Our newly set up maternity seems to be attracting all of mommies in the area, as we have more and more babies born. What seems to us very basic looks like luxury to the local people. To give you some examples, we now have electricity, whereas most medical outposts deliver babies at night using a cellphone flashlight. We also have beds with clean sheets, whereas most places only have dirty mats to lay on. We have an actual delivery bed, which most maternities don’t have. Our floors are tiled and clean, most places have dirt floors, and we have toilets and showers, instead of the usual hut house. It’s such a joy to be able to offer safe and clean assistance to these sweet mommies, who are so thankful. And God bless Florence for her dedication.

A happy mommy with new baby born in Kikimi

Sad conditions in local maternity near Kikimi

Checking baby’s reflexes at birth.

Showers for the Maternity

Another thankful mommy to have delivered her baby in our maternity.

Florence giving newborn baby medical checkup,

Patient receiving malaria care in our center.

2         Goods Distribution in Kikimi

Thanks to our faithful donors, the kids continue to be well fed and supplied with necessary hygiene items. In our absence, Theo and Florence do a wonderful job keeping things rolling in Kikimi, overseeing the kids, the school and the medical center, collecting supplies and even getting needed  improvements done, in spite of the extreme difficulties caused by the destruction of the Mokali road linking Kinshasa and the Kikimi area.

Distribution of body lotion

Bread Distribution

Orphaned boy thankful for the fresh bread

Breakfast time in our outdoor eating area.

3         Equipment and Maintenance

We were able to purchase a few items to make things easier on the workers: a manual tile cutting machine to lay the tiles in the showers, and an aluminum ladder to clean the solar panels on the roof of the school.

Tile-cutting machine

Maintenance man cleaning the solar panels using newly purchased ladder.

A lightning rod was set up to protect our buildings from the frequent storms that often do much damage in the area, and a fence is being built along the two gates to protect the school from passing motorbikes and intruders. 

Lightning rod

Barbed wired to build fence around school grounds

Fence between gates

I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people. –Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

Resolve to keep happy and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. — Helen Keller (1880–1968)

I began learning long ago that those who are happiest are those who do the most for others. — Booker T. Washington (1856–1915)

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