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FROM THE FIELD

An End to the Daily Grind
09 Sep 2009 14:10:00 GMT
 Source: World Emergency Relief (WER) - UK
Corinne Scotland

Website: Website: http://www.wer-uk.org

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Before the electric mill, women in Murungu would spend days grinding corn.
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Before the electric mill, women in Murungu would spend days grinding corn.
World Emergency Relief UK

Background

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•  AIDS pandemic

•  Food and hunger

•  Health and diseases

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A simple electric grinding mill means that hundreds of women like Nabulungi, don't have to spend days grinding corn. The mill is just one of a range of projects that, step by step, are transforming Murungu, one of the poorest regions in Eastern Congo.

Murungu is a small, isolated village, half a day's travel from the nearest surfaced road. Life in the village is simple but hard. Meeting basic needs such as food and safe water is labour-intensive.

So a recent development in the local community, an electric-run grinding mill, has been warmly welcomed. This simple device has completely changed the lot of the women of Murungu, who would otherwise have to grind corn with a pestle and mortar for days, causing painful calluses, broken skin and back problems.

For Nabulungi, the arrival of the new grinding mill has brought great happiness. Previously, when she had to grind corn using the heavy pestle and mortar, she would wake up feeling angry and distressed. She would have to take her young child down to the grinding site and after several days she would have ground enough corn only for a small amount of bread. Aching, sore and frustrated, Nabulungi would have to repeat the process day after day.

But thanks to WERs supporters, Nabulungi can now face grinding corn for her family with a smile on her face.

Now, within seconds rather than several days, corn can be ground into flour. For just 50 Congo Francs (that's 3 pence) and in less than 5 minutes, a kilo of corn can be ground into fine grained flour. This flour can be made into bread for the orphans, teachers, men and women in the community, but it can also sold to make profits, that go directly back into the orphanage.

"This mill has made such a difference to my life," said Nabulungi. "I used to feel so angry when the time came to grind the corn, it was such difficult work and so painful. Now I can spend more time with my family and my hands no longer look like my feet."

WER has been supporting the development of Murungu for 3 years through our local partners African Revival Ministries (ARM). In addition to the electric mill Murungu now has a school for 230 pupils, an orphanage called the Emmanuel Centre and a sewing and literacy programme that provides vocational education for windows.

The local community will benefit immensely from the new mill. Not only can women now more easily provide food for their children but the mill will ensure an income to support the orphans.


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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