Goma's lava strewn landscape

We’ve only been here for 3 days. We’ve met many people – mothers, children, ministers, program administrators, journalists, doctors and nurses. I’ve taken thousands of photographs, and we’ve interviewed many wonderful people. This is such a challenging place to process – and I don’t expect I’ll ever understand why. Why would one person inflict so much pain on another? How could a place with so much potential find itself in such a position of lawlessness? It’s not a new problem. Wars might have ended just recently, but the damage had started back when the first colonialists stepped off there boats, and when traders arrived transporting millions of people away and into slavery.

The streets are so badly potholed it is almost impossible to drive along them in anything other than a 4WD or motorcycle. This was caused in part by the volcanic eruption in 2002, together with years of neglect.
We drove to visit micro-finance loan recipients in their homes. The wide dusty streets are lined with people selling anything. Old shoes, eggs, hand bags, cabbages, nail varnish and fuel stoves. People mostly walk and stumble. Some get a lift on the back of a motorcycle. Everyone stares. The only white people you see are driving in white 4WD vehicles supplied by either the UN, or a NGO operating here.The houses are small rough structures made with wooden planks and corrugated roofing sheets. They are built directly on top of the razor sharp volcanic rubble. Many have plastic sheets labelled “UNHCR” wrapped around them to prevent them from leaking in the rain. Children play along and in the road. Most have something on their feet – maybe a pair of thongs 3 sizes too big.As we continue along the road I notice more women and children loading volcanic rubble into large agricultural bags where they will sell them to block makers.It is a privilege to visit people in their homes. It is an intrusion to point the camera at them, but they laugh when I show them their pictures to them. We’re trying to capture something of their lives that will help you and me understand this problem a little better. It is difficult. Sometimes someone will shout at me. Sometimes someone will demand papers. Am I helping?

It’s just a snapshot of what we’ve experienced so far. We re-group and discuss the day. We’ll probably go to the local hotel later where all the expat workers (UN and NGOs) congregate, download email and enjoy a beer, temporarily escaping the world of poverty. It feels wrong, but that’s the life we were born into – it’s what we know…

During our visit to Manado, Indonesia we witnessed the efforts of many women as they worked long tiring days to find extra money to help support their families. They ran kiosks, cooked and sold satay in the market, chopped fruit salad to sell on the street corner and collected rubbish at the local tip. Women were often the entrepreneurs of the family, not just making ends meet, but finding ingenious ways of  saving money in the event of a child requiring a visit to the doctor or some other unplanned expenditure.

For some women the story is not always as positive. There are numerous stories we’ve been told of forced labor, rape, abuse, inequality and sexual violence in war.

We stand by and support the UN in it’s efforts to insure the safety and equality of women all around the world.

The Manly Council have given us the opportunity to promote and sell Love in Action at their event to promote International Women’s Day which will be held at the Manly Library on monday 8 March 2010. All proceeds from the sale of Love in Action will be donated to Manly-Manado. Money raised will be given to the Compassion Child Survival Program. The program assists pregnant women, at-risk babies and infants and their mothers and caregivers by providing critical interventions, such as medical assistance, pre-natal and post-natal care, and nutritious food. For further information visit the Compassion website.