The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a beautiful region in southern Africa. Much of the country is low-lying plateau with a rain forest climate. The people living in the remote river villages of this area face the challenges of extreme poverty and very limited access to quality health care.

For more than thirteen years, Rivers of the World (ROW) has been active in seeing that the people of these villages have improved access to vitamins, immunizations and quality medical care. To accomplish that objective, in January of 2007, ROW launched the “Mama Mickie,” a steel-bottomed ship which allows for the transport of educational materials and medical supplies to the inhabitants of the river villages.

In order to gain access to villages that lie along the more narrow tributaries of the rivers, smaller zodiac boats are needed to transport people and supplies to and from the Mama Mickie. In 2007, IHSF secured the resources to acquire three of these zodiac boats.

IHSF continues to support ROW in monitoring the needs of the underserved in this region, and in bringing quality health care to those in need in the Congo.
In April 2009. ROW’s Congo-Kasai Chapter (ROW-CK) committed to fund the roof repairs for Institut Medical Chretien du Kasai (IMCK), the area’s major referral hospital, which has been badly damaged by rain and wind.  The roof is in need of repairs totaling $14,375 to prevent further building damage and possible loss of medical supplies and equipment stored within. 

In June 2009, Dekalb Medical Center director, Dr. John Kennedy travelled as part of a ROW mission team, to perform surgery at Good Shepherd Hospital in Tshikaji.

In 2011, IHSF participated as part of a team in support of repairing and upgrading the Mama Mickie, so that she can return to the waters of the Congo to fulfill her mission.  IHSF plans to visit the Congo in 2012, in order to directly assess current medical needs and continue to work in support of ongoing efforts in this country.

If you’re interested in knowing more, or would like to help support ROW in their ongoing work in the Congo, please visit www.row.org.