Congo
Lekoumou District, Congo
Students around the world cultivate gardens – not only for their lunches, but also as laboratories for learning. In Lekoumou District, these hands-on activities are a welcome contrast to classroom lectures that can be crowded with more than 100 students. In their gardens, students see biology, geography, math, social studies, and other subjects come to life. Parents, too, are pleased that their children are learning practical skills that contribute to the family’s food security. Here, primary school girls patiently await their turn to plant vegetables that will nourish their bodies, minds, and souls. “The classroom is like a prison,” one student noted. “In the garden we are free.”
– Mary Crave ©2007
Congo/Republique du Congo
In central western Africa along Equator; bordering South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon; southwest coastal plain, the interior a central plateau between basins to south and north; 342,000 km2 (slightly < MT), 1.5% arable.
Capital Brazzaville (pop est. 0.6M)
Population 4.2M (100/km2)
Life expectancy 55 years
HIV/AIDS 3.4%
Literacy 84%
Languages French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of these Kikongo is most widespread)
Religions Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Ethnic Groups Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M’Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%
Gov’t Republic
GDP/cap $4,200
PCVs 1991-97, agriculture, environment, health (Total volunteers to date: 139)
Nat’l holiday Independence Day, 15 August (1960)
Adult Books
Blood River: The Terrifying Journey Through The World's Most Dangerous Country
by Tim Butcher
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Grove Press; Reprint edition (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0802144331
Book Description
A journalist undertakes a hazardous African trip in 2004, traveling from Lake Tanganyika to the Atlantic Ocean via the Congo River. Delivers an unblinking firsthand portrait of contemporary Congo.
Kids' Books
Monkey For Sale
by Sanna Stanley
Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
ISBN: 978-0374350178
Interest Level: PreK-3
Age Range: 2–9 years
Publisher: Frances Foster Books, c2002
Films
Film: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death
Director: (2004)
Music
Focus Word
Focus Word for 2012 - "Freedom"
French: liberté (li-burr-tay)
|
|
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Wisconsin-Madison is a public charity registered under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States. Its EIN is 39-1669348. It is also an affiliate group of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA).
|
||
