gorilla.cd
Protecting the Mountain Gorillas of Virunga
Life at the Ranger Refugee Camp
Yesterday afternoon I was at the camp with Diddy, checking on our Rangers and their families. The water situation is now under control, and we have not had another outbreak of cholera since Friday. We had a drainage problem, and lots of water was accumulating and attracting insects (and disease would follow), but that is now fixed.
I saw Kalvanda, the Ranger who was so badly beaten by the military that he couldn’t walk last week. He is doing so much better and you only recognize him because he is still wearing the same shirt! You can see for yourself in the photo below (his wife is in the background with one of their children) and the photos from yesterday’s blog post of when we finally were able to get him to a clinic.
I also saw Alphonse, the Ranger who rode his bicycle all the way from Rumangabo. He is pretty happy to be in Goma.
And another baby has been born! She was born on Sunday, in the makeshift shelter at the camp, and is the daughter of Sami, a Ranger who was also forced to flee Rumangabo.
So life goes on. We continuously need to monitor the welfare of our Rangers and their families. The area is cramped, and it rains every afternoon with huge force which makes you think the camp is going to be washed away!
But thanks to all of your donations, we are able to feed the Rangers and their families, provide adquate sanitation, and also essential medical care.
Leave a Reply
-
RECENT DONATIONS
- 17 May 2012Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 8 $ - 17 May 20125 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 40 $ -
17 May 2012Ranger Boots
Helen Y 8 $ -
17 May 20125 x Ranger Boots
Ingrid G 40 $ - 17 May 20125 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 40 $ -
17 May 20125 x Ranger Boots
Rudi S 40 $ - 17 May 201210 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 80 $ - 17 May 20123 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 24 $ - 17 May 2012 Guarding a Gorilla
Unregistered Donor 10 $ - 16 May 2012Monthly Support
Unregistered Donor 50 $ - 16 May 2012Support Andre and the Gorilla Orphans
Unregistered Donor 10 $ - 16 May 2012Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 8 $ - 16 May 20122 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 16 $ - 16 May 20123 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 24 $ - 16 May 2012Support for Orphan Mountain Gorillas
Unregistered Donor 10 $ - 16 May 2012Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 8 $ - 16 May 20125 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 40 $ - 16 May 20122 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 16 $ -
16 May 20125 x Ranger Boots
Laura S 40 $ -
16 May 2012Ranger Boots
Marcus B 8 $ - 16 May 2012Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 8 $ - 16 May 20124 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 32 $ - 16 May 20122 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 16 $ - 16 May 20125 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 40 $ - 16 May 2012 Multiple items
Unregistered Donor 70 $ - 16 May 2012Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 8 $ - 16 May 20125 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 40 $ - 16 May 20122 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 16 $ - 16 May 2012Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 8 $ - 16 May 20123 x Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 24 $ - 16 May 2012Open donation
Pete W 1.000 $ - 16 May 2012Ranger Boots
Unregistered Donor 8 $ -
15 May 2012Protecting Park Area 215
Bob V 25 $ -
15 May 20123 x Support for Ranger Widows
Marlene Z 45 $ - 15 May 2012 Multiple items
Bob V 50 $ - 15 May 2012Support the Gorilla Orphans
Unregistered Donor 10 $ - 15 May 20122 x Widows and Rangers Fund
Unregistered Donor 60 $ - 15 May 2012Open donation
Unregistered Donor 100 $ - 15 May 2012Protecting Park Area 137
Unregistered Donor 25 $ -
15 May 2012Support the Gorilla Orphans
Lisa T 10 $ - 15 May 2012Widows Emergency Fund
Unregistered Donor 20 $ - 15 May 2012Open donation
Unregistered Donor 25 $ - 15 May 20122 x Widows Emergency Fund
Unregistered Donor 40 $ - 15 May 2012Widows Emergency Fund
Unregistered Donor 20 $ - 14 May 2012Widows Emergency Fund
Unregistered Donor 20 $ - 14 May 2012Monthly Support
Unregistered Donor 25 $ -
14 May 2012Support Andre and the Gorilla Orphans
Lou W 25 $ - 14 May 2012Open donation
Lou W 25 $ -
14 May 2012Open donation
Michael A 100 $ - 14 May 2012Protecting Park Area 43
Unregistered Donor 25 $
- 17 May 2012Ranger Boots
-
-
News from Congo- Congo: General Indicted in '03 for Using Child Soldiers Is at It Again, Report ... - New York Times
- Greenpeace: Congo Government Complicit in Timber Violations - Voice of America
- Vodacom May Lose Congo Shares as Court Orders June Sale - BusinessWeek
- Prosecutor: Congo suspects are guilty as charged - Fox News
- Falconets Off to Congo DR - AllAfrica.com
- Message from the Congo tailored for Alaska - Homer News
- Taste of Africa Fashion Show at IMA will benefit school in the Congo - Indianapolis Star
- Group: Congo general recruiting children again - STLtoday.com
- ICC Prosecutors Say Congo Leaders Guilty of Village Massacre - AllAfrica.com
- Congo Police Investigate Former PM for Corruption - Voice of America
This website was funded by the European Union and the Prince Bernard Nature Fund.
16 Responses to “Life at the Ranger Refugee Camp”
It is nice to see a big smile despite all this tragedy….
Its great to have some good news! Many congrats to Sami and his wife of the new born! My thoughts are with all of you all the time.
Great to be able to see the camp and the new baby. Congratulations to mum & dad! I agree, Virginia, lovely to see a big Congolese smile.
Au nom du staff de Gorilla Organization nous présentons nos félicitations au couple Sami et encourageons l’ICCN dans ses inlassables efforts et croyons que demain sera meilleur.
courage et hardons confiance à une paix proche
[...] Description of life in a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “Yesterday afternoon I was at the camp with Diddy, checking on our Rangers and their families. The water situation is now under control, and we have not had another outbreak of cholera since Friday.” Posted by Ndesanjo Macha Print Version Share This [...]
Hello Innocent! Please tell Sami and his wife that I wish their beautiful baby daughter a long and very happy life. Take care, Iris
Hi Innocent, I’m with Virginia. It is so nice to see Ranger Alphonse’s big beautiful smile, in the midst of such turmoil. I continue to spread the word to friends and family regarding what is going on there. I’m glad to hear that donations are helping. Congratulations to Sami and his wife on the birth of their daughter. Lisa
And what a smile. Quite frankly these guys are just amazing. Their resilience is admirable and their attitude to all of this chaos is incredible. Thank you from me for your continuing support. Fighting has just kicked off again up in Rutshuru, north of Rumangabo. Diddy is worried because his family of course is in Kiwanja, just north of there. Congo PM apparently now coming to town…
These guys are amazing. Stuck in tents far from home and yet he is full of the good news. Resilient, resourceful and remarkable. Congratulations to Sami and his wife. What a miracle!!!
Yes, news from Kiwanja, where 38 of our rangers have taken refuge, is not good. Renewal of armed combat with a lot shelling. We’re hoping it doesn’t spread
Samantha — were you guys ever able to check out the Shelter Box info I sent along…seems like this could help the rangers out immensely if the program were available to you.
Congratulations to Sami and his wife for their beautiful daughter! I pray for her to have a long, happy and safe life.
Count me in on all the well wishers……….stay safe everyone..and I hope to god the animals are safe!
Hi Christine - I did check out Shelter Box and it looks very helpful (I liked the thermal blankets especially) and comprehensive. I need to go back to the site again and figure out costs and how the boxes would get here. I am pretty sure I have never seen these boxes before here - but I really need to contact them. Thank you for reminding me. Will let you know the outcome.
Thank you Innocent for these photographs. Which pleasure of seeing that Kalvana can circulate with bicycle… after its ill treatment. A beautiful joy also of seeing this little sister of Sami arrived among you. All my congratulations to the parents and all my wishes of happiness to the new born.
Here I was reading and frowning and worrying, scanning down the blog posts. When suddenly, I saw the smiling faces of the rangers at the refugee camp. What a great lesson to see the joy and new life in the midst of the chaos and destruction. Thank you for showing the best of the human spirit. Smiles and joy are infectious. If you all can smile, so can I!