When I was greeting friends after church on Sunday, an older and smaller female friend stopped me. She looked up straight into eyes, held my arms at the elbow, and asked me a very serious question. Why the Congo People DON'T have safe drinking water? I was shocked by question.... Continue reading

"No longer drink only water, but take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments." Is beer an acceptable substitute for wine in Congo? Continue reading

This morning while it was raining, I decided to see how my neighbors were catching rainwater. It was not a question, if they were catching rainwater but how were they catching rainwater. Woody M. Collins President Congo Helping Hands "Safe Water for the Other Half" 8170 Hague Road Indianapolis, IN 46256-1649 +1 317 698 7643 (USA) (WhatsApp) +243 812813597 (DR Congo) http://www.CongoHelpingHands.org FOLLOW CHH on Facebook: CongoHelpingHands FOLLOW ME on Facebook: WoodyCollins FOLLOW CHH on Instagram: Congohh FOLLOW ME on Instagram: Woody.Collins SUBSCRIBE ME with YouTube: http://YouTube.com/woodycollins SUBSCRIBE CHH with YouTube: CongoHelpingHands.tv Continue reading

Seasons in Congo are defined as either the rainy season or the dry season. In fact, there are four seasons, but two rainy seasons and two dry seasons. I was told on Saturday, April 23, by a Congolese that the current rainy season will end in 20 days. I'm going to have to get the dates and program then into my calendar. The significance of the end of the rainy season means that our frequent rains will stop. And they say the demand for water will skyrocket. Therefore, our automated water dispensing system by Lorentz SmartTaps will be put to... Continue reading

You all have a blessed week. I'm flying to the interior of Congo. And my work begins tomorrow repairing components of a water system in Kananga. Woody M. Collins President Congo Helping Hands "Safe Water for the Other Half" Indianapolis, IN 46256-1649 Continue reading

I am dealing with a similar situation in Kinshasa, the capital city of Congo. I arrived on Wednesday. My work site is 400+ miles away. I was hoping for a Friday flight to Kananga but was told Saturday when I purchased my ticket. Almost immediately, the flight was cancelled to Sunday. And Saturday evening, it was cancelled to Monday. No word Sunday, so I'm going to the airport Monday morning without any certainty of the flight. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2022/04/10/jetblue-spirit-flight-cancellations/9532955002/ Continue reading

https://youtube.com/shorts/SlqAOPhl-qM?feature=share Woody M. Collins President Congo Helping Hands "Safe Water for the Other Half" Continue reading

Congo Helping Hands will be installing the four Lorentz SmartTap dispensers in two health clinics located in Kananga, DR Congo. I am excited by the project because it’s innovative using new technology to help solve the problems of accountability and sustainability. Here’s how it will be operated. Water customers will... Continue reading

If you are like me, you plan out your home repair or improvement project. Afterwards, you go over to the nearest The Home Depot and Lowes stores to purchase the necessary equipment and supplies. Then you realize after starting your project you forgot something. Oops, you go back to the... Continue reading

U.S. Imposes Visa Restrictions on Wildlife Traffickers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 12/13/2021 12:29 PM EST Ned Price, Department Spokesperson The Department of State is disrupting wildlife trafficking networks by imposing visa restrictions on eight nationals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). These actions under section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which targets wildlife and timber traffickers who are believed to be, or have been, complicit in or involved in trafficking in wildlife, wildlife parts, or products. Wildlife trafficking is a serious transnational crime that threatens national security, economic prosperity, the rule of... Continue reading

One of the modern water systems is not functional. But sadly, that’s the story across Congo and other countries of sub saharan Africa. What’s a key factor to make them more sustainable? No one knows since there's NOT a precise silver bullet or magic blue print or grand master plan.... Continue reading

The defining criteria to achieve “Basic” drinking water service is the time required to go and collect water and bring it back to the household for consumption. The time period is 15 minutes, that is, depart the house and return to the house in 15 minutes. And it includes the... Continue reading

In Kananga, I THINK the majority of people who consume the water are not the people who get the water. That is, the typical woman who is standing in line at the water source is probably a poorer, younger woman who is inkling out a meager daily living for her... Continue reading

Congo is a cash currency society. Cash currency is the only way to do business. Even in the capital city of Kinshasa, a city of nine million, only a few merchants who cater to the expat community accept debit cards, credit cards, or mobile money. However, we will encourage our... Continue reading

Within Congolese cities and towns, families are learning to pay for water. Even, we, in the US and Europe, have had to learn that message, too. Many apartment dwellers did not realize that municipal water suppliers charged the building owners for water. It is more common for electricity to be... Continue reading

What’s in for the women and girls? I must define and explicitly state the benefits to women and girls. That's the difference between success and failure of this project. I can readily see the benefits to me, the health center, my organization and the sponsoring organization. For me, the main... Continue reading

Another new and critical person will be Water Manager or Water Manager Assistant. There will be one Water Manager and one Water Manager Assistant for the two SmartTap sites in Kananga. In theory, I think the Water Manager and Water Manager Assistant can effectively manage many SmartTap sites once the... Continue reading

Beyond getting a Water User Committee established, we have the technological challenge of the Water Sellers trained to use a smartphone and the SmartTap app. In many ways, getting the Water Seller to use a smartphone is just as daunting. We have purchased four new smartphones for the establishment of... Continue reading

One water well located at Cerdes Health Center is ready for the installation of the Lorentz SmartTap. The water well is functioning and operating (with water sales) six days a week. The person who is selling water takes Sundays off. From a personal perspective, taking a day off once a... Continue reading

There’s more to the installation of the Lorentz SmartTaps at the first two sites located at health centers in the Kananga. Really, the installation of the Lorentz SmartTaps sounds easy. That is, the installation will be almost a regular old plumbing repair. Simply, we demolish the existing concrete water stand... Continue reading

With just one month to go, I am beginning to feel the pressure. Also, I am second guessing myself for the decision not to return to Congo in November as planned. The equipment was not there “as planned”. But there is always something to prevent things from happening “as planned”... Continue reading

It’s the first of December 2021, and it’s going to be an interesting month. One, it is my birthday month and I will be 69 years old. Second, the Omicron variant is the top world news item. Finally, and third, it is a month before going back to the Congo... Continue reading

Just where have I been since late May. The short answer is, I have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I was working on water projects. #Congo #water https://youtu.be/IpZB3ypfHZo Continue reading

Do you know Statistics, Germ Theory, Epidemiology, Decision Making, Propaganda and the Status Quo, Semiotics and Indoctrination, the Mechanics of Global Weather, Network Effects, and Artificial Intelligence? There's a few of those subjects I know a little about. It's time to hit the books again! Tools for modern citizens It has taken us by surprise, but in our current situation, when everyone has more of a voice and more impact on the public than ever before, it suddenly matters. You wouldn’t take your car to a mechanic who didn’t know how to fix a car, and citizens, each of us,... Continue reading

In August 2021, I visited a classroom where Congolese students were talking their final examination for the year. I was shocked! Continue reading