YVALIKS

It has now being nine months since I bought a one-way ticket to spend a year in Kinshasa, in D.R.Congo.

So today is the time for me to write about some of the realities I am encountering here. I was born in Kinshasa but left at the age of two, and only came back aged fourteen. I stayed for six years and did my secondary school studies here, before moving to the UK. It has been seventeen years since my last time here. Things have tremendously changed; some for good and some for bad. Like everywhere in the world, there are advantages and inconvenient; places that will make you smile and places that will break your heart.

The Good

Sunshine

Truth be told, I hate the cold of the UK and I do not miss it a bit. Spring and Autumn are my favourite seasons over there; mild weather is what I enjoyed the most. But winter and all the layers that needs to be worn is not for me. I am that friend who is always cold. The heat in Kinshasa can be intense. On average, we have 35 degrees Celsius but it does feel like 40 degrees Celsius most of the time. I did not know my body could sweat this much. But the daily dose of vitamin D is worth it. I do stay very attached to my fan.

Organic food

They say you are what you eat, well I am organic now. I am grateful that the majority of vegetables and fruits I eat are all produced with no chemical compound. It is all fresh food right from farmers in and around Kinshasa. I am also enjoying all kind of tropical food that I have not have eaten in so long: maracuja, mangoustan, , tondolo, safu etc… I am a big fish eater and all the fishes here comes straight from the river. It is truly a gastronomical feast.

You are never alone

One thing that I had forgotten here is the sense of community. In most houses, it is common to live with a nephew, an uncle or a grandparent. You don’t always see the typical home with parents and children only. Neighbours talks to you and invite you to their house parties. If there any in issues in the neighbourhood, people automatically come together to resolve it. You are never really alone. People will come visit often, and there is always someone checking on you. A child have countless of aunties and mothers. Unlike Europe, loneliness is not a growing issue. The concept of the ‘village’ still very much exist here.

People have a lot of talents

Congolese people have long been known for their music and dances. But there is plenty of talents here. I work with an art organisation and I have been discovering many artists and seeing first hands their creations. Furthermore, the ingeniousness of people coming up with all kind of ideas to survive in a country that is pretty much a fallen state. From those who make rechargeable batterie to have access to electricity to the simple streets vendors who makes all types of artifacts to sell to any generous buyer.

The Bad

Moving around in Kinshasa with a car is a form of extreme sport.

Local transport is non existent. Taxis and mini buses usually belongs to individuals and they tend to fill up the vehicles to maximise their profits. The roads are full of potholes and not appropriate for driving. The population in Kinshasa has more than tripled these past two decades, so there are more cars on the road. Kinshasa has the most insane traffic. If you leave the house at certain times, be prepared to spend two to four hours in traffic. There are moments when your car will not be moving at all. Going out can be tiresome, when you have to take into consideration that you might get stuck somewhere for a long time.

The lack of infrastructures and eco systems

Unfortunately, the Congo lacks so much infrastructures: inadequate roads, electricity power cuts due to faulty systems, water shortages due to poor organisation, absence of adequate facilities and equipment for hospitals and schools. Many people died in hospitals for reasons as such as lack of blood available for transfusions. There is little to no social-economic growth in the country. This hinder the living conditions of its population who find itself living in dire poverty.

Witnessing some of the hardest poverty

Following the previous point, poverty is rampant in Kinshasa. In the UK, you can see homeless adults in the streets; here you see a mother and her children living in the streets. The statistics shows that 62% of Congolese, around 60 million people, lived on less than $2.15 a day; about one out of six people live in extreme poverty (reference:Worldbank.org). I feel really guilty when I go outside and see the suffering of others. The sad truth is that even if you offer them a little, it is not enough to change their conditions. You might only help them for today.

Survival mode and low morals

Poverty also push people to be on constant survival mode. Many people have low morals or none at all. People are quick to steal and betray others. Many people are stuck in the cycle of trying with what they can and the reality that they cannot seem to get out of misery. They then experience high levels of anxiety and depression. For them, being dishonest is the only way to survive. You will always have someone trying to ‘hustle’ money out of you. It makes it really hard to trust people.

There is so much more I could say. The Congo is a paradox. In one side, there is the ongoing violent conflicts in the Eastern region and the corruption of the politicians. On the other side, there is abundance of mineral resources and a phenomenal wildlife. I have now come to a place where I have accepted  how things are here.  The reality is that I cannot completely replicate  the life I had in the UK here in Kinshasa. I had to make certain compromises and adjustments. I had to accept how things are different. I have now adapted. It is not easy.

Being here is a bittersweet experience. But it is an experience I fully embrace. It may sound crazy, but I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be right now. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for me here.

Mboka Elengi…*

(*lingala for: the country is enjoyable)