The gynecology & maternity ward of the hospital of Mindouli. Only women in the last month of pregnancy were allowed to use the beds.
Family living in the abandoned surgery room of a hospital that had been deserted during the civil war.
Nearly fully recovered malnutrition patients receive instruction on hygiene and health.
Water, the most important commodity in the hospital and in our daily life, is drawn off water pipes connected to a distant water source. It is chlorinated before being used.
The only shower in the hospital. The facility was in bad condition and unclean.
The clinic ‘waiting room.’ Flip-flops and empty bottles serve as numbering tickets.
Friends and relatives attending patients settle in the shelter provided for them.
Communal kitchen. There is also a washhouse. Both are kept clean at all times. A facility to treat sewerage in three stages has also been installed.
Shelter for friends and relatives who were attending patients. The shelter was built using local techniques so that the locals could later maintain and repair the facility themselves.
Measles vaccination project. A 2-hour jeep ride brought us to this location in the jungle.
Staff fixing old and broken beds. Without electricity and tools, successful repair depended on the creativity of the staff.
Kitchen of the CNT (Nutritional Therapy Center). Here, gruel with added nutritional value and other meals appropriate for malnutrition patients are prepared. Gathering firewood for the cooking stove is an essential part of daily work.
Completed shelter; kitchen under construction.
The floor of the repaired hospital is coated with green tennis court paint. This creates a surface that can be easily cleaned and disinfected which decreases the danger of droplet infection.
Recycled beds are brought into the hospital ward.
Recycled beds in the newly repaired hospital ward.
Nightclub in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
Once a month, we left the jungle to meet other NGOs for discussion in Brazzaville, and to explore the city. While dancing, I was soon surrounded by four young women. Quite intimidating!
Our team of carpenters. They did an excellent job. When I was absent, the presence of my T-Shirt kept the workers in good spirits.
This picture is a rare snapshot: it shows members of the ninja guerilla, a rebel movement that has for years battled the government. These members may be ranking among the top six of the guerilla. It took some time until they trusted me. They believed that their soul would be stolen if they were photographed, but after playing around with my digital camera and seeing their own pictures, they were convinced otherwise. There are various tales and legends surrounding the ninja. Western institutions dread them for their unpredictability and violence.
The jungle’s ‘pub.’ In order to make palm wine, palm sap is collected in the morning by tapping trees. The sap tastes sweet when fresh, but undergoes a rapid fermentation and turns into an alcoholic beverage within a few hours. The wine didn’t seem very strong to me, but our staff got drunk in no time. The power of socializing over a good drink is universal.