(kwah – beh – nay)
According to ourworldindata.org, there are about 190,000 deaths and over twice as many births (385,000) per day around the world. Given my stage of life, I have tended not to experience close proximity to either. However, living in Kitindi means that the frequency of both occurrences is higher than I’ve otherwise experienced.
Last Friday, I finished my fourth week of teaching at Union Academique de Kitindi. It’s been an interesting time to say the least. Like many things in Congo, our local school is full of contradictions. It has set structures, rules, and procedures, but these are constantly met by breaches, compromise, and, sometimes, counterproductive enforcement.
I went to church, and it was nice. There were lots of kids and, also, a chicken.
We arrived safely on the afternoon of August 17. Though I am getting used to them, bush plane flights continue to feel precarious to me. They’re almost like being in a small bus that’s cruising at 1,000 feet—it would be a surreal experience if each bout with turbulence didn’t make your stomach turn…
This week, for the second time in as many months, I will arrive in Kitindi. The circumstances are quite different this time, however, because this time it is to stay…