1

JOHNNY’S INCREDIBLE CONGO RIVER JOURNEY

MV LUBERU Johnny Geographical Perspective: Congo River

Date: July to August 2007. Distance travelled: 1 734 km from Kisangani to Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo previously known as Belgian Congo and Zair).

Duration of Journey: 31 days. Mode of Transport: Belgian Built Four Engine Riverboat Pusher M.V. LUBERU. Captain: Thomas Mpetsi. Chief Mate: Jean Badibanga. Shipping

Company: ONATRA. Official Purpose of Journey: Company River Cargo Transport and Secondary Trade. Passage Fare: US $35. Passage Accommodation: 1st Class -

Converted ship’s galley. No meals, refreshments or entertainment included. Main Menu: Bananas, bottled water, biscuits and tinned fish. Personal Purpose of Journey: (1)

Anthropological Missionary Research and present day Survey of Isolated Communities along the Congo River and its numerous tributaries with focus upon life style, socio-

economic factors and the potential of river based agricultural and micro industry development co-operatives as part of a contextual and self-sustainable local and regional

economy that contribute to stable and joyous rural societies in central Africa regions. (2) Research for establishing a Mission Harbour and Medical Missions Riverboat. Partners

& Sponsors: Church and business as solicited. Authority for the Journey: The Great Commission.

Peripheral Information

Mode of Travel from Cape Town to Matadi: Passage on Commercial Cargo Ship MV JUTHA SIAM (Registered in Thailand) 10 days in May 2007 . Matadi to Kinshasa: by

Road. Kinshasa to Kisangani: Air Travel. Duration of Reporting and Administration in Kinshasa: 62 days. Main church partners as officially appointed by ECC: CBFC.

Level of Mission Difficulty overall: (Historically) Challenging (since the 15th

Century). Development Progress for subsequent implementation of envisaged objectives in Medical

Missions and Local Agricultural and Related Enterprise Development: Slow – largely due to international apathy about the actual exploitive dynamics in the DRC, a spiritually

present yet practically absent church and excessive internal corruption. Singe Biggest Obstacle: The Isolation of Kisangani as potential central Africa Hub Port due to logistic

inaccessibility caused by the perpetually exploited and internationally condoned North and South Kivu Conflict Mineral Regions.

For more information about Johnny and Congo River Mission, please consider to consult www.congoriverboat.info and http://johnny-congo.branded.me

2

Johnny’s Incredible Congo River Journey Photo Report

Passing Boma en route Matadi onboard

MV JUTHA SIAM Johnny & crew members

MV JUTHA SIAM Johnny & the Master of

MV JUTHA SIAM Speaking at Church Conference in Matadi

“Angel” duty Shipping Agent in Matadi Angel volunteers & accommodation Angel family in Kinshasa Local planning meeting

Sharing in Kinshasa Civil Service Angel Benefactor First Congo River excursion A man that walked from a remote village to

come and tell me about an absent Gospel

3

Angel accommodation Kinshasa NGO Planning Mission in Kisangani CBFC Clinic & Mission staff

Street scene in Kisangani ECC Regional Office Neglected International Academic

opportunities ONATRA Harbour in Kisangani

Fishing harbour & market Kisangani Informal commercial harbour Kisangani Wagenia Rapids (Stanley Falls) My Riverboat cabin for 31 days

4

Capable Riverboat Captain Thomas

& 1st Mate Jean

My menu for 31 days Alternative Menu Option 1: Charred and Smoked Crocodile

Alternative Menu Option 2: Dried River Fish

Grubs (served with Wild Spinach) “Mopani” Worms Catch of the Day Onboard A-la-Carte: Monkey or Fish Selection

All barges loaded up & 3

rd Class onboard Passing pusher & barge friends Entrepreneurial travel and business

alternatives: hardwood logs been pushed downriver with passengers, pigs and goats

camping on top

Family transport on the Congo River, which river in flood season can be up to 16 km wide.

5

18 Million isolated people … … living along 14 000 km of … …riverbanks along the Congo … … River and its tributaries.

Informal traders coming alongside Informal traders paddling to intercept “Taxis” bring and fetch passangers Fisherman’s dugout canoe

Conference at Mbandaka Driver & transport in Mbandaka Informal river travel on cargo barges All inclusive informal business on passage

6

In the windy Congo River channel towards

Kinshasa Impressive ONATRA and Mining House

buildings in Kinshasa Passenger terminal in Kinshasa Is the light of righteousness setting or rising on

isolated and exploited communities in the DR Congo?

Appendix A – Riverboat Research

Artist’s impression of … … Medical Missions Riverboat … … and barge … … outreach and education concept.

Previous … … river workboat options … … researched since … … 2007.

7

Scale model … … shipyard plans … … consulting sketches … … and shipyard visits.

Appendix B – Mission Harbour Research (Yakusu)

2010 survey … … of Yakusu riverbank … … below Yakusu Mission Hospital … … and buildings.

Appencix C – Reaching the Indigenous People along the banks of the Congo River

All tribes, tongues, … … nations … …and peoples … …display a yearning.

8

Appendix D – Working towards open roads from Cape Town to Kisangani

Peace & Development Expedition Mountain road Uvira to Bukavu Livingstone Garden Guest House Serving in Mozambique

Appendix E – The Quest to find and Retain Brave Partners in Church and Business

Expo representative 2008

9

Summary of Impressions & Appeal

Johnny’s Congo River Journey & missionary surveys in Southern-Africa confirmed research about the history of exploitation and disruption of

stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One would perhaps at least have expected, - in the presence of NGOs and at times,

neglected but persevering Christian Missions, - that a peaceful local society at ground level would be going about their own business, despite

the steadily imploding void after the Belgians had left the Belgian Congo in 1959.

Yet, constructive opportunity remains for those who want to bring about a sustainable socio economic model for ground level communities, also

referred to as the Bottom Billion in Africa, to press forward in poised purpose that actually manifests in tangible, realistic and established faith in

action towards fruit that last.

River Blindness, a manageable disease if health measures were routinely implemented, and unproductive isolation along the Congo River,

combined with the present and post-traumatic stress of exploitive brutality so visible in the psyche of the eastern Congo, leave unacceptably

large parts of central Africa regions critically under-developed. It might be labelled as a massive monument to the empty messages (but full

pockets) of the church, humanism, communism and greedy politics over the ages.

Will we, - in Christian unity, - at least take up the human but bold appeal of such as Dr. David Livingstone to help each other to suitably,

contextually and sustainably develop Africa as a very unique last continent?