Congo Kinshasa: Red Zone leaves me between a rock and a hard place

 

Work at my centre continues; we've got so many children arriving, it's difficult to keep up. We've got 49 at the centre right now. Parents often bring their children at 6 in the morning, or even at 9 in the evening. Some have such advanced malnutrition that they need an immediate blood transfusion at the Catholic hospital, next door. The hospital is a simple clinic, with only one nurse on night duty. We usually keep a stock of pouches for blood at my house, for whenever the hospital pharmacy is closed. Otherwise, we search through the dark streets to find a private pharmacy kiosk on the chance that they have some. Then we need to wake a donor. Not all of the children make it through the night, but for those who do the long process of recovery begins at my centre - for at least 2 or 3 months. We give them foods with protein to repair the body, and energy to keep them positive. We treat them for underlying conditions like worms, malaria and TB.

Francis Hannaway and Judith Bondjembo

Our hospital bill just for June was £430, plus meds bought outside. Our food bill during May/June/July/August is around £500 each month. Running costs in general are at about £2,000 per month – at this time of year we spend more, November to February we spend less.

Children at the malnutrition centre recently

I was thinking about a visit home, but corona and visa complications make it unlikely.

I was home for Christmas 2019, and stayed a week at Maidenhead, with Mill Hill Missionaries, while I renewed my visa. I came back to the Congo in February 2020, with a return ticket to Manchester, 8 July the same year. (I think I’d decided that I needed more frequent breaks!) The flight was cancelled, but I was forbidden from travelling to Kinshasa for it anyway, because of coronavirus restrictions.

I had the possibility of travelling after my arrival in Kinshasa 27 August, but I was busy with buying stock and registering my charity nationally. The immigration police said they'd tell me what I'd need for a long-term visa. They dragged their heels, issuing a visa for 3 months, and then a further 3 months, as they spun things out again. I finally submitted my application in February and the UK put Congo on the red list. I'm still waiting for my visa and my passport back. I've dodged some more shenanigans from the immigration police during my return to Kinshasa a week ago. (At 9:30 last Wednesday morning, I was told there was a place on a 16-seater which was delivering equipment for a palm plantation at 12 noon. I was the only passenger.)

I have a rebooked flight for 8 July in a week’s time, to Manchester, but it would mean a hotel quarantine (an exorbitant £1750) - and I'd need to get my passport back first, and then it would leave me in the UK without a visa to return. So, I won't be getting on the flight. So much for having more frequent breaks!