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Zaire (R.D. Congo) (1990-1991)
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Congo
: | 1990,
my first job abroad ! | |
Left,
my classroom ( which was destroyed later by a tornado );
Right, my 16 little
creeps and me on my Jeep Willys.
Jambo Bwana !After
one year of preparation ( during my last year of College ), I had been selected
to go teach in Goma, Zaire ( now "République Démocratique du Congo"
). |
| First
Trip...Having packed all my stuff, I said "goodbye"
and took a plane to Kigali, Rwanda, where I landed one day after the Pope Jean-Paul
II. Another, way smaller "plane" ( hem ) took me across the country,
which I had the chance to admire through the holes in the plane's body ( the windows
where too dirty to see any of the 1,000 hills ). After the
miraculous landing, Patrick Lumes, a great Frenchie, picked me up and we crossed
the border to arrive in Goma, the same day as Mr. Mobutu and Mr. Mandela... |
Ecole Privée à Programme Belge de GomaTwo
days later ( instead of the ten days scheduled ), I found myself in front of
16 first graders ( instead of the fourth graders I was supposed to have
and for which I had brought 80 lbs of materials ). We spent a wonderful year,
9 nationalities being one of the most interesting assets you can have in a classroom. The
friendship, the help and the good advice of Danielle Lebecq often allowed me to
cope with the little events we had : civil war, lootings, a
tornado destroying my classroom while I was in with the kids (no injuries),
earthquake, volcano eruption...
A beautiful country...
Nicknamed the "Grenier du
Zaïre" (Zaire's Attic) since everything
grows there without problem, food is cheap and abundant.
I often took my "beau tracteur rouge"
(my Jeep) to go see the wildlife, fish, or visit
the gorillas in the hills of Djomba.
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Pure
happiness ? |
Supposed to do my military service in
Belgium, I left reluctantly. I finally didn't have to
enroll, but if I had not left in a nice commercial plane,
I would have had to evacuate one month later in a C-130
with all the others...
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Page créée le 13 juin 1997 - Mise à jour le 13 juin 1997
©opyright 1997-2007
Pierre Gieling - tous droits réservés
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