The Luputa Water Project

The Water Project:
The greatest problems in Africa can be directly linked to the need for clean water. Over twenty years ago a water engineer from the Congo saw great potential for capturing a natural water source up in the hills of the Kasi Oriental region and bringing it down through the small villages and into Luputa. It became a dream project that he would pursue with anyone who would listen. The Humanitarian missionaries, the Christiansen’s (our predecessors ), contracted with this engineer, Dominique Sowa of ADIR to do a 5 phase water project in the Kinshasa area. This is the water project we are completing at this time (Camp Luka, Laloux etc.) Dominique took the Christensen’s along with the church water engineer specialists Dave and Lena Frandsen to Luputa in February 2007 to see his dream project. Bro. Frandsen, a retired water engineer with a wealth of experience was elated with the project as it had many positives for such a remote area. (1) It was a quality water source (2) The project could be gravity fed ,eliminating the need for a pump, electricity or a well, making it virtually maintenance free (3) it would serve up to 200,000 recipients. (4) the project would take water over a route through 4 villages over 30 Km. The only problem was that the cost of such a project exceeded the cost of any previous water project the church had ever funded.

The Christensen’s and the Frandsen’s returned to Kinshasa and proceeded to write up the project for submission to the church. This is where the Barlow’s enter this wonderful story. The last thing the Christensen’s did before leaving the Congo at the end of their mission was to submit this project for approval. Now the long process of questions and research and reassurance started as the project went through the church Area Authorities on to Salt Lake City to the church Humanitarian Services to the presiding bishopric and then to the first Presidency. This was a long process and one which had its ups and downs but, in a way, very reassuring as we experienced the rigorous process that a project goes through before your humanitarian dollars are spent. The proposal was reworked and rewritten several times.

During this time Luputa natives were praying for the Lord to bless them with clean water. They have such great faith and know that Heavenly Father knows who they are and are aware of their suffering. In the first of December 2007 we were notified that the project was approved and we could proceed with the legal documents, the contract etc. When we notified Dominique Sowa of the acceptance of the project, he shed tears of joy. He said this is a dream come true, something I have dreamed for 20 years. No one was more excited than Dominique.

A trip was planned and the Frandsens and Robert Hokason, in charge of all church water projects made arrangements to visit the new water site. To start, meetings were held in Kinshasa with the ADIR staff. Contract issues were ironed out and agreements were reached. Now it was time to go to Luputa.
We wanted to celebrate with our Luputa friends. We scheduled our trip to Luputa for Feb 7-12. The head of water projects for the Church, Robert Hokanson, had never been to the Congo so it was only right he better come see where all the money was going. The Frandsen’s needed to come and recheck the site and work on the contract. Pres. and Sis. Livingstone (the mission President) had to go to a Church District Conference in Luputa and we had to get some hands on Luputa experience, pick a site monitor to monitor the project and participate in telling the villagers they were going to get clean water. We were quite an entourage heading for Luputa.

The trip was difficult and required we take our own food and water with us. We would spend the first night in Mwene Ditu, 3 nights in Luputa and one night in Mbuji Mayi The first leg was a flight from Kinshasa to Mbuji Mayi on Central Africa Airways. The plane wasn’t bad but when we landed safe and sound everyone cheered and clapped, kind of made us wonder if we should have been a little more leery of flying CAA. We were met in Mbuji Mayi by the branch Pres. who had arranged for us two 4W drive vehicles rented from a Catholic organization. Actually we only had one vehicle reserved with a previous driver Omer who scrambled to find us a second vehicle and a driver Alphonse. We had been warned that the trip was arduous and that the chance of getting stuck in the rainy season was very high.

Omer and his son Patience. Patience was the look out and the puddle measurer (literally. . . he measured the depths of the Grande Puddles.

Alphonse was our driver for most of the trip. He was new as a driver for the mission as Omer has driven the Pres. and missionaries since the time the Christensens came to Luputa. Alphonse found the Mormons to be a tad different than most people he has driven . . .Hmmmmmm.

Mbuji Mayi was much like Kinshasa but much smaller. We had to fill the cars with gas and get 75 bottles of water (1.5 liter bottles). We also bought bread at a bakery there. We were off to Mwene Ditu to spend the night at a little hotel. The church also has a small branch in this little town. The roads were mostly paved this far with the usual potholes that we know and love. Our hotel was fairly clean. We brought our own bedding to lay on the bed and we ate MREs for dinner. We took a walk before dinner and saw some of the town , gathering many curious eyes, a grundle of children and some great pictures of people. We had to flush the toilet with a bucket and shower from a bucket while standing in a tub but that is all part of the adventure.

In the morning we had granola, powdered milk and some great rolls left from last night’s dinner. We loaded up and were off to Luputa. Barely out of Mwene Ditu and we were on the red sandy roads bouncing from one end of our vehicle to the other. The vehicles had the front seat and the back was two benches on the sides of the vehicle facing each other. We piled our luggage and food behind the driver and four of us rode in the back of our car. We had the Frandsen’s, Bro Hokanson, actually by now he was Robert (that wasn’t hard since he is the same age as Mark and looks, laughs and utters puns just like Ben). Robert rode up front with Alphonse and the four of us got cozy in the back. I didn’t think I could stand the ride as I get so car sick but blessings come and I didn’t have a problem.