Butoke
update, May 4, 2008
May 4, 2008
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is Sunday
4th May. Dr Jean is off to Kananga town to buy new tyres for the car and
insecticide in preparation of the longest trip we have yet made to the
interior. If possible we leave tomorrow for Yangala, see enclosed map We will
travel 400 km on bad roads to the site of our water and sanitation activities
with UNICEF support between May and October this year. From what we hear the
village communities are small, less than 800 people mostly, in the middle of
the forest: People live from hunting, fishing: We will protect 20 springs and
build about 16 public latrines and 2000 family latrines.
We hurry to arrive as there is now in Yangala an outbreak of rabies
among dog and human population: About 50 people bitten and 8 died from rabies.
The big agencies will probably help in a matter of weeks or months, but to stop
the epidemic and its panic needs to be done now. So Butoke bought a thousand
doses of animal vaccine and hope to use it around the epicentre first. Some of
you may remember Cecile did the same in 1969 around Narangwal villages in India
under Prof Carl Taylor.
Benefit to human population? – having a buffer of protected animals and
probably stopping the epidemic in the villages. Benefit to the dogs, protecting
them both against rabies and against overzealous officials who wanted to kill
all of them. Apart from any protectionist considerations that are ours, the
fact that the dogs hunt with the villagers would make such a holocaust most unwelcome and probably
unsuccessful. So may be part of our role became to send a message that might
have pleased St Franciscus May the dogs live on your side in peace. Take care
of them so that they may protect you.
The biggest news in recent weeks has been that CIDA accepted our
proposal for an integrated program of human development which supports all
aspects of our activities except water and sanitation: In Luiza and Tshikaji we
are refining and expanding the nutrition activities: While in Yangala and on
our way back in Luiza we will spread the news and encourage the preparations
for the upcoming agricultural season: Soon after our return we want to start
formalising all aspects of the education and protection activities: So we are
bubbling with ideas for long term while coping with the daily emergencies:
The last two months have been disastrous because of a breakdown of train
transport and a plane crash. Road transport is rising in cost with petrol
products costing about 3 UDF a liter. There is shortage of food in town and even
worse in the villages. Prices have risen 400 percent for basic foods such as
corn. Most people hunger even more than before and we have seen the arrival of
six severely malnourished adults: Adult women weighing 25 to 30 kilos or 55
pounds to 66 pounds: Yes, 3 of them were also VIH positive and will probably
not make it even though they receive also ARV medicine. We worry about the
future of their offspring
We now have 23 orphans in our charge of which 7 are under 1 year old.
They are doing well in terms of nutrition and health care and are thriving but
we need more sponsors as they need bedding, clothes and toys, which so far we
cannot afford:
In recent months, we have frequently been the subject of very favourable
reports on Radio OKAPI which is the most trustworthy radio in Congo heard from
border to border: They have had reports on the water and sanitation project, on
the nutrition centre, on our offer of rabies vaccine and on Cecile as a Butoke
volunteer All of it you can find also on their web site
We have a new instrument a satellite connection permitting internet, we
will try it out on our travel but please remember it may not work So up to
about 12 May our access is not entirely assured
Please pray that our explorations do not harm the ongoing work, that we
may truly bring peace to our friends the dogs and to their human partners, that
we may let His light shine wherever there is darkness,
In His love
Jean, Lazare, and Cecile
Cecile De Sweemer MD DrPH
Consultante Butoke
2,av Malandji Biancki Kananga
Kasai Occidental, Congo
cecileds@yahoo.com
tel 00243997442720