Life at the United Methodist Orphanage in Kamina DRC
by Kathryn and David Wilkes
Summer 2005

The Children at the Orphanage here in Kamina wake up very early with the sun. Just like you they have to get ready for school. They gather together to get food that is cooked outside over hot coals and wash there bodies using buckets of water and soap. Then half of the children go to school. Here in the Congo children go to school six days a week but only for half a day. Some go to school in the morning while others go to school in the afternoon.

After school the children like to play outside. The boys like to play soccer, which they call Kabumbu. Sometimes they do not have a ball to play with so they make their own using twine, plastic bags and other things that they find.

There are not a lot of store bought toys here, but the children are excellent at making their own. Using a soft wood found here they construct cars, bird cages, airplanes, and houses. Other kids like to make dolls that they sew together from scraps of cloth. They then make different clothes to change them into and furniture for them to use. These children are very creative and resourceful.

As the sun goes down the children gather for dinner. They may have beans or a little bit of fish but they almost always have Bukari. Bukari is like warm dough that you role into little balls and dip into your food. In Kamina people say that if you have not eaten Bukari you have not eaten yet.

In the evening the kids like to gather around to sing and dance together. Since there are no movie theaters or many televisions here the main entertainment is singing and dancing. The children like to sing songs in all sorts of languages. They sing songs in Swahili, French, Kiluba, and English. Many kids like to accompany the songs by clapping or hitting sticks together. It is very fun music to listen to.

After their long day the children are ready for bed. They go to their rooms, which they share with 6 to 8 other children, and crawl into their bunk beds. As the lights go out they say "Lala Muzuri", which means sleep well.




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