March 20, 2015 - Lubumbashi Update

Clark Davis <clarkdavis@davisbott.com>	3/22/15
to monica.d.chamb., sbroche, spence.davis, ndavis45, me, matthew.davis.., andy

An email I sent to Elder Cook, our Area President, who is from West Warren by Ogden.  I just wanted to kee track of these emails.  Dad

From: LumbumHum [mailto:LumbumHum@ldschurch.org]
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 8:34 AM
To: Clark Davis Forward; Clark Davis
Subject: FW: Lubumbashi Update

From: LumbumHum
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 5:24 PM
To: Carl B. Cook
Subject: Lubumbashi Update

Elder Cook,

I apologize for not acknowledging your email sooner.  We do appreciate the concern you have expressed for us.  It’s ironic but as I was beginning my response I received your update request.   I want to be respectful but  honest.  People have certainly reached out to us since sending out our help signal.  Phillip has called, Jamie Glenn wrote to us regarding immunization work that can be done locally, Steven Bailey, a short-term water specialist has been very understanding.  They served in Rwanda and Burundi and are trying to come and visit us in Lubumbashi to assist with our water project proposals.

We have thrown ourselves into the projects we do have control over.  Currently we are working with Operation Smile on a pilot program for obstetric fistulas.  We are providing volunteers from the three local stakes in assisting 40 patients scheduled for surgery this next week.  We have also been busy working with Dr. Jesse Hunsaker who lives in Logan and is a short-term specialist for vision projects. He has identified 3 Lubumbashi ophthalmology clinics where we are obtaining prioritized listings of needed operating room and examination room equipment.

My concern is for the last seven months of our mission.  We are approved to be involved in two of the five major initiatives excluding water.  They are vision and wheelchairs.  Timing for these two projects is anticipated as follows:

1.       Vision-once the equipment lists are obtained and we obtain an MOU with the Ministry of Health to provide the consignee and an exemption from import fees and taxes, we will have nothing to do until the projected September arrival date of Dr. Hunsaker.

2.      Wheelchairs-nothing to do until the projected arrival date of the wheelchairs, perhaps August.  The Dows are the specialist who will come.

As I mentioned in my previous email, we have already spent 80% of our current year allotment for local area initiatives and the major initiatives will not require much of our time.  This leaves water.  My conclusion several months ago was that water should be our focus and yet we still have not had a single project approved.  The approval process has been painful as we have been caught in a major program shift with all control vested in SLC. It feels like the scope, focus and funding of all humanitarian work has shifted from the field to headquarters.  We are on call but not on task.   

We were hoping to build momentum while gaining humanitarian experience.  I envisioned it like serving as a young missionary and obtaining a knowledge of the language and the people and the last six months of your mission would be the best.  I hold out hope that that can still be the case. 

Don’t get me wrong, my wife and I are happy.  We love the people, the missionaries, the other seniors, the members and the humanitarian work.  It just feels we could do so much more. We may not change the country or Lubumbashi but this experience is changing us for the better.  We will continue to lose ourselves in the work that is available for us to do and serve in the role as defined by the area office. 

With highest regard,

Elder Davis

Lubumbashi

P.S.  I’ll attach our progress report sent to Phillip as of March 16^th which describes our local area initiatives which should be completed within 30-45 days.

From: Carl B. Cook
Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2015 3:47 PM
To: LumbumHum
Subject: RE: 2015 budget for Lubumbashi

Dear Elder and Sister Davis,

I hope you have had a nice Sunday thus far.  Today Sister Cook and I participated in a sharing time in one of the branches and really liked it.  I could get used to that.

Let me give you an update on what I have done since receiving your email.  Elder Ellis serves as the chairman of the Area Welfare Committee and David Frischknecht, as you know is our Director of Temporal Affairs which includes oversight of the humanitarian program.  I have written an email to both Elder Ellis and David asking them for a recommendation on what we can do to help.    I know they are both working on it.  We have also set up some meetings with the Humanitarian team in SLC when we return in 2 weeks for conference.  We will also be meeting with the Presiding Bishopric.  So, we know we need to make some adjustments and tuning.  Unfortunately, it may take some time to sort and to align.  We hope we can see some improvement quickly. 

So, please know that I am very appreciative of our email and expressing your concerns.  It helps see what is happening on the ground.  I believe in the coming days, and weeks, we will see improvement.  I certainly hope so.  

Please know that I am praying for you and Sister Davis.

Love ya!

Carl Cook

Update from Lubumbashi – 3/16/15

1.  Islamique Du Congo Orphelinat – WE15COD0003  -  We have 12 bunk beds that have been made.  24 mattresses have been delivered to the orphanage.  We have bought enough paint for 3 bedrooms. We are waiting for clearance to deliver the beds and paint from the Ministry of Social Affairs who gave the directors an ultimatum to clean up this facility or they won’t receive anything.

            

2.  Tumaini Orphanage - We have substituted this location for the placement of 100 desks with the Institut Maisha Karavia.  Maisha Karavia was unable to complete their part of our agreement to pay 50% of the cost of 400 desks.  They bought 50 desks, and we provided 100 desks to them – thus, complying with our agreement to provide 50% of the desks.  

Tumaini Orphanage runs a school.  The tuition from the school funds the orphanage.   The school added four new classrooms, and Ruashi Mining Company agreed to do all of the finish work to make the rooms ready for students – plastering the outside, installing bars on the windows, pouring a cement floor, painting the walls, and providing a door to each classroom.

As of last week, the desks have been delivered and are being stored at the orphanage.  Ruashi Mining still needs to paint the rooms and add the doors.  We were told by the director of Tumaini that Ruashi is also going to construct a security fence around the school.  Upon completion, we will have a closing ceremony to also give recognition to Ruashi Mining Company.

              

This photo shows the front of three of the Tumaini classrooms that are near completion.

  These are part of the 100 desks that are stored in the orphanage.  They were made by Maison des Jeunes.

3.  Katimel Orphanage – WE15COD0004 – We have 8 bunk beds that have been made for Katimel Orphanage.  The plan is to have them delivered this week.  The 16 mattresses have already been delivered there.  In addition, 5 treadle sewing machines will be sent there in two weeks.  The director is planning on going shopping with us to buy school uniform fabric.  Therese, the director from Notre Dame, has arranged to go to Katimel over the Easter school break to give some basic sewing lessons to the girls.

4.  Centre de Formation Socio-Professionnel Source de Vie don de Dieu (Peage School) – WE15COD0002 – We have arranged for 10 treadle sewing machines to be delivered within the next two weeks.  The director is going shopping with us this Thursday to buy school uniform fabric, white shirts, and notions.  Our agreement is that the school will make 20 school uniforms (for their students who cannot afford a uniform).  When they have complied with this part of the agreement, we will deliver 5 electric sewing machines and 2 embroidery machines.

5.  Kamweneja School – WE15COD001 -  We have given a vendor form to Ets Tout Est Grace in order to establish a business where we can buy the tins and ceiling tiles for the Kamweneja School.  The owner has yet to complete the form, but we keep asking for it.  ☺  Buying lumber to make trusses in the ceiling is still an unresolved issue as yet.  We have been told that lumber comes from Zambia and that there is a restriction on how much lumber can cross the border right now, so supplies are low.  We will need to use our cash working fund to buy this if and when lumber comes in because none of these vendors have bank accounts – it’s cash only.