E-mails and Updates from Cammie from the Congo

we will upload the updates as we get them, follow the journey with us

Sept 2008

When the dust settled I was thrilled with what the team of engineers had accomplished. Eleven men and women gave their time and resources to spend 10 days with us on the Elikia site to help build the Master Plan for the very first Elikia Village in Congo. Engineers, architects, and an urban planner pulled off an amazing feat in spite of the typical “African” mishaps and detours in the road. Their passion and excitement for the work was a tremendous encouragement to me and each had a story to tell of the journey that had brought them there.

Hard to believe the time has come and gone so quickly! They are all home now in their different parts of the world continuing their work on the Plan which will culminate in a final presentation in January 2009 in Vancouver, Canada!

Elikia Village is now an official NGO here in Congo!

Yes, after beginning the paperwork in February it is now complete! The umbrella organization we initially came to Congo under has given us it’s blessing and will continue to be involved as partners of Elikia. All are pleased with this step and have great hope for the future!

June 2008

The first building was completed on our Elikia site! It will serve the security team and also be used for storage of tools etc. We are very excited to see this day come! The rest of the site planning will be in September when a Canadian team of engineers and architects visit Elikia - eMi. Their work begins on site and finishes after 3 months work in Canada. Presentation of the Elikia Master Plan is due in January 2009!

Florence is a part of our Elikia General Assembly here in Congo. A wonder lady with a passion for the work!

May 2008

A turbulent month of heavy rains and incredible lightning storms ushered in the dry/cool season! This plays havoc with work schedules and progress but step by step things were accomplished!

More signs painted and cemented in place, boundaries cleared again .. a constant job for our security team and Kasava plants, amoung others, were planted to be food for our security team.

Friday, April 25, 2008

The office was large with cream coloured walls, filing cabinets, 2 desks, and air conditioning. The reception was cordial as the man behind the desk paused on the phone to motion me to a seat in front of his desk. A moment later he introduced himself, his office mate Mary, and our meeting was underway.
Arranged the day before in an impromptu call to a contact within the UN, I was a little nervous and hoped I had brought all the necessary paperwork with me to answer their questions.
The motivation for this meeting was for Elikia Village to gain a partnership with the UN thus procuring airfare for myself and team on any UN flights around the DRC. My UN contact was a young man I had met two months ago in a church here in Kinshasa. He mentioned his helicopter flights down south every Monday and Friday and of course that peaked my interest. My mind was racing and I had a suspicion that this was not a “chance” encounter. I had held onto his number until yesterday when he came to mind and I decided to call.

The meeting went well. My Lingala proved very useful when I began explaining the work of Elikia. They relaxed and opened up as soon as they heard me speak a few words; it was wonderful. A friendship was born. They encouraged me in my language studies, my vision for Elikia, and within 30 minutes Elikia was accepted in a partnership with the UN! A process that should have taken a lot longer was fast tracked and I now have only to submit a request for a flight and the door is open!. I am still in shock.
I have been emailed their flight schedule and it is extensive throughout the Congo and to my surprise there are even flights into Uganda where I will be heading in June!

The eMi (engineering) team will have the plans prepared for our meeting in January of 2009 when I will be in Vancouver. The plan is to come home to Canada after training, for the months of December, January, and February.
So far, that is how it is all coming together. I am very excited how all these great opportunities have opened up and how we have been stretched into longer term thinking and the success of Elikia Village not only here in Kinshasa but in other areas as well. The physical building part of Elikia may be going slower than planned but I believe the foundation we are laying in 2008 will carry this work well into a successful future.

Thank you to all our Elikia partners who have faithfully supported in prayer and finances. What a team! I look forward to our years ahead!

April 24, 2008 - Malaria

Last week I felt the onset of Malaria.
I take a natural substance to build up my system against Malaria -
black walnut but always have a “cure” with me. It is a three day treatment
of pills that breaks the fever and kills the bugs! I began to feel better
but the day after my pills were done my headache returned and i realized
i hadn’t gotten it all. So….another round of pills. This one did the trick
and I am back to health

From: Cammie Clarke [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2008 10:39 AM
To: Cammie Clarke
Subject: Update ...

Greetings from a very hot and humid Kinshasa!
It has been a very busy 3 months here with two young people from Canada staying with me. I have shared about them before so won’t go into detail except to say they left for home today.
The young man produced a short promo video for us that will be great to show at any function. He did a good job and I am excited to share it will you all during my next trip home.

That leads me into what is happening here between now and then …

At the beginning of this year we had decided to change construction plans and build our school this summer first instead of the 2 houses. This seemed to be a good way to gain entry into/come alongside the community in which Elikia will be surrounded by and prepare the way for the introduction of new families. This is still the plan although it has been postponed until next summer. Why?

About a year ago I connected with an organization in Canada that sends teams of engineers and architects to third world countries to help plan development projects. They were interested in Elikia but had quite a backlog of trips scheduled and so we have just kept in touch until now. Last week I learned that they are sending a team to Congo to work on another slated project here so I have asked if they would be willing to visit our site and perhaps we would be able to bring them out next spring if we can set it up over the next few months. They have agreed!
Their team arrives here in late June for 10 days and I am so excited to host them for whatever time they can give us.
There is a lot of paperwork and expense in bringing them out so it will take some planning this year but if we truly have eyes for the long term success of Elikia I believe that this step is not only valuable but essential in its development.

Engineering Ministries International (EMI) is a non-profit Christian development organization made up of architects, engineers and design professionals who donate their skills to help children and families around the world step out of poverty and into a world of hope. They design facilities that serve the poor in developing countries including orphanages, clean water projects, medical centres, schools etc.

Mar 02, 2008

Elikia Vehicle has arrived!!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU …

to all who helped fund this terrific Elikia asset!
After a year and a half we finally have our own wheels!! If feels sooooo good!

Sent: Wednesday Feb 27, 2008
Subject: Hello from a hot and humid Congo!

Last night, with a cool wind whipping in through my open window the storm began. The rains come quickly here, the thunder clapping to it’s own rhythm, and the sky brilliantly displaying its glory and then … darkness. The area we live in is in dire need of new city wiring but since that has been a long time in coming we are resolved to buying boxes of candles and sweating out the nights with no fans. The existing wires are lying above ground in many places along the side of the road. I am surprised that we have electricity at all! But, it is amazing how one grows accustomed to not having the small luxuries in life and finds ways of adjusting. Just like a river finds its way over, under and around obstacles in its path, we too take stock of what stands before us and scout out new ways of pursuing what needs to be done.

Take for instance this morning. We arrived at the office at 7am to load our personnel and equipment in our new vehicle (that’s another great story!) to head up to the site … only to find that along the way everywhere we went was out of cement! We returned with all and must now wait it out until we get word that cement is available. We were hoping to complete the little house that will be for our security guards this week but haven’t gotten a day in yet for one reason or another. Monday night we had a big storm also and one of workers needed the day off to find his roof which had blown off in the night!

The days have turned into weeks, weeks into months and I find myself looking into March 2008 already! Where did the last 2 months go? I have fallen behind in my communications with the world at large but will try to make amends. With email and internet troubles this has been a difficult time, please forgive my silence.

Here in Africa, the difference in culture from the West is definitely a gap to bridge, not only for me living and working here but also as I try to paint an accurate picture for those of you at home.
The Elikia Village project is a big vision with great potential to impact many lives.

Partnerships are at its core and as we go we must be sensitive to this culture and work here in their context, not our own. I don’t want to be like the Colonialists of the past who come in and dominate because they “know” better and then leave and have everything crumble behind them because they did not work “with” the people and teach leadership. The former get things done quicker, building empires etc, but the latter I believe will leave a lasting difference. Please keep the journey with me as we navigate, step by step, the best way to help here in the Congo. We all have hearts to help but we must do it wisely and as I am accountable to all of you I take this very seriously.

January and February of 2008 has been spent working on our first Elikia building, a security house. Many other things have been in the works but mostly planning, building foundational relationships and searching for partnerships here to walk alongside Elikia. This step is essential.

If any of you have painted the inside of an old house you will know that the time spent in prepping is usually more than the actual time spent painting. Without adequate prep work the paint crumbles and cracks.

Together we have been doing the necessary prep work. Although long and arduous, I am seeing the future … a school full of children with crisp uniforms and books of their own! Homes dotting the Elikia lands, mamas working their gardens with little ones in tow, singing out their native songs with heart and determination. A life renewed.

“Forgotten no more”

Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 2:43 AM
Subject: 1st Update for 2008

Hello from a drizzly, overcast day in Congo! I feel like these past 3 weeks have been a blur! With Jim returning to Canada and 2 young people arriving it has kept me plenty busy. From the month of October to May it is rainy season which means hot. But, right in the middle is January which is a mini cool season without rain. This has been great for us to finally get building our security house which is 4 metres by 3 metres. The two men who constructed it will be our security guards. The roof is going up this week!

On another note .. the two young people mentioned above have come to Kinshasa from Vancouver to stay in the Elikia team house for 3 months. They are brother and sister, one here to teach English and the other to work with the radio station in broadcasting. A bonus for us is a promo video he will be making for the Elikia Village project! We are very excited about this as we go step by step into the second year of this project!

They say that efficiency is the number one value in the Western world, but in Africa it is relationships. Everything is done through building relationships and this has been the bulk of our work so far. This is VERY important and takes time. This week I hope to meet with a lady who has a ministry to widows. As the Elikia project, we are looking for local partners who have a heart for the work and who can guide us in the search and selection of widows and orphans. This also is a large and VERY important part of this project. We are not here to build as fast as we can and get out to another project somewhere … our goal is to integrate this into the hands of Congolese. My personal goal is to raise up someone who has the heart and vision to continue this work long after I am gone. This is why partnerships here are so important and essential to the country’s change in attitude towards orphans and widows, the forgotten ones. These next couple months will be rainy season so no construction. Thus, my focus will be on connecting with people, research, and language studies.

In the month of June we are due to pour the foundation for our school in preparation for our first Elikia work team from Canada coming out in July. But before this we really need to have our water project completed. This type of building requires a lot of water and bringing it up from the valley floor will not be sufficient. So, we are in need of pumps and generators and piping to travel 500 metres up the hill.

If you know of anyone who helps in 3rd world countries in this way, please let me know! Your help is greatly appreciated. Well, that’s it for now, sorry my updates have been so far and between lately. All is going well. Hope that all is well in your world too. Thank you for your emails, love hear from you!

Construction finally begins on our security house! We purchased cement and made our own bricks.

Jeremy and Kendra are here for 3 months; Kendra to teach English and Jeremy to work with the SSM radio station and produce a promo video for Elikia!

Monday, December 17, 2007
Ceremony in the Camp

The sun hid behind the clouds as we rumbled along the dirt road toward the camp. Word had already spread of our arrival and one of our good friends and workers ran to meet us in full uniform, shades, beret and all. He jumped in the car and we were ushered onto the grounds to a grassy spot and parked the car. The ceremony had just begun and all had taken their seats, just in time to make us quite a spectacle … the only 2 white people out of hundreds, all eyes fixed on us as we were shown our seats. Ok, I felt a bit uncomfortable but not enough to calm the excitement in my heart.

A group of 20 singers opened the program and the ceremony was underway. We were sitting under a nicely built shelter of sticks with a shady grass roof. They had been preparing all week and built several long structures like this for their guests. Seated on plastic chairs we observed the program in relative coolness.

It was a grand affair! Approximately 60 students all dressed in white t-shirts that showed the focus of their studies came forward and received their diplomas, one by one. When it was all said and done we mingled for a time with those we knew and new soldiers that wanted to make our acquaintance. They were all very happy that we could come and enjoy this day with them.

Ushered into a little shelter we were seated with the General and several Colonels for a meal of rice and beans and chicken. The food was great and I just so happened to be seated next to the guy who interrogated us in January when they took us hostage into the camp! We looked at each other and knew, and both laughed at the change of events that had occurred on this mountain.

With mealtime over we politely excused ourselves and made our way to the car. A woman called out my name from the crowd and took me by surprise. She was one of the teachers in the camp that had introduced herself the last time I was there. We talked and I am meeting with her on Wednesday! Could this be the open door into the lives of the women in the camp I have been praying for?

I am amazed and dazed by the day … hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

And I haven’t even told you the best part yet!!

ARE YOU SITTING DOWN?

ONE SOLDIER APPROACHED US WITH INFORMATION THAT I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO HEAR SINCE WE FIRST PLANTED OUR FEET ON THIS MOUNTAIN!

“THE TOP OF THIS MOUNTAIN, INCLUDING THE CAMP, IS OWNED BY A MAN I KNOW AND HE WANTS TO SELL IT”

I couldn’t believe my ears! Was this really happening?

Graduating class and receiving their certificates

Our shade cover for the day. They were great! Very proud of these two men who work with us on the Elikia site.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Thank you!

Thank you to all who gave towards our Elikia vehicle fund, we are at $3500!
Our container should be getting into port in Matadi (8 hours drive south) next week and i am soooooooooooo excited about this step in the project!

Just wanted to let you know where we are at and to say THANK YOU ALL!

Here are a few photos from the past couple weeks ... slowly, slowly it is taking shape :)
Clearing brush is a constant job as it grows so fast during this rainy season!

One of the men who helped clear our roadway is proudly showing off his work!

The thing I am sitting on is a cement marker. We had to build one at each corner of the Elikia site.

This is the final touch on the reservoir. The cement lid rests on this cement square.

That's it for now .. back again next week!
Have a great day! -Cammie

Sunday, November 25, 2007
Vehicle coming!

If there is anyone out there who would like to help us purchase this vehicle for the Elikia Project please let me know!
It is in a container already on it's way to Congo and our total cost is approx. $5000.
A much needed vehicle for transporting our team workers to the site each day, plus tools and building materials. So far we have used taxis and borrowed a car when we could.
It will be much less expensive to have our own vehicle finally!
If you can help please contact me directly .. [email protected]

THANK YOU!

Saturday, November 17, 2007
Call for Help for Next July!

The sun is rising on another hot day here in the Congo. The roosters have been crowing for hours, the African pigeons cooing softly in the background.
Earth tones are a sandy brown and the trees are green and fresh after a heavy rain. Today will be a work day up on the Elikia site. Next summer some of you reading this will be waking up to these sights and sounds and heading up to explore the hillside to get your first glimpse of our 30 acre build site!
I want to thank all of you who have responded to the call to come help. Your names are not only on our team list but on my heart as well and I look forward to our time spent here together.

We have 3 spots open for the July team and I personally am looking for a few good men to come alongside ….. do you have two weeks to spare? Have you wanted to experience Africa? Have experience in building houses?

WE NEED YOU.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Tree Planting & Road Building Teams!

Last week we began planting trees around the perimeter of our property. These little guys are Eucalyptus and great for repelling mozzies, but they start out so small! We encircled them with sticks to protect them from being trampled!
We have 450 trees to plant!

Meanwhile ... our road is being cleared! The surveyor showed us where the roadway was supposed to be and left it with us. If we want a road to our property then we have to clear approximately 500 metres of bush! So glad we have a work team to do this!

The weather has not been cooperating very well and we are only able to work 2 or 3 days out of the week as the torrential rains have been many! We'll do as much as we can during this rainy season, but I am waiting anxiously for dry season to come once again.
A Makelele hunter was found near our site. He proudly showed us his fresh catch for the morning ... just in time for ... LUNCH ANYONE?

Have a great day!

Friday, October 26, 2007
Site Update ...

With the last name written in the drying cement, congratulations were given all around. Our first project together was a success! The reservoir cover looked good, the soldiers had worked hard, and our team had moved like a well oiled machine. AWESOME!

Oct 16, 2007

During the month of August our water reservoir on site was cleaned out in preparation for our September work of painting and building a gigantic cement "lid" as a cover. Rainy season is upon us now with 3 out of the last 5 days bringing heavy rains. This means intermittent downpours during the day which makes working with cement very difficult! So today we MUST FINISH!

You’ll never guess what happened yesterday! Read on ….
As we bumped our way along the dirt road laden with supplies and workers to complete the final coat of the reservoir cover, we gave greetings to young and old, soldier (in plain clothes) and civilian alike who are our neighbours.

Today I would be putting in a full day on site helping mix cement, transport materials, and oversee the work. One thing I must note for you is the fact that each time we go to our site we must send one man to the soldiers camp to let them know we are there in their “territory”. We parked on our land and sent a person to do this. We unloaded our supplies and sent the Jeep and three of our team up to the camp to collect the gravel they had sold to us the day before.

I was waiting in the shade of a tree when a soldier approached me and my teammate. He had some good news for us. He lived in a small house just above our site and the night our posts were stolen he chased off the thieves and was able to recoup all the posts! They were sitting in his house and he would guard them for us until we decided what to do; total posts taken out but NOT STOLEN were 15.

Jeep returned with it’s load of gravel plus 3 soldiers! My heart skipped a beat as my team mate told me they had come to help. In Africa, nothing is done for free so I knew they were going to ask for pay which we did not have …. What could I say? If asked, they would say nothing but then at the end of the day would come to me and if I had nothing for them they could become angry and perhaps sabotage the work. I resolved to say nothing. So, the 6 of us worked hard carrying the 50 kg sacs of cement and 3 tonnes of gravel the 300 meters down to the reservoir site and began our work. The men worked well together and I saw potential for the future. Sorry I have no photos to share with you of this day but after the military apprehended us for taking photos I decided not to bring it this day.

At 2pm we needed more supplies so I went out to get more cement with our driver and also brought back lunch for the team, soldiers included. They devoured it in minutes and were back to work; sweat pouring off their bodies under the hot African sun. The colonel of the camp was there with us working just as hard as the rest of us! I was able to ask questions of his people in the camp, the children, schooling, women, conditions etc. What an open door!

Things I learned:

the children have a class from 7:30-9:30am to learn French.
the soldiers are interested in learning English because it is an international language
they have someone there who speaks English well
there are just under 20 children living in the camp.
their group was fighting in Angola for 16 years so they all speak Portugese, even the children.
they have been here for 2-3 years.

When I asked if I could come up to see the children the colonel hesitantly shook his head. I thought quickly and proposed I bring a gift of a soccer ball with me for them, to which his eyes brightened and I got a maybe out of him! At the end of the day we loaded up the Jeep with tools, water barrels, buckets, etc and the colonel took us up to the camp to show us a place we could store everything! I was shocked at this generosity. I wanted to get out of the Jeep and meet the other soldiers crowding around to help but I waited. A moment later the colonel opened my door and beckoned me out! I’m glad I had waited, now I had an invitation to set foot in his camp.I sensed this new found relationship would be taken step by step as we feel each other out, making known our hearts little by little. I was thrilled!

Then I saw the children, maybe 2-8 years old hiding around the corner. I crouched down and called out to them for several minutes, at first one coming close and then the other but then running away. They came within 10 ft but that was as close as comfortable allowed them. They have captured a special place in my heart... tokomona (Lingala for “we will see”). In a couple days I will return with my gift.

Monday, October 08, 2007
Touchdown!

Friday morning 10:30am, touch down at the Kinshasa airport, safe and sound. This is a quick post to address the concerned emails for my safety. Many of you heard of the plane crash here in Kinshasa. It was not my plane. The atmosphere is very sad because of this terrible accident. My teammate, Tresor, is grieved because an engineer friend of his was killed in the crash.

I am at the office this Monday morning and am relieved to finally be back in Congo! My email is not sending at the moment, but will keep trying. It should be up in the next day or so. Will post more in a couple days.

Hope you all are doing well.

Thursday, October 04, 2007
On My Way!

Hello from Amsterdam! We talked like old friends as the luggage flopped onto the weighbelt and spewed out a figure that was slightly over the allotted portion. The lady behind the counter just happened to be the gal who weighed our luggage on my last trip out of Vancouver, which had been overweight and oversize ... but with many prayers behind us it had been allowed on the flight after quite a delay. Now, she saw us coming and recognized us from the big frazzle of the past and prided herself on her great memory! She was terrific and didn't look twice at the little infraction of at least 2 of our bags being slightly overweight :)

As we waited at the gate to board, our names were called over the loudspeaker and we were subsequently "bumped" up to BUSINESS CLASS!! Oh, what a great thrill it was to pull on those cozy KLM socks, be given a dinner menu, served drinks and endless treats! What a way to start a two day journey! So with our 7 hour layover in Amsterdam almost complete we are heading to the gate to await our boarding of Kenya Airways to Nairobi. This leg is another 8 1/2 hour flight.

Will see you again in a couple days from Kinshasa!

Return to Congo - Oct.3rd!

Well, my time here is up. It has been a crazy, busy few months but so great in so many ways! Half my time was spent on my computer creating flyers, banners, brochures, and assorted misc items! The other 50% was filled with meetings, luncheons, speaking engagements, more meetings, running to the printers, and 2 rounds of golf! Many sleepless nights prepping for next day meetings, deadlines, and putting the project together, piece by incredible piece. Couldn't have done it without the help of so many people. It has been a great time of groundbreaking, networking, foundation building, launching of the Elikia Village Project here in Canada.
Now I am excited to get back to my team in the Congo!

More to come in a couple days!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007
BBQ DAY!

With the smell of hamburgers sizzling in the air we drew the Saturday
afternoon shoppers into our BBQ fundraiser in Cloverdale for the Elikia project!
It was a slow but steady stream of hungry, inquisitive people who stopped to buy Tshirts,
Thank you Mike Hensel of AMP Merchandising for partnering with us to print these awesome tees,
and to Nick your graphic artist. THANKS GUYS!
To begin our day we served a crew of Congolese friends from New Westminster
and the United States and were met with a familiar greeting, “Mbote” meaning hello in Lingala.
They swayed to our African music as they tried on tshirts, put spreads on their buns and drank their sodas. What a blast! THANKS PASTOR TANCRIS!
And on and on the day went.
So … now, many of you are wondering how much we raised on our first annual ELIKIA BBQ??
drum roll please ...................Just over $1100!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO SUPPORT ELIKIA!

This will go towards our water project which is the next step and specifically
to build the roof of our water reservoir! We have an estimated cost of $1800 so we’ll
see how close we can come! Here are some photos of the day, the Elikia Team, and supporters!

If you like the ELIKIA tshirts you can still get one! email for more [email protected]

Saturday, September 01, 2007
BBQ - September 8th!!

All day fundraiser in the IGA Cloverdale parking lot with a more intimate evening BBQ for
those of you supporting the project or just interested in knowing more!
2 weeks ago the vision of putting on a backyard BBQ for the ELIKIA VILLAGE PROJECT was born.
It would be a time to socialize and have fun!

But .... I wasn't so sure we could fit everyone in our backyard so I was trying to think of
a good place to have it. Pressure was coming at me to confirm the location but I still wasn't
convinced ... until Wednesday morning at 6am. I woke up with the idea of exploding the event
into something bigger and having it in the parking lot of the IGA in Cloverdale! We could have
a big banner and BBQs flaming with sizzling hotdogs and burgers! Yes, what a great way to involve
the business community and have a fundraiser at the same time!

OK, that meant a lot of things had to fall into place that day ... so off I went.
Trying to make the right connection. I was pleasantly surprised at Harry Lehr of
SeeVirtual360.com who called the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce and eventually I was
directed to the Man I needed. THANKS HARRY!

The Man, Rob Neufeld - Manager of the Cloverdale IGA, was cheerful and happy to help.
After about 10 minutes in his store everything was arranged and IGA pitched in the first
5 dozen hotdogs, burgers, drinks, buns etc to boot! THANKS IGA CLOVERDALE!!

Wednesday, August 29, 2007
How can I get involved?

The “HOMES OF HOPE CHALLENGE” is being launched on September 1st!
If you are a business owner or think those you work for would be up for a challenge of
this magnitude we are looking for 30 businesses!

If you haven’t heard or read about it in the Surrey Leader, here is the scoop.

To help in the raising of funds for our homes for orphans in the Congo we have put
out a CHALLENGE to businesses to “build a home”. One home = $20,000. Our first challengers
are the Homelife Benchmark office Cloverdale and I believe they will be challenging the White
Rock Homelife office. The first team to raise the “house funds” first will get to name the home,
have a BIG PROMO splash in the paper and receive a plaque or poster for their office.

We have 2 items in which businesses can choose to sell or consume to help them raise the
funds … art cards and specialty coffee! Everyone buys cards and a LOT OF PEOPLE BUY COFFEE
so we hope they will take advantage of these hot items put together especially for our challenge
participants.

The past 2 weeks have been busy with preparations and putting together a great presentation package!
Are you ready? You can download and print off the CHALLENGE from our website
http://www.elikiavillage.org/

Your mission should you choose to accept it is to find one business to accept the challenge … can you do it?
1, 2, 3, GO!

We met in a warehouse in Surrey.
Pallets and barrels of food, clothing, shoes, bicycles, and medical supplies had found their way there before us and now waited to be loaded into a container that would send them halfway around the world. Columbia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Sudan, Brazil and perhaps one day … the Congo! The founder is a local BC man who has a huge heart for kids all over the world. He began 20 years ago and has seen it grow and produce incredible fruit in so many lives. ELIKIA VILLAGE is hoping to partner with this organization because of the many people who want to give clothes etc to the kids in the Congo. So far we have not accepted any large donations but we hope to begin in the near future! So check back and I’ll keep you updated!

I was just in a clothing store this morning where the owner recognized me from the newspaper article from last week.She mentioned that her store couldn’t hold all the donated clothes and she needed a place to be able to send them every month. “Do you want them?” she asked. “YES!”

It’s pieces of the puzzle like this that are happening everyday out here and it is so exciting to see how God confirms over and over again the work that He has set out for us to do. It is quite an adventure! Hang on … there is so much more to come!

Have a great day!
Cammie

Saturday, August 04, 2007
Stories from the Heart ...

My first six weeks at home in Canada were filled with amazing events!
There was so much to do and it all fell on my shoulders since my boss was extremely sick.
I am happy to report that he is doing much better and hopes to make a return trip to Congo in September!

As for me, I'll take this moment to tell of just a few stories that we have seen so far ....

• I spoke at a Congolese church a month ago and afterwards was introduced to a man who made his profession in illustrating. He takes the design from the architect and makes it a beautiful drawing that looks almost like a photo of the house yet to be built! He showed me some of his work and offered to illustrate our Elikia home at no charge! AWESOME.
• I spoke at a small church in Cloverdale on July 1st.
  Small in number but HUGE in HEART! Afterwards I was introduced to someone who has a brother doing water projects in Africa, and he offered to connect me with him in hopes that they would help with our water project at no cost! We are waiting to hear back, but awesome connection!
• At the same church a lady came up to me and said, "Cammie, I notice your website is not finished," to which I replied, "yes, it is on my "to do" list but I've been so busy I just haven't had time to work on it." To make a long story short, she mentioned her son in California was just asking her if she knew of anyone who needed help with anything technical like that. Now he has offered to create our new website at no cost!
• Had coffee with a lady last week who has now offered her architectural skills to draw up all the house plans for us at no cost!
• Not sure I have introduced him yet, but we have hired a fulltime "on site manager/logistician"! Tresor has finished his university studies in DEVELOPMENT and has a keen eye for detail. He is Congolese, towers above us at six and a half feet, and is a great addition to our developing TEAM ELIKIA!
• One business has already stepped forward to raise money on their Christmas drive for our project! Last year their head office chose to match what hey raised so I am very excited to welcome them onboard!

These are just a few of the amazing stories revolving around this project.
Leading a project like this is satisfying when we see lives like these bursting with new life in a
new family, loved and secure. They no longer have to try to "belong" to the rebels in the streets,
like gangs in America, because they find their place of belonging at home.
I believe that is the cry in every heart, to belong and be loved. These children are the next generation
whether they receive this or not. Changing the direction of a nation from corrupt to a beautiful jewel
is in the hands of the children today. ONE DAY, ONE CHILD, ONE NATION'S HOPE.
My time in Canada has gone by so fast. I have enjoyed meeting and sharing about what we are doing in
the Congo and seeing pieces fall into place at their appointed time.
I know what it is to work into the wee hours of the morning and what it is like to "lose" a day
helping others with their work.

To all who are along for the journey ... the ride has just begun!
Thank you for your support and prayers.

Project Update/ Recap
Friday, July 20, 2007

Today we have a growing base of support and are deep into the planning stages of the village. Because it is on a hillside there is much engineering work to be done for terracing the property. The general design and layout of the village and house plans are all coming together.
Two weeks ago we began fencing the perimeter of the property. This is more to mark the boundaries than it is to keep people out so we have gone with putting in steel posts every 10 meters and when rainy season starts in September we will be planting Eucalyptus trees between the posts. It will be a nice, natural boundary to the village property.

Poto, one of our hired workers for Elikia. He wears many hats for us including driver, mechanic, and welder! Tchombe, another hired worker for Elikia who is digging our 100 postholes and cementing the poles in place.

Two organizations have been contacted regarding our water project. There is a spring at the bottom of the hill that we have negotiated the rights to and will pipe up the water to an existing reservoir on our property. From there it will be pumped up to two - yet to be built – water towers in the village providing running water for the homes of Elikia!
A bonus for us is an opportunity to give the surrounding villagers their own water spout at the top of the hill! When I trekked down to the water source there were many people climbing back up with huge buckets of water on their heads and shoulders. I can’t imagine what a thrill it will be for them to not have to make that trek anymore!
We are hoping to begin this water project in October 2007. The Canadian Embassy in Kinshasa also has grant money available for projects like Elikia so we are preparing a proposal for them to review in October.

We hope to begin terracing and construction in January 2008.

As one of my fellow workers took sick I was recalled to Canada for 3 months to do fundraising for Elikia. I enjoy the challenge and have been meeting people as varied as they are numerous! The drawings and village layout are being done from here, as well I have been speaking at businesses, churches, and individual homes and foundations.

We are in the midst of putting together an amazing event of dinner, music, and silent auction at a fabulous venue in Vancouver! This is quite exciting and have just welcomed a wonderful woman to the Elikia team, Celine, to help bring this event to life! She has a lot of fundraising experience to bring to the team and we are very happy to have her onboard!

Congo Update!
Thursday, May 31, 2007

Our National Elikia Team is beginning to take shape!
Onboard now is our Projects Manager –Miyimi, our on-site manager/logistician – Trésor, our head Social worker – Georgette, our driver – Poto, and of course Tanya and me J They are all Congolese and have been watched and recommended. Relationship has been the basis for each one chosen. We are beginning to build the wall around the Elikia property which will be metal posts with trees planted between. Also the first section of terracing is being drawn out and will begin digging in the next couple weeks! We are hoping to host our first work team in October to build the very first Elikia Home!

On another note, for some time now Jim has been quite sick. He returned to Canada a month ago and promptly was diagnosed with pneumonia. He has been tested for many things but no firm answer yet. All we know at this time is that he is in “bed rest” for some time and then a period of recuperation. This means that our point man for fundraising for Elikia in Canada is out for 2 or 3 months! This means change for me. I am being recalled to Canada to step in where Jim left off.

I will be home by next weekend! It is quite a regroup for me as I was not anticipating leaving this home so soon. As I drive the streets now and bump through the markets I am keenly aware of all I will miss when away. I went out and spent time with “our kids” at Georgette’s orphanage today. We sang, danced, brought them some rice and water and fish and shared with them the change in plans.
So, part of my role in this Elikia Village Project is to fundraise, I just didn’t expect to come back so soon to do more of it. I do it joyfully and with a happy heart, even though I will miss my “home” and the children here in the Congo.

Next week I will meet with our team to go over everything that needs to be scheduled for while I am away. I believe we have a great team and if we all do our part we will accomplish the dream we have in our hearts, to take the forgotten and give them hope and a future here in the Congo!
I look forward to seeing many of you over the next couple months!
Nakoya noki komona bino!

Wonders Never Cease!
Saturday, May 5, 2007

The ELIKIA site, we now know, had a complete water system designed and built for it! There is nothing left of it now except the reservoir we found halfway down the hill, but the other day we "found" the person who did the original design! The pumps and generators were taken out before the war and have been sitting in storage for about 5 years.

We then "found" a man who works for the WorldBank who has ownership of said equipment. He told us to write a letter to the bank requesting release of this equipment at no charge! It is his department in the bank and because we are a non profit organization it could be released to us!

It's 8am and we've just parked our Jeep within the safety of a few small huts, one of which is home to the village chief's assistant. We trek out from here down into the valley below the Elikia Village site to find a water source we now had the rights to, thanks to the chief.
On this expedition is myself, a young man from Canada - Paul, an American from the deep south - Brian, a young man from Belgium - Tim, and SSM's project manager - Hubert. Of course we needed our escorts also ... making quite a convoy of people trekking down the hill! Both police and military escorts wanted to get in on the adventure this time!

A reservoir halfway up the hill is an unexpected surprise! Totally amazing! This is a huge bonus!Our expert water man (Brian) tested the water flow rate ...

Our expert GPS man (Paul) taking readings all along the route. This will tell us exactly where the water is located, the reservoir, and the length of piping needed to bring up the water.

All in all it was a very successful trip, thanks to the team of men who "just happened to come
along at the right time:)" There are a lot more steps to take this week and will update ASAP. Exciting stuff!!
Have a great day!!

Water!!
April 20, 2007

Mai ezali awa! Water is here!
The dancing has stopped but the thankfulness in my heart will stay for some time.
Sometimes we go without water for one or two days but five is a bit much!Just wanted to let you all know there is dancing in the streets again:)
It all helps to keep us grateful for the things we do have and not take them for granted here.
At this stage we are setting things in place to clear a road to our property and the boundaries for building a perimeter fence. This work should begin next week! So exciting to see things moving ahead!

Also next week we are making a trek down to our water source at the bottom of the hill and assess the cost of bringing water up to the village. Probably a diesel generator and pump will be needed at the bottom and piping up the hill. Then it's water tanks on top and pipes to the houses! Will keep you posted.

Easter Kids Celebration a HUGE success!
April 14, 2007

The day in Goma started early after many days of nonstop preparations.
The sea of children was awesome and the day was amazing, but I will let the photos speak for themselves ...
A great day was had by all and what a day! I hope these photos give you some idea of what transpired and the
enormity of the task!These children are all orphans and/or street children. Terrible things have been done to them
and/or seen by them, more than we could ever imagine. We planted seeds of hope for their future today!

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO GAVE TOWARDS THE GIFTBAGS THAT WERE HANDED OUT TO
THOSE WHO HAD NOTHING!

April 01,2007
Arrived in Congo!

After a long 2 days of flying I was greeted with a blast of hot, humid Congo air as I disembarked from the plane. 40 degrees and 95% humidity caused my already weary body to melt into the tarmac, or so it felt. “I’m back!” I thought to myself as I struggled to lug my 2 carry-ons through the airport.
Now take a walk with me … After a one hour drive home, another hour of unpacking I was toast. What I wouldn’t give for a nice cold shower but I was greeted with no water and no electricity so that was out and with no fans whirling to keep me cool I crashed on my bed of fresh sheets and slept for an hour.
When I awoke my fan had begun and there was water! I quickly dashed into the shower, bringing a bucket in with me in case the water only lasted a minute so I could at least rinse the shampoo out of my hair if it stopped (a trick I learned). I was pleasantly surprised after 5 minutes of beautiful cool water it had not stopped. Ahhhhh, electricity, water, and a granola bar, what more could I ask for!
Life is sublimely simple here and one learns not to take anything for granted:) The fans stopped an hour later and the sky darkened. The winds began to blow and then the rains came, lightning and thunder followed closely and cooled the night air. Wonderful!
After a restless night I awoke this morning to a trio of roosters outside my windowtrying unsuccessfully to let people know they could still tell time.. it was only 3am! At 5am the goat someone had tied to a bush in our backyard thought it was his turn to startle everyone with a cry that sounded like a child yelling at the top of his lungs, and then 2 sets of chicks joined the harmonious uproar that finally ended in a crescendo of children running through the yard calling out to their friends over the wall. Ah, home sweet home! So, by 6am I was fully awake and ready to start my day!

Hope your days have been filled with cool air, hot showers, and no goats!

March 21, 2007
My Time in Canada

Wow!! Can hardly believe my 2 months home are almost up!
My purpose for coming was to connect with people and spread the word
of what is happening in the Congo and the ELIKIA VILLAGE PROJECT.
The response has been great!
I have had a wonderful time ... hot showers, constant electricity, good water to drink ...
Oh, and not to mention a little time out from work to visit family in Terrace, BC

Sunday, February 04, 2007
Home Sweet Home ...

Two days of flying and waiting patiently in airports to arrive home on the eve of February 2.
It feels good to be home but a little strange. My home in Kinshasa became familiar and coming from 100 degrees and 98% humidity to 4 degrees is a tough change.
So, here I sit on a cozy couch wearing as many clothes as I can and watching the Super Bowl ... my world in Africa so far away. Life has definitely changed and I can't help but have in the forefront of my mind all the children I left behind ... will they eat today? how many are sick with malaria? will any of them die before I return? There is so much more to life than living for ourselves, for our own security, our own health and wealth, but in our Western world we don't have the priviledge of needing each other to make it through the day. I believe that Canada is in a leadership role to impact other nations, if we will only open our hearts and put down our fears. Let's bust out of our comfort zones and dance in the face of fear!

Goodbye for now Kinshasa ...

From: Cammie [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: January 26, 2007 4:17 AM
Subject: Update

This is an update for all of you who gave so wonderful a gift at Christmas for the party here for abandoned and orphaned children.

As most of you know the party was postponed because of circumstances beyond our control but certainly NOT CANCELLED.

Everything given is in our account here safe and sound and a new date will be set soon.

The heart of the “Christmas project” is not lost however and the children (all 3000 of them) will be just as touched and thrilled to have their party soon enough.

I still can’t wait to see their faces light up, and I hope that you are not discouraged by the delay. All is well.

In the meantime we are still visiting the orphanage here in Kinshasa that we have taken under our wing. I’m sad to report one of the young girls passed away from anemia, a long fought battle that is curable with good nutrition but that isn’t easy to come by here.

Her name was Jasmine and I believe she was 14 yrs old. We experienced our first wake here in the Congo. When we arrived the other children were playing one last “game” with her as she lay in her coffin just feet away. It was a strange feeling. It had been going since the day before and Georgette (the mother) looked exhausted. In Africa, people come to stay with the family to keep them company so they are not alone in their grief. It can last 2 or 3 days and there were about 35 people there when we arrived.

Just wanted to keep you updated, hope all is well in your world! My return date is February 2nd, 2007!

more pics

TRANSLATION:

"Now we can begin to build the homes for Elikia Village.
We will call that village our home.”

I put a few photos of our New Years here in the Congo on my blog.
http://congorising.blogspot.com/

Cammie Clarke
_________________

Elikia Village Project
SSM Africa

Sent: December 21, 2006: We Found It!

“25 acres of hilltop property with spectacular view!
Needs clearing, water & electricity. $50,000!”
The price was $50,000US but when the chief of the village heard what we
were going to build, he settled for $4,000US!
We were thrilled with the news! But that is only the beginning …
At the same time we were negotiating here, there was a young couple in
Canada making a decision to give to the Elikia Project. They knew nothing
of the land but gave the exact amount to pay for it! They had been saving
for years for just such an opportunity to give. Awesome answer to prayer!

I stopped to take this photo as we trekked through the bush to
find the boundaries purchase process is long and tedious. We
are now waiting to see the title and legal papers to assure us
of clear ownership. More to come …

Sent: December 12, 2006

THANK YOU ALL!!

The response I received from the Christmas challenge was tremendous. I had in my heart $1 for every child and they had said they were expecting 3000 children.
The total you gave was $3020!!! So great I can't explain it!
So thank you to everyone who gave to see these children have a very special Christmas!
My heart is overjoyed!

One thing stands in the way of our departure for Goma and the party however. Our contacts in Goma went to the USA in November to do some important immigration work and have been delayed by officials. What should have been done in a week has taken three. They had to reschedule their flight and due to the holiday season are having a hard time finding an available seat on a flight home. It has been an exhausting week and now we sit in limbo.
We were due to depart yesterday (Sunday). We are praying that the paperwork gets done quickly and 2 seats open up on a flight back to Goma!

We have not lost hope so please don't be disheartened. We will get there and will put on an incredible party for all these abandoned children. Even if it happens after Christmas the effect will be the same, a lot of smiling, joyful children with full stomachs, new clothes, shoes, etc. I can't wait!!
Sorry for the delay of this message. Our internet has been down and I know many of you have been wondering what has been happening … will keep you posted!

Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Ps: have an exciting update coming soon regarding land we have found and are negotiating to purchase!

Cammie Clarke

Sent: November 19, 2006: Searching for Land

The search is underway!
This morning we went to look at two acreages on the outskirts of Kinshasa. Both are 10 hectares (25 aces) and slightly sloping down a hill.

Part of it would take a lot of work to terrace which would then be used to grow crops, but the rest is fairly flat and we have begun inquires. The first doesn't have water or electricity but is closer in and much easier access. The second is down a long dirt road which looks like it would be a river after a hard rain (which we have had many times already avec thunder and lightning that will knock your socks off!)
The dense forest here would be a lot of work to clear although it has water and electricity nearby
One other acreage we looked at was in the heart of Kinshasa. It is also a large parcel but with commercial buildings with tenants like a TV station/studio, church, restaurant, medical clinic, Belgian school and several residences. The back half of the property is bush. The organization I am partnered with here (SSM - Studios Sango Malamu) has their eye on this property but Elikia could have the back half for a small village. A bit different than what I envisioned but a lot of benefits for a first village. I remember Watoto had their "baby centre" in town because they needed to be close to a hospital so perhaps we could use this situation as a starting point. We could have a "baby village" as a first project and be building the second village out of town for the older ones to come! So many thoughts!
With that adoption just going through I have many ideas around that also … will tell in time
Will be updating my blog with more pics so stay tuned!

http://congorising.blogspot.com/

Sent: November 15, 2006: Election results!

Tonight, Wednesday Nov.15, the election results were finally announced! It was not a surprise that the past president, Kabila, was again voted in but what people were worried about was the opposition not receiving the news well. The next couple days will be interesting.

( Oh, someone just came to the door and asked us to turn our generator off (have only had 2 days of electricity our of 15 and finally got a generator!) Reports of shots being fired in the area have the night guards a little concerned and they want to have silence here in the compound to hear. )

In a moment of extreme courage sitting in the back of a car I captured this scene for you. If I had been seen … well, I won't even go there ….

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Note up to the right, a gunner in the white UN transport. This is a regular sight here and on the main streets in the heart of the city UN tanks are stationed barricaded by sandbags. If I could get a picture of that!
We'll see …just wanted to give you a glimpse to let you feel like you are right here with me

Love to you all,

Cammie Clarke

Sent: November 13, 2006: Quick Update

Another quick update … so much is happening!
The gunshots rang out as the Angolans returned fire from the Congolese rebels on the street outside.
The house we moved from, in the heart of the city, was sprayed with bullets as our friends hunkered down inside behind thick concrete walls. It lasted a couple hours and let us know that there is still tension on the streets.
The results of the election are due to come out this week so once again we pray for peace and protection, and that the spirit of lawlessness would be silenced.
The house we are now staying in is in another area of the city and is very peaceful. A good move

A high note in our stay so far was a little baby we met who has just been adopted by a couple in New York.
The mother was raped by armed forces in the east and became pregnant at the age of 12. She was taken to a clinic in a nearby town called Goma where she was cared for until the baby was born. She was very traumatized and didn't seem to know what was happening to her as she repeatedly pounded her rather large stomach by this time. The baby was born and brought to friends of ours who are working there with rape victims (100 coming to the clinic per day!) They sent out an email to friends in the states and God touched the heart of one couple who immediately flew to Congo. They fell in love with Ida, the little girl who by this time had lost her mother to sickness.
If you don't know, the Congo is reported to be the most difficult country to adopt children out of. They had not been told this and began filing papers right away.
It was a miraculous month and just a few days ago they came to pick her up! We were so happy to see this amazing little girl who is now 3 months old and starting a brand new life with a wonderful mother and father in the states.
No one can believe this incredible story of timing and favor from the government of this country. I believe a change has begun and doors have opened that have been closed tight in the past.

Sent: November 13, 2006: News

Hello from a hot, humid Congo!

All is well

Tomorrow we are going to scout out a large parcel of land in the city that might just work for us.
It is reported to be over 10 hectares (25 acres) but will update on that once we have seen it!

Yesterday we spent the day at an orphanage here on the outskirts of Kinshasa.
It is the same one I visited in July but their food situation has worsened and they are down to one meal a day
of a kind of floury/grainy white mush. Although it has little nutritional value, it fills their stomachs and soothes the cries of the younger ones.
It is difficult to see but we know that these are the fortunate ones who have a roof over their heads.
We took one suitcase full of clothes, colouring books, and pencil crayons. You should have seen the looks on their faces
as we pulled out brand new brightly coloured tshirts and shorts!
It was like Christmas for them and what a great time we all had! Then I brought out the earrings.
Squeals of delight from the girls rang out and I knew I had made a good choice
Part of my work here is to visit and network with all that is happening in and around the city for orphans.
This takes time because it is all word of mouth and logistically challenging at times, but I believe it is important
to encourage others who have the same heart.

Sent: November 8, 2006 10:28 AM
Subject: RE: re photos

Hi,

Can hardly believe a month has almost passed! Thank you for your encouragement, I hope all is going well with you.

I met with a gal who is working with orphans and women in the east where the fighting has been really bad and she is quite amazing. I am hoping to go visit her work after things settle down here ie: after election results are made known in a week or two.

The attached pictures are to give people an idea of what such a project will look like. The model we saw in Uganda was superb and we hope the work here in Congo can be done well also. The children’s village we visited had 67 homes and many school buildings, teacher housing and vocational training centers.

Please pass along my sincere THANKS to everyone at SeeVirtual for their support. I will work hard to make you all proud of the project you have partnered in to help change lives of shame and poverty into lives with hope and meaning. I left the village so inspired, my vision enlarged by the many stories of rags to “riches”. “Riches” in this case is a roof over one’s head and food in one’s stomach along with someone who cares for them.

We have looked at a couple plots of land but so far they are not suitable. This is the slow time …. It is a slow process but we are trying to connect with others who are also working with children here in the city. It’s all word of mouth.

Cammie

Sorry to leave you hanging for so long the internet in Africa is very unpredictable

Two days of traveling to get to Uganda to attend a conference called Hope for Africa's Children¨ was well worth it! We, myself and my teammate Tanya, had a fabulous time of networking and listening to all the tremendous speakers who have a heart for the children of Africa.

Unfortunately when the electricity was on the internet was down, thus I was not able to get any updates out! Two weeks of no emails!!

Yesterday we arrived in the Congo! October 24, 2006.

After one day in Kinshasa we are leaving for a house on the outskirts of the city because of the potential uprising near the city center where we currently are staying. The elections take place on Sunday so the tensions are high and people are all in the streets with drums, songs and speeches for their favorite candidate. Trucks piled high with people shouting into megaphones, draped with banners displaying their candidates and honking. It sounds chaotic and a large tree was felled last evening about 30 ft away across our road. We had plans to leave the city center on Saturday and take up residence in a compound on the outskirts of town but we may have to leave tonight as troops are beginning to sandbag the streets nearby.

The people we are staying with at present are meeting with their contacts in the UN to decipher what level the threat is at. We do know that arms have been pouring into the country all year to equip the rebels and of course they are on both sides so it seems no matter who wins there will be a coup attempt.

Having said that, we are taking every precaution to relocate somewhere the fighting will not touch and all our contacts say our move to the compound on the outskirts will be safe. The compound is for a university and recording studio with teachers housing which is what we will be living in. I am not afraid, but cautious and waiting to hear more of what is happening in the UN and Embassies in Kinshasa. I believe there is a reason we arrived at such a time as this and am waiting to see what that will be.

Please keep us in your prayers,

Cammie