Camp Luka Water Project with Cooks and Moons

While Elder Cook and Brent had things to do on the Saturday of the stake reorganization, the Moons, our Humanitarian couple took Sister Cook, their daughter, Marie and I to see a water project in Camp Luka.  It's a very humble part of the city of Kinshasa and the project is a great blessing to bring safe water to people who live in very meager surroundings. There is no power or water in this area of the city.

Water for washing food and other uses comes from a contaminated river a long distance from this place.   So the water brought from this well is a source of health and life to the people who live here.

 Whenever we go to an outlying area the children begin to gather. They love to see "musungus" and love, love.love having their pictures taken. They squeal with delight when they see themselves in pictures.  I used to wonder why they wanted their picture taken.  We don't give them the pictures. Now I have come to believe that it just makes them feel that in these masses of humanity they count. They're important the there will be a record of their being here. 

After visiting the well, we went to see a school where the church built a latrine.  It appears that the latrine was built some time ago.  It was still functioning and was the only facility for this little school.

The school master told us of his great need for materials and asked us to provide desks and school supplies, however the church doesn't do those projects. We concentrate mostly on supplying health care needs.  This school services 250 students, but that's only a fraction of the children in the neighborhood. Most of the children spoke no French, which is a strong indicator that they don't go to school. None of the teen age girls hauling water spoke any French, only Lingala. 

Near the school as a medical clinic.  It was the only source of medical care for many hundreds who live in this area.  There was a kindly nurse who runs the clinic. She was happy to show us her one-room clinic. There were posters talking about health care, hygiene and sanitation.  She teaches the children in the school. Elder Moon asked how families learn hygiene. The school master said it was hard because they must go door to door. People wouldn't leave their daily tasks to come to a class. Then he said "when you have no food, it's hard to worry about how to wash it when you do get it."

Seeing how clean water improves life in this land makes us so grateful for the church's humanitarian work.  We feel proud when we see the efforts of the church to make a difference.