I came to Sweden last fall and I’m from Matadi in the Congo. I’m a member of the Baobab Church. The trip to Sweden was a bit dramatic, I broke my arm. It was good pretty fast with a bit of Karlsson’s glue and some bandages. Residence permit, I got instantly and I live in Hökerum.
Last winter I got the assignment to be on a show in the Mission Church in Hökerum. I watched it day and night. I had my gun in my left hand and my machete in the belt. They were with me to give some respect, very good, and made of ebony.
One day a thief came to the church. He took both my gun and the machete from me. I had no chance to stop the thief, my arms are a bit stiff and my eyes cannot see everything. Now my tools are lost. Those things which are so important for my confidence and my livelihood.
I wonder why we Africans and Congolese are always robbed of our assets. This has been going on for 500 years and continues to this very day. It began with slaves, went on with rubber, ivory, hardwood, and today it is other nature resources. We are the third richest country in the world of minerals and today it is coltan, the black gold, which everyone needs for their mobile phones and computers. 80% of the world’s need of coltan comes from Democratic Republic of the Congo. Much of this is stolen and shipped to our neighbour who then sells it to Europe, America and Asia.
Could it be that so you have stolen goods in your pockets or on your desk?
I will try to do without my tools but I would love to have them back. Then I would not have to ask for help. If the Congo could be compensated for everything that has been stolen, no Congolese would be asking for any help. I have been limited and much poorer since I was robbed.
Now I ask you. Would you like to help me to find my tools? And would you help the people of the DRC so they get a better life? We live in a rich country but we do not have tools that allow us to transform the country’s wealth to the welfare of the people.
Would you like to work for the robbing not to continue? Then everything could get much better in the Congo. Please contact us and come up with ideas.
Best regards Simon
Hej Simon!
Sedan kyrkomötet 2010 och seminariet på Folkhögskolan i Karlskoga har jag försökt på olika sätt att få till ett samarbete för ett “Handelshus”. Där FN EU DRCongo samarbetar med de lokala kyrkorna som är nära befolkningen. Margot Wallström, Svenska FN-förbubdet och vår förre missionsföreståndare Göran Zettergren gillade tankarna och delegerade till Bertil Svensson, yttre missionens “bord”. Det rör sig sakta men Boråsmötet 24 september gav många positiva kontakter. 14 oktober skall jag träffa några grupper i Stockholm och diskutera hur vi går vidare.
Grundtanken är spårbarhet, GPS- streckkoder som visar ursprunget, och att kunna följa godset, som ett paket i Sverige. Säkerställer om möjligt vem som skall ha betalningen. Vi får vänta till eftervalet och se vad som händer i det. Apel och Motorola har slutat att köpa plundrings Coltan när det uppdagades att de inte följde affärsreglerna, det står stilla nu enligt uppgift.
Lite kortfattat vad som rör sig, men hur långt kommer vi, viktigt att hjälpa de utsatta kvinnorna i östra delen av landet. Samarbeta med PMUInterLife, Panzskisjukhuset, Dorkas och vidareutbildning i logistik-ekonomi?
Hälsningar
Jan-Olof Karlsson Karlskoga
Hej igen Simon!
När jag skickat min kommentar såg jag att det blivit fel månad för träffen i Stockholm!
14e november är det!
/Jan-Olof