Bring Hope and Clean Water to Kandale in 2024!!!

The past year has been one of excitement and change in Kandale. The primary school – a safe and nurturing learning environment – was completely finished with a coat of paint and windows. And in June, thanks to donors like you, a borehole was drilled to bring clean water to Kandale. There is joy and hope in Kandale!

Unfortunately, Kandale still needs a solar-powered pump system to bring water to the surface and store and dispense it. A rented diesel pump provided three months of water during the dry season, but today Kandale is still relying on rainwater and a dangerous trek down a steep embankment to the spring. While we have raised much of the money needed, we still need an additional $20,000 to purchase and install a permanent solar-powered pump system before the start of the dry season..

What will a solar-powered pump system mean for Kandale? It means…

• Children won’t have to make that trek to fetch water and miss class…they can focus on their studies rather than be hungry and tired from the long, steep walk.

• Every household will have an adequate supply of clean water to drink, to wash, and to cook with…decreasing illness and keeping their families healthy and strong.

• The region’s only maternity clinic will have clean water…ensuring the health and well-being of mothers and babies during birth.

The rainy season ends in just a few months so installing a solar-powered pump is more important than ever. The borehole was a success and now we just need to make water accessible without interruption. You can help bring clean water to Kandale by making a donation today.

All donations made by December 31st will be matched up to $5,000 thanks to a challenge offered by a generous donor. Please make your donation today to double your giving!

Your donation will not only bring clean water to Kandale, it will bring renewed hope and change the lives of so many families who struggle every day just to have enough water to sustain them. We often say that “water is life”…and in Kandale there is no greater truth.

But don’t take our word for it…here is Mbungu Masashi’s story about the water crisis in Kandale. She is the mother of five children.

“Since the rented pump broke things have been very difficult. We are facing a water crisis. Children were used to getting water, but now they are reluctant to fetch water and walk down the steep path. We don’t have enough water to drink, wash hands, cook, clean dishes, or give a glass of clean water to someone traveling through Kandale. Many of us want to pay for the repair...but one day we hope to have the solar-powered pump and not have to worry about having enough water ever again!”

Please donate today to bring clean water and hope to Kandale in 2024. In addition, we are raising funds needed to support other key projects. We are grateful for your support…it truly makes a difference in Kandale.

Yours truly,
Julie Martel
Board President

 P.S. Remember, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar!

When Water Flows Freely

People's lives are transformed. Communities are transformed. Colette’s visit to Kandale this past spring was a tour de force. Upon her arrival, the engineers began drilling for water and found it at a depth of 120 m. The celebrations lasted days.   The return of the soccer matches was a huge success for the whole region.  Now school is back in session…and, yes, the caterpillars have returned in great number.

In a previous Communiqué, it was indicated that renting a pump and generator were only a temporary solution for providing water to the community. The intention being that a new campaign would raise funds for a permanent solution.  The designated date to discontinue the pump was September 11th. Unfortunately the pump broke down several weeks ago. The pump has been running for 4 months straight and was not designed for this type of work. NOK Construction Team sent a new pump from Kinshasa to replace the defective one. However, the present generator was not designed for the parameters of the new pump so a new generator is now being sought.

The three cisterns had been filled twice a day and the local people and people from surrounding communities have been depending on it. For a modest fee one could fill up several bidons, (plastic jugs), of water. Teachers from local villages would arrive to teach in the morning and in the evening they would head home with several filled plastic bidons. In many ways access to a constant water supply has completely changed the dynamics of the community. 

Now that the pump has been discontinued and the community awaits a more permanent solution, many basic activities have been suspended to accommodate this disruption. The lush gardens that have been providing fresh vegetables for the community have been reduced. The children are once again descending the treacherous valley to retrieve water every morning before school and every afternoon before they begin work on their homework. People are taking fewer baths.  The hospital has had to reorganize the care they provide. There is less time in the day to share gossip with a friend or gather with one’s family.

It affects all aspects of life. Small businesses have been having a hard time and even the palm oil makers, ( featured below left and center), are frustrated, as their process requires a lot of water to refine the oil. Mama Patience Ajita, (featured above left), is president of the women's group in Kandale. She had a small business and bought vegetables from the REVE garden and prepared them with fufu to sell. The lack of water has forced her suspend her business. Fortunately the rainy season has begun and the cisterns are collecting the inconsistent rainfall on the roof of the Multi-Purpose Education Center. This water is insufficient for the community’s needs, but it will ameliorate the immediate difficulties.

For Colette this recent visit culminated in great discomfort to her lower back, brought on to a great extent by the roads in and out of Kandale. The persistent pain required medical intervention and she has been in recovery for the last several months. This new Communiqué is evidence that she is well on her way to a full recovery. 

Several weeks ago the battery for the solar panels reached the end of its functionality. The battery provides electricity for the lights in the Multi-Purpose Education Center and powers the two office laptops and phones.  Dr. Karl Klontz and Dr. Clint Kelly paid a technician to purchase 4 new batteries in Kikwit and transport them to Kandale on a motorcycle 220 km to replace the old ones. 

On a final note we wish to welcome Prefet of Institut Gufwa Gubila, Gajama Lundeya. He is a graduate of Gufwa Gubila Institut and continued with his studies at University in Kikwit. He has been a Prefet for over 10 years. We wish him great success!

Here is a compelling video, prepared by
John Sullivan of The REVE Kandale Foundation Board, entitled
A GLASS HALF FULL

Au Retour

The car arrived on Saturday to take Colette back to Kinshasa and finally home. It was difficult to leave after so much incredible progress.

The match ended with two Kiboba teams, Zemba Kiboba and Kiboba village fiercely competing for the win. Traditionally these two towns do not communicate with each other, but the positive atmosphere of the games brought them together in celebration.

Zemba Kiboba was the winner with Kiboba Village in second place and Musemvu on the other side of the Kwilu River, in third. As Colette describes it, 'It was a beautiful tournament.' The match was sponsored by Dwight Short in recognition of his aunt, Lodema Short or Mama Kanemu, who was a missionary near Kandale. Two former students of Mama Kanemu, Reverend Ernest Mputu Kimbonja and a teacher at Institute Gufwa Gubila called Leyogi Supa, presented the trophies and medals to the winning teams. For the final match the teams put on special jerseys provided by Kick for Nick, 'lemon' and 'aqua'.

On Saturday, Merveille organized a staff meeting and invited the referees in celebration. There was much to discuss in between the delicious food and beverages provided. One of the big accomplishments was the creation of a Committee for the Tournament and Youth Development.

A picture is worth a thousand words

The new program, Ami Du Livre, continues to draw in young people and their curiosity. One of the recent developments from coloring in the images and researching the subject, was the investigation of rainbows and their origin. One of the adults present, was taught that rainbows were very rare and magical snakes. What new stories will be discovered as this program continues?

Colette is always practical and never one to waste an opportunity. She took advantage of the vehicle's early arrival to collect cow dung and fertilize the garden, sponsored by Clint and Carl, before she left. The garden is growing beautifully.

Colette is spending the night in Kikwit and will leave for Kinshasa in the morning. We wish her a safe journey home.

Lessons Learned

This Bird's Eye View of the School grounds has been captured by REVE Kandale's intrepid photographer, Newton, who risked life and limb to climb the nearby palm tree to capture the new classrooms and enthusiastic students.

Yes, the football match continues on at a feverish pace, but the learning also continues enthusiastically at the Mutli-Purpose Center with the program known at Ami du Livre. One of the teachers, Mr. Ajita, is leading the program and has invited 24 girls and 24 boys from the primary school through 10th grade to participate. During one of the recent events, students chose an image to color which lead to a verbal presentation of their subject and then an opportunity to research the subject for a more in-depth understanding of the topic. Students were asked to create stories based on their research. It is a very popular activity with the young people.

Presently there is a break in the action on the football field. The first round has been completed and of the 18 teams that started, there are 8 teams left. Three sectors are represented, one team from Gungu, two teams from Kobo and five teams from Kandale of which one is from the other side of the Kwilu River. All of the teams are incredibly skilled and it is impossible to determine who will make it to the quarter finals.

"Butterflies are everywhere. Local people are excited because this type of butterfly is bringing back the long lost caterpillars called Mambimbi." In the early morning Colette hears the sounds of many birds. The townsfolk say the bird calls are from lost birds that are finding their way home. It is millet season and the grinders have been working non-stop.

The borehole continues to provide water for the time being, but it will be turned off in the near future as the infrastructure for the well has not yet been procured.

REVE Kandale seeks your help to raise funds for a permanent pump, solar panels, and a distribution network. As always we are grateful for your support in the ongoing work in Kandale. There is a tremendous amount to be thankful for. We wish to extend our thanks to Newton for all his help in taking the photos included the last several Communiqués. Colette returns to the US in a week and we wish her a safe journey home. Kwenda mbote, Mama!!!

The Games Continue

The Games have been in full swing with 18 teams fiercely competing. The community is once again fully engaged in the passion of football. It has been two years since the last competition when everything went on hold due to COVID. Many elements have brought the return of the games. Obviously it was the excitement of the community to see the games return, but it was also a result of the ABCD meetings that ignited the idea of bringing opportunities to Kandale.

Everything is interconnected. Now that the well has been dug and the water is readily available, the thousands of people who are visiting the mission can quench their thirst, whether for the tournament, for the school and new classrooms, for medical care, or for other business opportunities like the internet connection at the REVE Kandale office. The two grinders are now fully installed and the people of the village have been grinding flour to prepare dishes for the hungry crowds. The local team has been trained in operating the grinders and also to perform routine repairs on the mechanics controlling the solar panels.

Other activities continue in Kandale such as the regular meetings of "Ami du Livre". This will be showcased in the next Communiqué. It is a busy time in Kandale, filled with many positive changes. Thank you for your support in making all these programs successful.

Let The Games Begin

Communication continues in the form of photos.

 Colette has shared that, last Sunday there was a great celebration at church about the water. They also announced that starting this past Monday, there would be a charge for the water: FC200 per bidon (that's 5 cents). Colette reports there's been no slow down in people coming for water. 

Also the grinder is in constant use and the back up is ready to go.  They need one more junction box to enable both grinders to function simultaneously. Training on grinder maintenance is complete, and solar training is almost complete.  

The ABCD training has ended, which will dramatically reduce the level of activity and number of people around.

The tournament begins today, May 21st. We wish all the teams success!

We will continue to update you as we receive more information from Colette.

Refinement

Now that water has been divined, Colette continues
to report the newest events happening in Kandale,

"ABCD training went really well. We started on May 1 and concluded yesterday on May 10. Some participants from Kalonda, Kinshasa, and Aten Idiofa left yesterday evening but others from Mukedi, Kamayala , Kahemba and Ndjoko Punda will leave today. Exams d’état started so we had to continue the training under the shade of the mavu tree in the REVE Kandale compound so students could use the multipurpose center."

"To tell the truth the students and delegate felt like they own the multipurpose center. They just came and occupied the building without asking us if we were done students looked so happy and proud of the conditions in which they take their exams. As usual I always hear from those delegates who comes here for the first time and how impressed they are with the multipurpose center and tukuls. Unfortunately the tukuls were full so there was no room for the delegates."

"People are coming from far away 7-12km on bicycles or motorcycles to fetch water. They are calling it water of life. it is amazing. Solar training continues. It was extended to allow time to buy the right circuit breakers in Kinshasa. Overall it is going well. The training on composting and continuing gardening is still going on well. I will send photos. I brought in Newton to help with photos and he’s doing a fantastic job. Without him we would not have managed. He camped out all night long with the drilling team until they found water at 3.59am and he took photos."

"Paint job started today May 14, 2023. James from Uganda wrote, he has arrived safely home. Tournament starts on May 20. The teams are excited. We are cutting down from 22 to 16 teams."

 

We will continue to update you as we receive more information from Colette.

Eureka!!!

With the drill operational, Colette has sent these words and images,

"We have successfully drilled a borehole and water has been flowing out of ground since 3.50am. It is amazing! The church is organizing a special gathering to dedicate the borehole to God almighty who makes everything possible. People from neighboring villages came even earlier than those at the mission, to see it. "

"The most moving testimonies was my father. He has not taken a bath in quite a few years due to water crisis. He is in his 90s and has become unable to go to the river. Today he came over and ask to draw a bucket of water. He took a full bath and was happy. It made me cry."

 

John Sullivan, a REVE Kandale Board Member, created this video montage of the celebration happening in Kandale. It is glorious!!! Enjoy!!!

 

https://vimeo.com/824189112

 

We will continue to update you as we receive more information from Colette.

The Arrival of the Drill

Colette has arrived safely in Kandale. She has hit the ground running.

She writes in a text:

"It has been very busy. The roads are very bad so the truck with the drilling equipment was delayed. Thankfully, it arrived yesterday and work has begun this morning.”

The training for the grinding mills and solar panels is going very well. The technician from Burkina Faso is excellent. There is high self esteem among the staff being trained. They have learned how to disassemble and reassemble the grinder as well as operate it efficiently. It is beautiful to see. 

The environment team is also doing well. They are preparing the soil and site for composting. There are many moving pieces. I have loads of photos to send but the internet is slow. Everyone needs water but rain has not fallen."

 

We will continue to update you as we receive information from Colette.

The First Week in Kinshasa

Colette arrived safe and enthusiastic in Kinshasa. Here is her first email:

Greetings from boiling hot Kinshasa.

Here are some photos of the trip. I spent yesterday and today shopping. I am almost done. We bought everything for environment and gardening projects and all teacher’s kits and supplies for ABCD training. Meantime, the printer copier arrived from France and my mother went to the shipping agency to collect it (see photo of printer being carried on the head). It is very hot. Tomorrow I got to go out again to buy batteries and solar panels needed for solar energy training. Both Burkina Faso and Uganda technicians will arrive on Friday. We will do minor shopping and pack cars to leave on Saturday morning. All is going well.

This is the 30th Communiqué. The intentions of the Communiqué are to keep our community informed of the great progress being done in Kandale. Thank you for your generous donations and support. Matondo Mingi !!! (Thanks a lot!!!). We wish Colette great success on the next arduous leg of her journey.