Winning the hearts and minds

While trekking through the jungle inspecting potential locations for clean water projects, we passed by the village of Lubudi. I always wave at the locals and greet them in their tribal language of Lingala and many want to talk to me or touch me. They love it, but on occasion there is a small child who has never before seen a mondeli (white face) and is frightened. I keep my distance from these little ones because I certainly do not want to traumatize them. This little girl was more than frightened when she saw me, she was terrified, absolutely hysterical. Her mother and grandmother came to the trail to talk to me (our translator Felix is fluent not only in French and English by numerous tribal languages) I told them I was so sorry I had frightened the child. We ladies were having a fine talk while the little girl was hiding behind a tree screaming. Both the mother and the grandmother kept trying to encourage her to come over and meet me. I told them not to force her as I truly did not want to frighten her further. But it wasn't long before the grandmother convinced the little girl to come closer. I knelt down when she got a little closer. She was trying to be brave but tears streaming down her face and look of terror on her face was so precious as she tried to move a little closer. Soon she was standing right in front of me and I gently put my hands around her waist and began softly speaking to her telling her that I loved her and wanted to be her friend. She still wasn't sure she could look right at me. Right after this picture was taken she allowed me to give her cheek a kiss and she managed a little smile. I wanted to hug and squeeze her, but decided it was best to wait for another visit.   Precious people, precious memory, precious new friend

Vaccination campaign training meeting.‏



Many grocery sacks here have his picture on it!  I asked the locals if they were big fans of Obama is that why we have his picture on our grocery bags, answer, "not particularly".



Above and next four photos: Our office building, grounds, and reconfigured office.

L to R- Eva (German born/grew up in London/lives in Kinshasa) Jacque (Congolese and dancer Extraordinaire) Glo, Ramatu (Nigerian born and raised/Atlanta, GA educated/ Dance company founder/lives in Kinshasa).  We are working on a few projects together.



There are no yellow NYC cabs here, a taxi is a well used van, yes this taxi is moving, yes the guy hanging on to the outside, sometimes there are more than one person hanging out a door or window.  The best one I saw went by too fast for me to get a picture, it had three live goats standing up unrestrained on the roof.  You see it all in DRC. 

City apparently has no real "supermarkets"--just little shops.

Carefully drawn map of africa on my exercise shirt.

Treasures from America: Christensens (here working on vaccinations) bring food to our rescue.‏