2010. August 24.

Angelika:
It has been the second work day since we have arrived. We are going to tell everything in so many words, but before let me point out the aims of our mission-journey (planed for 4 months):
1.) going on with reform of pedagogic and administration areas
2.) starting new departments (cutting and sewing, complementary IT, agriculture)
3.) building the first floor of the school’s second part up (it assures places for more offices and 3 classrooms).
4.) In the orphanage we would like to revise better hygiene circumstances and introduce a functional reform, to realize a higher life quality of children.
5.) buying the building of the orphanage with all ground.

Other important events in the life of the Foundation in Congo:

• Bendegúz Lóránt Nagy architect is going to arrive at the end of September for 6 months.
• Mariann Földi WHO specialist is going to arrive 10th of October for 2 months (like a voluntary).
• We are going to organize a humanitarian tourism trip again from 19th of October to 4 th of November.
• János Béres is going to come for 2 weeks, it will be a founder visiting at the end of November.
• 6 young voluntaries are going to come in Congo for 6 months, it depends on the competition will be successful or not. We have to make ready everything for them, this is also one part of our mission.

The journey was really good, although the flying time was long because we had to stop in Luanda (Angola’s capital).We arrived to our quarters for 11 o’clock what was full with office furnitures, sewing machines, typewriters, clothes, chairs so we could not move. But don’t worry, finally we have found place for everything and we feel comfortable ourselves in the foundation’s house.

We had water and electricity constantly and we thought something changed but later everything worked like earlier: one day we have and another day we haven’t water and electricity.

Events in the school College Othniel and the Orphanage La Providence:

We visited the school and orphanage on Friday. We met with the children and they greeted us with dance performance. Rigean Kabwende (our ill orphan) is really thin. We are thinking on that how we can help him. It was poignant to see that how big is his power of will against his illness. He does not give up to struggle and it is really important. He danced all steps with the children but it seemed like it was difficult for him. Deeply touched me (France) when he stood in front of us and he said: “Papa France and Mama Angelika. I have suffered from illness for long time and the fact you are here, it means hope and relief for me and we try to overcome my illness together.”After these words we are fighting harder for Rigean’s health. In this time we always take something from our kitchen what we actually have and we hope it will give something plus for his body. He gets some vitamins and special pills from Hungary. We hope it’s useful. We should change sponge mattresses of the children because these are really old but its changing costs too expensive: 770 $. We think in the kitchen should change plates and cutleries and we came to realize that we should calculate on new devices because we shouldn’t wait until the old ones break down. We need to buy the beginner packets of school as soon as we can (uniforms, shoes, school equipments, bags). It costs 15$ (3 times per child). Mama Léonita sewed uniforms, and they need 2 suites, so they can change if one of them is just washed.

Welcome of Guests:

Expected and unexpected visitors infested our home with lots of children who are Oliver’s friends (his cousins from Matadi and his friends) So we got the first dose from African visiting habits. For example: 10 persons came instead of 5, and from next morning to evening they came one by one constantly….On Sunday morning when our guests left, we went to the Orphanage. We gave our presents for the children (one of our sponsors sent dust covers of booklets made by hands and some fiddle-faddle).We started giving vitamins for Rigean and we know more information about his status right now. We watched tales on our laptop and played games in better feeling –because they love the tale called “Small Mole”.

Work is starting:

On Monday morning it was ordinary, it started with a staff meeting. France designed proposed programmes for 4 months, conceptions for managers (Papa Simon and M. Albini) who responded and they gave some information about the main questions. Afternoon we went to the school for a longer visitation. The bookkeeper and the computer operator (Toto) moved to a bigger classroom for summer holiday, because it’s airy and more comfortable but after summer they have to go back in the „box” where the temperature is so high. Mama Liliane, our bookkeeper-cashier already suffers from this weather and I completely make sense of it. The conditions are really bad because it s hard to breath and the natural ventilation is not working good. We are waiting for the time when we can move to another place where we will have enough air inside. We have an idea for a stone building, where windows will be located to opposite cross to each other and we would have natural air condition, but for making it come true, we have to find a sponsor. The school’s 2nd part includes new offices and 2 special classrooms with computers and sewing machines. This building’s proposed cost is: 103.000 $.

We made a staff meeting at school on Tuesday morning where we talked about school starting problems. Toto (computer operator) got the new database what is made by András Kocka and Angelika in Hungary.
Thank you for them in this way again.
Toto already worked with this program, and he fixes new students here and all information and news about the school.

Unfortunately, Oliver got a big part from the African dust when he played with the children, and he had diarrhoea. He puked 1-2 times so we took him to the doctor who gave some medicines to him. I am checking him now not playing in dust and not use his dirty hands in his mouth and so on…Don’t need to worry, it is a part of this area’s life and your body can handle these germs, we just need a little time.

That’s all for now. The mosquitoes bite us and we have much exhaust fumes on the roads but our nights really quiet (on daybreak), and the silence is bigger than in Budapest.