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             I arrived in Kinshasa on the 8th of September and after pushing through some jet lag, I started working on customizing and programming phones. Approximately 430 phones will go into the field and be used to collect data. The photo above shows my friend, Delphon, programming a phone. It's a laborious task. Thankfully, with his help, we finished the phones and are now working on the Wi-Fi routers. The prep work for this distribution is key to its success so hopefully I haven't messed things up too much. 

 

            We have finally arrived in Tshikapa! To tell the truth it’s not as easy as it sounds to get on a plane here and go from point A to point B. In Africa you have your standard red tape you have to deal with. Lucky for me someone else dealt with it and eventually I was able to board a plane and fly here.

            It all started at the Custom's office at one of the airports in Kinshasa about a week ago. I was excited to finally leave Kinshasa and start with the field work after about three weeks of prep work. I can think of more desirable places to visit. Anyway, it is usually the case that in these parts a white man or foreigner draws lots of attention without meaning to. Unaware of the customs of dress in the Congo, I packed only shorts and sun shirts. When I arrived I probably looked like some clueless American brat, looking to book a safari, and willing to pay any bribes along the way. The officer was saying something about how I had the wrong Visa and how I needed an additional letter with a few rows of stamps and signatures. Standard protocol. During my five years of travel, I became a master of avoiding paying any bribes, being time rich and monetarily poor. I learned one method from a friend, which I termed the "stove trick." Once you start having problems (like at a border or checkpoint) on the road, you just break out your stove and start cooking tea and a meal in front of them, all the while maintaining your composure. Works every time, if you have time and are moving on land. Unfortunately, taking an air taxi in the Congo is a little more complicated. Even after I pulled out my letter of invitation provided by IMA, the officer would not budge. On top of all this he pretty much confiscated my passport. I was stunned by his blatant attack and persistence to create problems. I guess I was also a bit naïve to think that an organization like IMA and NGOs (that are actually helping the Congolese people) would be exempt from this sort of corruption. I'm no expert, but it seems this is not the case. So, I left the airport defeated and also with a little more information than I began with. I learned that first and foremost I needed to get a new outfit, preferably with some Congolese flare, and ditch the shorts. It's funny how style came up first when discussing this ordeal with other expats; image is everything here. It was only an additional three days in Kin before I headed back to the airport, this time dressed for success. Of course at this point I had my paperwork in hand, everything was in order thanks to IMA, and I was able to board the plane. Boom.

 

            Flying into Tshikapa was like traveling back in time for me. It has a "Wild West" feel and look to it with its sand and mud boulevards, energetic markets, and endless diamond businesses lining the streets. It was during the early 1900’s when diamonds were first discovered in Tshikapa. The Belgians dominated these mining fields for years until 1960 rolled around and the independence of the Congolese. Since that time, independent specialists/businessmen have targeted this place for buying and selling diamonds. Because of the exploitation that has taken place over the years, Tshikapa has the densest source of satellite phone connections (outside modern day Iraq) in the world.

 

            Officially the first day of this project started with IMA’s outreach event last Sunday. I helped to set things up and also got to travel with the caravan, which moved through Tshikapa and advertised the beginning of IMA’s bed net campaign. It's clear to see how this was done. There was a band playing in the back of one of the trucks and the rest of the motorbikes were honking their horns and holding up nets. I guess in Africa if you want attention you must create a lot of noise. And so it was.

           The event was held later that day on the main boulevard. Locals lined up on the street to see the speeches and demonstrations taking place. It's clear that this project is much more than just handing out nets to the Congolese people. The other side of it is convincing locals to accept this as the best way to prevent malaria and to keep these nets up. It seems obvious that one would want to protect their family, but necessity is the mother of invention, and so the nets are sometimes used for other purposes. It reminds me of another example of this which I witnessed during my three month walk across Nepal. I met up with some UNESCO workers following up on a latrine project they had been working on for the last three or four years. Both of them spoke good English and were from Kathmandu. At that time they were conducting a study to see how many of these well-built outhouses were actually being used. I was told how some of the Nepalese use them for storing grain and corn and continue to go the toilet in the open. Follow-up was very important to explain to these people how they were putting the rest of the community in danger. It takes time before these basic concepts are accepted into the local culture.

            This week some of the key players from IMA will train 20 field supervisors in Tshikapa. It's projected that as early as this Saturday we will be on the move to the first health zone. Can't wait to get out there!

 

             This is the health minister for this district. A "big man" in the DRC.