lumber and tin to assemble the roof for the first block of classes. Frederic and Olivier will be directing the crew from Kikwit in the building of the new roof, as well as supervising the original crew in the digging of the foundation and building the walls for the second block. Depending on the timing, the roof for the second block will be installed as well. 

Even though the construction has paused, many individuals continue to collect large rocks to build the foundation for the second block of classes. In addition, several people are busy breaking rocks to ensure enough gravel is on hand to mix into the cement for the columns and roof supports. Another crew is busy making the needed bricks. The bricks require clay and cement, which requires more people to walk down into the ravines a half-mile away to collect the raw material. Upon arrival, the truck will be repurposed to gather sand and rocks down by the Kwilu River. There are many many moving parts that require a constant momentum and vision so that when the construction crew breaks ground all the pieces are in play.

Colette will be busy with preparations for the first ever Girls Soccer Competition on June 8th! Presently there are 16 villages registered to compete, with room for 6 more. Each village must pay a registration fee of $20 to ensure their commitment. With the registration fee each team receives a soccer ball to practice for the big match. 

A Committee of 8 people meets regularly to discuss the details. Leon Gisupa is the president and he convenes all the meetings. Leon is a former student of Mama Kanemu, the aunt of Dwight Shorts who is a major supporter of the soccer program in Kandale. Several of the members serve as recruiters who venture out to the local villages and observe potential teams. In March training will begin for the referees. In the past Congolese businessmen from Kandale have donated enough jerseys for all the teams. It goes along way to generate excitement for the event.

An outgrowth of this event is the potential for local entrepreneurs to set up stalls and sell food and refreshment. Tumba has been busy refining her recipe for beignets. 

Later in the spring ABCD will be presenting ideas for local development with a focus on the upcoming event. This competition will be even more exciting with the availability of water and grinders to prepare the flour. It will eliminate the stress of traveling down to the spring for water and having to prepare the flour by hand. The water pump and four grinders are gifts that keep on giving.

And finally, Ami Du Livre is a program that continues to support the young minds of the community. Colette started the program in 2015, but officially named it in 2022. It has become a multi-faceted learning experience for primary school kids. Matumba Madeleine, (seen above), oversees the program and she encourages the children to come in to the library and become familiar with the available literature. They get to draw in coloring books and attend storytelling sessions.

One of the fascinating elements of this experience is that they begin to learn Kikongo, their second language, both as a spoken and written language. There are no texts written in their mother tongue of Kipende other than the Bible. The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has begun to introduce education programs for pre-school children and Ami Du Livre is right in line with that goal.

The REVE Kandale Community wishes you a joyous and prosperous New Year. We are grateful for the generosity of our donors and all the individuals that work behind the scenes to make this program successful. On that note our appreciation goes out to Eudes for keeping us connected with his excellent photos.

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