Community at Work

Mixing cement

“So how do you appreciate how we work together?” The question came several times during the day. More than 300 women, children, and men gathered at the SECA 20 Francophone Church, when many UCBC students, faculty, and staff worship. It's the church where I worship in Beni. Friday may have been a holiday in DRC (Liberation Day), but it was work day for the community of Francophone. For the past year or so, the church has been building a new sanctuary community style. When enough money is collected, materials are purchased, and then it’s “all hands on deck.”

On high

Friday’s scene was an OSHA nightmare. Men climbed ladders to straddle open rebar 20 feet, 30 feet, or more above the ground. They hoisted themselves up and slid down poles when a ladder wasn’t available. Two helmets, more appropriate for riding a moped than for a construction site, were the closest thing to a hardhat. Children dashed through the work area, a patchwork of lumber scraps and nasty-looking nails. They retrieved buckets, just emptied of their 10 pounds or so of cement, that bounced to the ground from 20 and 30-feet up. On two occasions a worker purposely dropped his hammer from his perch on a crossbeam. Flip-flops and sandals outnumbered close-toed shoes by 3 to 1. Socks, generous (?) donations of castoff clothing from other parts of the world, served as work gloves.

Hauling empty buckets

The scene was also a community dream and magnificent drama of spirit and joy. When I arrived at the site at 9am, activity had already been in full swing. Pots of beans were cooking for lunch. A DJ and sound team directed the crowd to its chores, played praise and worship music, acknowledged and publically thanked individuals, and cheered on the crowd during the day with “Au, courage!” “Asante sane, Bwana!” (Thank you, Lord!), “Mungu akubariki sana (God bless you!).”

Lunchtime

When it was time to mix cement, the DJ/announcer directed some people to shovels and cement, others to carry water, fireman-line style. Ten and twenty-liter jerry cans cut in half with handles fashioned from rope or heavy-gauge wire, served as water buckets then cement buckets. When it was time to pour cement, the sound crew called out instructions, and each of us found a place in one of several lines to haul cement or return emptied buckets. As music played, we danced and sang. Lagicia and Aimee, two UCBC students, took me under their wing. In addition to translating instructions that I couldn’t follow, they were my Swahili and French teachers and culture and dance coaches for the day.

DJs for the day

It's amazing that there weren't any injuries, given the number of people, the working conditions, and equipment. Well, maybe it isn't so amazing. After all, this was a community of faith, united for one purpose that day, working under the protection of a power far greater than OSHA!

The only hardhats on site