Monday, February 1, 2010

remembering victims while not forgetting Congo...

With all of the news reports coming out of Haiti... It's hard to not be pulled to the suffering and struggles that the people there are facing... The loss, horror, pain. It's drastic and shocking. Even here in the DR Congo, we hear reports of what happened and continues to occur there. The government even announced last week (or before?), that they will be donating 2.5$ million in aid. A country that isn't organized, is accepting foreign aid and humanitarian donations... Is giving. Ah.

Whether that's a wise decision or not, Congo is still bleeding. Lives continue to be damaged if not lost, on a daily basis.

Two weeks ago I presented to one of our classes about the potential that this country has, and what is being done about it by Congolese leaders (close to nothing). I also shared with them the foreign investors... Investors who's presence here might benefit Congolese to a minimum degree, but mainly the gains are leaving the country and impacting China, Europe, the States...

Congo is still hurting... Twelve years of civil wars will create unimaginable damage to a country, not to mention to a person's spirit. But Congo continues to be unseen, unnoticed, unimportant.

This article was published in the NY Times this past weekend... The author states, "It’s time to show the same compassion toward Congo that we have toward Haiti."

I hope that can happen.

Orphaned, Raped and Ignored 

Thank you for the love you have for me, and the Congolese people. Our students are living examples of hope in spite of pain, damage and destruction. Continue to pray for them.

love,
Bethany