Hail to the Culture of Work!

n a moment of tiredness during a busy day, I quickly made a sign which I posted at the entrance of our house: “Hail to the culture of work!” I had in my mind a rhetoric question from the document of the Synod of African Bishops in view of 2009: “Is the zeal for work in Africa a bit too limited”
In our tradition, to work means to go hunting, to fish, to tend the sheep, to take care of a small garden just outside our house. It is a work dependent on waiting, of daily dependence, of harvesting of the fruits which nature freely offers to us. Our society and thoughts are rooted on habitual values of many generations. 

With the advent of globalization, everything changes. To work means to study, to prepare oneself, to become creative under the circumstances, to be involved in human relationships that become limited, to be dynamic, to face competition, to speed the rhythms of life, to deal with urgency and tasking hours, to use machines and computers... This change is radically big, sharp, hard to take, breaking the natural equilibrium of society and persons.
The Bible reminds us of the story of two brothers: Cain, who was a farmer, and Able, who was a shepherd. They could have lived in peace with one another through mutual respect and collaboration; instead, they contemplate thoughts of hatred, jealousy and crime.

At the beginning of the month of May, people come to us for the traditional blessing of the tools of work. We fill the church, and there are so many others waiting under the scorching sun outside, in the plaza. Mothers bring their machetes and hoes; carpenters bring their plains and hammers; bricklayers offer their levels and trowels; small merchants bring bags of money and other merchandise, and teachers and students offer their books, pencils, pens, etc.

And yet, the most common problem in the city of Bukavu is the lack of work. “Since 1996, due to the war, the people left their villages and took refuge in the city, where things might be a little bit safer for them... By doing so, we avoided a problem, but created a catastrophe.” Tens of thousands are asking for a place to work. The jobless youth get used to a lazy life, almost as wandering persons, seeking bands and other forms of gatherings that are involved in illegal activities.

Peter, at the public works

Peter Cimanuka is our street maintenance. He is 34 years old, tall and strong, a bit shy, yet his heart is gentle. He lives with Leti and their two children. He would like to marry in the church, but for the time being he works so that he can pay the monthly dowry to his in-laws. 

He normally arrives at 7:30 in the morning, with his pick and shovel, and fixes the road that goes from the church into the city. It is not a private road, since everyone makes use of it, forming puddles of mud and streams where the rain marks its path. No one, whether in the city or among the neighbors, ever thinks of supporting him for the work he does, and so he depends on our church salary.

Peter tries the best he can, with his simple tools, to fix a 10 square yard of the road each day, and works until noon. In the afternoon, he changes job: he carries 30-50 pound bags from the local store to a merchant in town. He earns about 100 Congolese francs each trip... With these two part-time salaries, Peter sustains his family: he supports it, and hopes to soon be able to celebrate his wedding.

Lea, the Merchant

Lea is a mother of 6 children, and sells cloth fabric at the market in Kadutu. She is a beautiful African woman, despite her age. She lost her husband in 2000 in a car accident on the road to Uvira. She is the breadwinner of the family: she is at the market at 10am, and does not leave until 5:00 in the afternoon. She keeps her merchandise in a big luggage, in a warehouse under surveillance. With the advent of the soldiers in 2005, she lost all her belongings, and all the precious fabric was stolen from her. Our Christian community gave her a hand, so that she could restart again. 

With the advent of globalization, everything changes. To work means to study, to prepare oneself, to become creative under the circumstances, to be involved in human relationships that become limited, to be dynamic, to face competition, to speed the rhythms of life, to deal with urgency and tasking hours, to use machines and computers

Lea comes home at night, and prepares the food for her children. The six of them are in school, with the first girl who is 21, and the last one who is six; two girls and four brothers. They live on seven dollars a day, with a menu based on rice, mandioc, beans or fish, and some boiled lettuce... The school fees are costly, for nothing is free in Education in the Congo. At times, the profits from the market are meager, and if Lea does not sell something, she doesn’t earn enough to feed her family. Whenever she borrows some money, then she is even worse off than before...

She is an active and dynamic woman, and because of these qualities she was chosen as the one in charge of the mothers of the community; she is a lector at Sunday mass, the secretary of the widows’ group, and often donates for blood drives... Her voice is clear, sure and confident when she proclaims the Word of God, mirroring much what she experiences in life.

The work of the deaf and dumb

A few blocks from Mother of God church, there are two houses of the local group of deaf and dumb. One locale is a workshop, and the other is used for carpentry apprentices. They make small dolls, various souvenir objects, and working clothes. The carpentry school is set for the beginners, and they work on simple house cabinets and chairs. There were about 25 persons who started this association in 2005, who has a president and interpreter in Giovenale Sikumingi. He is married, with 5 children, and the only one in the group who can hear. The vice-president and treasurer is Claudine Mapendo, a young and bright woman. Whenever she talks, she impresses you with her rough and accented words. In fact, she prefers sign language with Giovenale, who then translates for me. 

They ask me to provide for them about 100 dolls, so that they can prepare them and send them for a wedding in Italy. And these are the words of the couple who received these gifts from these enterprenuring people: “The dolls that we received from Bukavu are amazing, decorated in small baskets, enveloped in wooden sticks, dressed with vibrant colors, with a variety of hairstyles... Together with these packages, we also find the love of so many children who cared enough for us on our Wedding Ceremony!”

Deus and Agnes

The two of them are engaged, and they have been following the various meetings and pre-Cana preparations with fervor for a year, now. Deus is a salesman, and works and travels alot. Early in the week, he sails with the local boat through Tanganika Lake, and seeks sales in Kalemie. He’s got boxes of used pants, shirts, t-shorts, which he sells, and then returns home with boxes full of dry fish. At times, the travel might be dangerous, especially in the middle of the night, because of sudden storms. He also walks for entire weeks with a group of friends. He leaves Uvira, and through the mountains, he reaches Minembwe, and then descends at Nakiliza and Salamabila... At times, he uses a private plane to send the merchandise. At his return, Deus has some precious valuables with himself: he sells gold for $20 per gram, coltan for $6 per kilo.  

While Deus tells his story, Agnes is quiet, listening in the background. She loves her future spouse, and recalls their first meeting, when she bought some African fabric in 2005. Agnes thinks about her future, her many moments of solitude and loneliness, her children who will be born without their dad present, or who will see him only once in a while, with the scary possibility of a day of no return. 

Fr. Joseph Dovigo, s.x.