Contrasts

I have just spent two weeks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is the poorest country on earth, according to the United Nations Health Development Index (UN HDI). I was visiting the capital city Kinshasa and the port city of Matadi as part of a Mercy Ships Assessment Team. We were invited by the Ministry of Health to (i) build relationships with them as they have invited Mercy Ships to work in their country (ii) assess how the surgical services and healthcare education Mercy Ships offers can help their nation; (iii) assess the logistics of transporting in excess of 1000 crew backwards and forwards from Kinshasa to Matadi approximately 500 km away; (iv) assess feasibility of having 400 crew in Matadi with respect to food, water, leisure acivities etc. What struck me most was that Kinshasa was a city of contrasts and the DRC is a stunningly beautiful country. I admit to being a little scared beforehand. The DRC was afterall the poorest country on eart and I fully expected to be shocked at what I might find. I imagined a mixture of Freetown, Sierra Leone (people everywhere so it is hard to even walk in a straight line in the street) and Monrovia, Liberia they had not had running water of electricity for years making it impossible to deliver quality healthcare. Kinshasa was a sprawling city but despite 10 million people it was not as busy as Freetown, and the infrastructure was better than Monrovia. However, poverty was evident with some hospitals struggling for electricity, and equipment. As is common in other hospitals in west and central Africa the operating rooms are stark and bare…..and could be what you imagine a torture chamber to look like. But two hospitals in Kinshasa were some of the nicest I have seen in Africa. I was truly impressed, by renal dialysis units; neonatal intensive care units; CT scanners, MRI and mammography; fully equipped laboratories with PCR the only major diagnostic technique that was lacking; and fully equipped operating rooms and sterilising machines that seemed to work correctly and at the correct temperature. What a contrast between neighbouring government hospitals in the same city. Loic, one of our translators had grown up in the DRC as his parents were missionaries there and still are. His insight and understanding of the culture was immensely helpful in deconstructing the prejudices and fears I had arrived with. Rebels, rape, massacres. That is what we read in the news about DRC. A country ravaged by internal conflict, unstable, unsafe and corrupt. Foreigners advised not to travel here. TRUE, but all the trouble is far away in the east, near the borders of Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. This is almost as far from Kinshasa as New York is from Texas. Yes, we did see evidence of corruption, and yes we had the inevitable border hassle as we crossed the Congo river from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo into Kinshasa, DRC and back again. But all the people we met in the hospitals, the port, guest houses, local workers such as taxi drivers and shop keepers, everyone was helpful and polite. A country of conflict but also one of kindness and hospitality. A country of contrasts. Matadi is in Bas Congo province. I was impressed by the beauty of the region and the kindness of the people. Rich green fertile hills and countryside. Towns of subsistent farmers, selling produce all along the road from Matadi to Kinshasa. Apparently the 3 countries, DRC, Zambia and Zimbabwe have the potential to feed the whole African continent. Having been to all three countries I can believe this. And there is a new hydroelectric dam near Matadi with huge potential for providing the region with electricity. The port in Matadi is having some renovations and will be ready for us by January 2015. So I am praying that our International Management Team decide to come here soon so we can have the privilege of walking alongside the people of the DRC and sowing seeds of hope and help them realise their amazing potential. The DRC, a country of contrasts. Jesus, a man of contrasts. Born into poverty in a stable yet he was a King. Eternal yet temporal. Life in heaven versus life on earth. And as I ponder these contrasts, I am also reminded of my own life. Poor yet rich. Earning no salary but witnessing the generosity of others who provide for all my needs. Sharing a cabin instead of living in my own house. Giving up everything but somehow gaining everything. The DRC is the poorest country on earth yet with great potential. And this Christmas, no matter what contrasts you see around you, may you know the potential and the hope that is in and around you too.