Climbing the Volcano

Last weekend we climbed 6 hours and 1,500m to the top of Mount Nyiragongo, the volcano with the world’s largest lava lake and the fastest ever lava flow. See our volcano page for more details. We were a group of 12, with 4 armed guides and an army of porters carrying food, water, coats, ponchos and sleeping bags. At 1000*C the lava lake constantly and audibly rumbles, spurts and changes appearance second-by-second. From the top of the 2km-wide crater you can easily feel the heat and smell the sulphur. You can sit for hours on the slightly wobbly bench of the edge of the crater, where more than one person over the years has stepped slightly too close for a better view or selfie. Although Nyiragongo dominates the skyline of Goma unfortunately few Congolese ever climb it.

Covid in Goma

We both had our Astra Zeneca vaccine this week, the first week it was offered in Goma. Martin went with the Diocesan staff and Anthea with Tearfund. Although they are prioritising over-55s, health and service-sector workers, they encourage anyone and everyone to be vaccinated. In one of the main hospitals where we were vaccinated only 20 people went on Tuesday and fewer on Wednesday.

There is a huge scepticism and resistance to the vaccine. This is a mixture of having other health priorities, and believing from social media that Covid may not actually exist and that the vaccine is a way for the West to control Africa and reduce global population. Only 5,000 have so far been vaccinated in the whole of DRC. For more on Covid in Goma see this recent BBC article.

State of Siege

At the first meeting of President Tshisekedi’s new cabinet a couple fo weeks ago, they declared an Etat de Siège (State of Siege) in the provinces of North Kivu (Goma) and Ituri to deal with armed rebel groups who have been destabilising the population for the last 20 years. This means that the provincial governor and ministers are replaced by a governor from the army and a deputy from the police. The people we have spoken to have some concerns about human rights and democratic freedoms, but in the main the local population supports the état de siège as they are willing to try anything to end the bitter regional conflict that has been funded for years by local and national politicians.

Blog posts

New blog post on a day in the life of diocesan finances

If you want an insight into the craziness of life in much of Congo, as well as the resilience and the general outlook on life of the population, you should pour yourself a glass of something and watch Deadliest Roads, Congo River. A 50 minutes very well spent!

How can you pray?

• For the roll-out of the Covid vaccine in Congo in general and Goma in particular.

• For significant steps towards peace during the ‘Etat de Siège’.

• For the Diocesan Synod in a couple of weeks - where we look to amend the constitution regarding who gets to vote on the next bishop (when in Rome …) and set up the diocesan tribunal to discipline pastors.

From Martin, Anthea, Silas, Zachary and Imogen