"Look at Me" Video

Graduates singing "Look at me! Look at me! I can read! I can write"

Look at me! I can read! I can write!

It's Graduation Day in Malueka for those participating in the Literacy Program. They sang a song, "Look at me, Look at me, I can read, I can write."

Do you remember when you learned to read, how excited you were. Remember when your child learned to read and you saw their world open up to wonderful possibilites.

These women and men are celebrating their 9 months of effort to learn to read and write for the very first time. They are so excited to be able to accomplish something they have wanted to do all their lives. This is a result of a project conducted by Humana People to People and funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Malueka, the same neighborhood we reported on for the Family Health and Hygiene training also has been busy taking literacy classes. The classes were held in nighborhood churches and under mango trees in neighborhood yards. The project funded 200 people to learn to read and write in their native language of Lingala. No one was turned away who wanted to learn and the classes mushroomed to 500 participants. A community voluunteers were trained to teach the class by a professional teacher. Along with learning to read and write the classes used matereials supporting the strengthening of the communitysuch as health and Hygiene, ethics. etc. There were about 30 community teachers that taught 2 hour classes 3 days a week. Participants ranged from 15 yrs of age to 80 yrs of age. Most were woman but there were a few men.

When we visited a class we observed the students writing the letters in the sand, then writing the letters in the air, then writing the letters on the chalkboard in front of the class (with much cheering and encouragement) and then they would write the letter or word in their notebook.

One lady stood during the class and said, " Five weeks ago I could not read or write, but now I can read and write. Now I can help my children with there school work. I have always wanted to know how to read. Thank you for this gift."

We were touched by the joy we saw on all the participants faces. We attended the graduation for six classes of participants. It was a joyous occasion with a demonstration of their reading and writing. They performed a skit about a woman who got in to trouble because she couldn't read a letter that was sent to her. The skit went on to show that by being able to read many problems of our lives are solved and we can make decisions for ourselves.

Each participant was congratulated by the HPP leaders, the church missionaries, bishop of the church from the area and a representative of the Minister of Education who was over adult education. Some came up very reserved and tearfull while others clapped their hands and sang and danced.

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An 80 yr old man spoke and told how all his life he had gone with out being able to read or write. He said that when he was young they drove the white man away and declared independence and now today here is a white man coming to help me learn to read and write. Now I can read just like my children and grandchildren.

What a choice experience to share with this community the gift of literacy. The community has taken on a new life with woman being proud of who they are and what they can accomplish.

Everyone was dressed in their best and many were dressed alike matching the class they were associated with.

"We are getting better. We are getting stronger. We are getting smarter," said one woman.

Humana People to People are a solid NGO with many partners. The church is in good company in their support of this organization and their programs for the community of Malueka.

LOOKING BACK AT 2007

Many exciting projects in 2007! A lot of work and a lot of good things happening



Vision Major Initiative: Dr. Hunsaker brought suture-less cataract surgery to the Congo. This project happened our first week in the Congo. Since then we have had two shipments of supplies for the Ophthalmology department of Kinshasa General hospital. The church has furnished a surgery microscope, slit lamp, 2 ophthalmoscopes, 3 current converters and many surgical supplies including the lenses for the cataract surgery. Dr. Hunsaker has become a beloved friend of all these doctors here in Kinshasa.


Child Soldiers Container Project: IFESH contacted us and asked for help in getting a container from SLC to the eastern side of the Congo to help with a program they have to rehabilitate child soldiers. Many children have been forced to fight in the conflicts. IFESH, an NGO out of Arizona , had grant money to pay for shipping if the church would donate some supplies. They asked for medical supplies, wheelchairs, clothing, school supplies, and food. They will work with these young boys helping them to get over the trauma (mental and physical) and integrate them back into society with a skill for them to be able to support themselves. We were unable to go to this area for distribution of the supplies as it is very remote and not always a safe place to be.


Neonatal Resuscitation Major Initiative: You may have seen this initiative highlighted in October between conference sessions. This is an initiative the church sponsors in many third world countries. This project was done in the DRC in 2006 but had difficulty getting the NRT kits to the participants. The project this year was done in Kinshasa, DRC and in Brazzaville, RC. (See previous blog for details) We are in the process of gathering information from the participants to see how many people they have taught the technique since the training. Kinshasa statistics are very good showing that most all participants have taught others from 5 more to 100 by one doctor. This was done without kits as

we were delayed in getting the kits to the participants (customs issues). They now have their kits and are re-teaching not only their own facility but other practitioners of other facilities.
The follow-up in Brazzaville is much more complicated as the participants were from all over the country, some of them from very remote areas. We have asked for the government liaison for the project to do the follow-up as language and distance is too big a barrier for us to cross. We have funded gas and phone cards and the government is going to work on ways to get the reports from the more remote areas.

Training Perpetuation for NRT: While doing the follow-up for the NRT it became apparent that those being trained needed to have the basic supplies of ambu-bag, infant mask and bulb syringe. These supplies are not available here in the DRC. We submitted for an area project for 100 more basic resuscitation kits to supplement the training provide supplies for some of those being trained that did not have the materials. It was approved. This will give 100 more facilities the needed supplies to put into practice the NRT program. We are very excited to see this projects success. A lot of money was spent but each person we talk to tells us how they have changed their practice and are saving babies. They are so excited an so grateful for the opportunity to learn this simple lifesaving technique.

Measles Campaign: This year the church helped with the measles vaccination program in the Republic of Congo. The church commits to do the publicity and provide volunteers for the national measles program. They provided banners, posters, fliers, and the volunteers for all the centers were the measles vaccine were offered through out the country. They also produced and paid for TV and Radio campaigns in two different languages, French and Lingala. A special couple, the Seiters from Arizona came and set up the campaign. We just had to support them in their efforts. The campaign was very successful and the government was very pleased with the publicity campaign that the church did. The government liaison told us that he was worried the campaign wouldn't go well but when he saw the church was involved he told his people that it will go because that church gets things done. We had worked with him in the NRT program and he felt the team had been very successful and remembered that when the measles project came around.

Literacy Training: 480 people are being taught to read and write in Lingala and then in French. This project last ten months and has been a success from the very beginning as mostly women have committed to coming to class for 2 hours two days a week so they can learn to read. This is a very rewarding experience to watch these people learn to read for the first time. Classes are held outside under the mango trees or in a community church.


Hospital Beds and Family Health/Hygiene Training Program for CRHP (Handicap Center): 40 new hospital beds including mattresses were purchased to replace rusted flat beds with foam pieces serving as mattresses. The beds were made in Kinshasa and have the capability of raising the foot or head of the bed for orthopedic patients. Along with the beds the social work department of the facility will use the church’s Family Health and Hygiene manuals as the basis for a new program they will be teaching the patient and families upon discharge from the hospital. The program is aimed at improving the recovery of surgical patients and reducing readmissions for infection.

Library for Presbyterian school: 650 textbooks for a school that has been teaching teacher to student without textbooks for the last 13 years. This project was pure joy! We now have wonderful friends in the Presbyterian Church that call us their partners with Christ.



Latrines and Family Health and Hygiene Training: We have partnered with HPP Congo, an NGO who focuses on helping communities become self sustaining. Humanitarian funds will provide 30 latrines for at risk families in the community of Malueka, a suburb of Kinshasa. The families become a part of a community group where they are taught how to improve their living conditions by having a proper latrine, hand washing principles, safe water, safe food, nutrition, first aide and disease prevention. The program uses the Family Health and Hygiene manuals from the church to teach the Health and Hygiene principles.
The materials for the latrines were provided to 30 families who are widowed, house orphans, are handicapped or very, very poor.

Family/Community Garden: A community of Kinshasa called Pigeon Quarters requested funding of their community garden project. They have joined about 10 families together to plant a vegetable garden. They plan on feeding their starving families and also perpetuating the garden by selling half of the harvest to buy more seeds and fertilizer. This project comes with a great story that we will have to tell in detail later. Humanitarian missionaries have not had great success with gardens but we will give this one a try. There have been many delays in this project due to heavy rains, malaria and who knows what. We are trying to keep the faith but we are doubtful about the success of this project. Hope we are wrong. This picture shows Farrell buying the seeds. We never give money but go with the people to make their purchases and pay. When we got to this man to buy the seeds the price doubled when he saw Farrell was American and white. There was quite an argument and the man came back down to the original price.

Major Water Projects: "Water is Life" The water project we have been working with since we came to the Congo was a 5 phase water

project that has been changed to a 3 phase water project. The first phase Camp Luka was suppose to service 15,000 people with

clean water and at present is servicing 40,000 people. The second phase is Laloux which will finish next week. Both of these projects are comprised of a well, a reservoir, an electrical pump to pump

the water to the reservoir and fountains through the

community to dispense the water.

These people have been walking great distances for water , down steep ravines and dipping water from stagnant pools. Now they will be able to get their water in short order by accessing the fountains. The third phase is small and will be a hand pump and will only take a short time to complete. Providing clean water to families is giving them a great blessing. Clean water is a large problem in the DRC.

Looking ahead at 2008

Most of these projects will finish in 2008 but we also have some project just recently approved.
Luputa Water Project: This is a very large water project that is planned to take place over a three year period and will cost $2.6 million. Luputa is a remote area in the central part of the Congo and doing this project will be a great adventure.
Cassava Food Project: This project was just authorized this week and provides for the organization of a community, Luputa, to farm cassava plants, perpetuating large harvests and processing the cassava making it ready for market. This will provide food for the community and an income for those participating in the program.
More Latrines and Hygiene Training: Our last Latrine/Hygiene project was so successful and productive we opted for another one but this time it will provide 50 latrines. Can't wait to get this one started.

We can't believe that our mission is half over. We have been busy and time just seems to zip by while we are having fun. The best part of all of this is the relationship that we are building with each other. Nothing like taking a couple to a strange land and making them work together 24/7 to make them grow together and learn to depend on one another. Our Father in Heaven has blessed us abundantly and blessed our family, each and everyone of them.

Our famiy is sure that all their blessings are directly related to our service. We have a new granddaughter. We have lost our beautiful nephew, Joe. Our mothers just keep on ticking and surviving without us. We love what we are doing and realize 2007 has been a memorable year, one we will never forget.

Learning is Eternal

Learning is Eternal
Knowledge is the only thing you can take with you into the next life. When you learn that knowledge is yours forever. No one can take it away. Once you learn something it is yours for eternity.

Meet Frere Bakanjeka – Bakanjeka is the director of the Ecole Scolaire Presbyterian (Primary School) He came to us asking for help with books for his students. We visited his school and found a very clean open school with 500 students. Approximately 40% of the students are on scholarship because of inablity to pay tuition. Tuition runs about $20 for 3 months. The students did not have any books but were taught by teachers writing on the blackboard painted walls and then the students reading what had been written. This man was delightful and looking for a way of helping his students get the best education possible.

He had a list of books covering French 1,2,3 and 4, mathematics, history, and social science. The church has an education program on Family Health and Hygiene. We offered him this program for his students and he was so excited he stated they had been looking for a health program to teach their students and our program would work very well.
The project was written up and sent to Area Authorities in Johanasburg for approval. The project was approved and we spent almost two weeks getting the books for his students.
We took the books to the school and presented the studentbody with their new books. When we arrived the students were all standing outside waiting for our arrival. This country is big on ceremony and they were prepared with a program honoring the church’s efforts and allowing the students to show their appreciation. We all sat under a large mango tree in the schoolyard and the program proceeded.
The books were presented to Frere Bakanjeka by the local bishop, then several students recited poems, sang songs and cheered. The students were excused to go back to class and we then sat down and had ate (another traditional part of the ceremony.) We were given the proverbial Orange Fanta, bananas and roasted peanuts.
When we finished the students came backout into the yard for a break and we mingled with them and took pictures.

Frere Bakanjeka was so excited and pleased. He said the books would be used for those students who were very serious about learning and had proven their desire by their actions.

Frere Bakanjeka spoke in the ceremony and said he was afraid that we would not help him since he was of another religion. He was pleasantly surprised when we got excited to help him and found a way to help his school. He said it is not the way in the Congo for one religion to help another. He then said that it showed we are all Christians and understand the teachings of Christ in loving one another.

In all the school was given over 500 books. Not enough for all the students but more than they had before we started. It was a grand day and profitable in that we were able to find a good place to use humanitarian funds to strengthen a good organization.

This sister on my right is a minister. She was so pleased to be a part of this "cooperative effort" between her church and our church. Note the beautiful Congolese dresses worn by these women.

We are ready for more great projects like this one.

Elder and Soeur Barlow