Last year, we raised some money for school benches in a place where children sat either on the ground or on rocks. This year, we are getting more serious. Several of us spent a long time in Lodja, DR-Congo this past summer.  The most desperate need became clear: sanitation.  In the general hospital, fifteen people die every month of malaria or of typhoid fever and other diseases related to poor sanitation.  Consider that those who died in the hospital likely… Read more

DO YOU SEE?   (1) For those who don’t know the play, here’s a brief introduction:   (a) Twins (Sebastian and Viola) shipwrecked, separated (each thinks the other has drowned); both come on the shores of Illyria but neither runs into the other; Viola dresses as her brother (and passes as a man) for protection; goes into service with Duke Orsino   (b) Duke Orsino is in love with Countess Olivia, who won’t give him the time of day  … Read more

When God was distributing wealth to all the nations on the earth, he fell asleep in the Congo and gems, minerals, oil, precious everything, fell out of his pocket.  Thus, the land became the richest land on earth. Does it follow that the richest land would summon the greatest greed? We know why the people are poor.  Now, what can be done about it? Read more

Deux fois par semaine, je garde ma petite-fille, qui est certaine qu’elle est le centre de l’univers. Jusqu’au mois dernier, elle pouvait dormir entre sa mère et son père et dire simplement: «Some!» et un mamelon serait placé dans sa bouche. Elle restera le centre de l’univers au moins pendant un certain temps, peut-être jusqu’à ce qu’un frère ou une soeur la rejoigne. Et puis-perturbation! Perturbation de toutes les hypothèses, perturbation de tous les jours, perturbation de ses propres perturbations…. Read more

A few drops of food color into water, some flour (if it’s available), and voila!  Paint! I took enough brushes for each student in a classroom to have one (they will be kept in the office and shared in various classrooms), and we had a blast!  First time for these kids to do an art project like this?  Almost certainly. What’s in a name? COLOR! We left the supplies there, both at the Universite des Sciences and Technologies and at… Read more