These two are intractably linked here in Congo.\u00a0 The ongoing story of W clearly illustrates the connection.<\/p>\n
About two months ago W was arrested, allegedly for allowing or helping a prisoner at the military prison get out and go to the market to buy some food.\u00a0 Yes, the prisoners aren\u2019t fed by the prison, but by their family members or, in this case, being able to convince someone to let them out to get some food.\u00a0 We\u2019re connected to the case because W is the son of our gardener, G.\u00a0 W graduated from high school a couple years ago and as there was not money to go on to university he got a job at the military prison.\u00a0 He is the assistant \u201cgreffier\u201d, a position that puts him third in line of responsibility after the Director and Greffier.\u00a0 His work seems to be mostly secretarial.<\/p>\n
On the day in question, W was not at the prison when the prisoner was let out.\u00a0 Nor did he even have a key to let someone out if he should want to.\u00a0 The key is held by a person below him in the prison hierarchy.\u00a0 On the day in question, a prisoner was let out and went to the market to buy food where he was recognized by a soldier who inquired about why the prisoner was out.\u00a0 The \u201cescapee\u201d was taken back to the prison, and W and the Director were arrested.<\/p>\n
The wheels of (in)justice grind slowly here.\u00a0 I forget exactly how long it was before their case was heard by the judge, maybe later August.\u00a0 A lawyer is working with them and when the case was presented to the judge, it was clear to everyone that W and the Director did not have anything to do with the prisoner getting out.\u00a0 But the surveillant has fled so can\u2019t be arrested.\u00a0 Along the way there have been delays because this or that person was out of town for several days to over a week so you sit and wait in jail.\u00a0 Three weeks ago W\u2019s dad was told that the judge asking for $400 to release them.\u00a0 The person who told him this said you can probably negotiate it down to $200.\u00a0 The Director\u2019s family was helpful in that they recognized W\u2019s innocence and offered to pay more than half.\u00a0 G and his family scrambled to find their share and next they learned that they needed to come up with the full $400 for both men.\u00a0 They raised the money and he still was not released. \u00a0 Last Friday was to be a final hearing.\u00a0 The Director is being transferred to Mbandaka where he\u2019ll be tried.\u00a0 Everyone agreed that W was innocent, but G was told that he needed to bring a large goat, or 30,000 francs, on Monday so that his son could go home. \u00a0Then on Monday he learned that it was not either\/or, but both and it had to be 40,000 francs and a large goat.<\/p>\n
Another aspect of the lost productivity part of the story is that the families of the prisoners have to bring food to the prisoner.\u00a0 And, get this, they have to either pay the guard to bring the food in or give him some of what they brought.\u00a0 The minimums they pay are 250 francs ($.27) to bring coffee in the morning and 500 francs ($.55) for the evening meal.\u00a0 Many days they pay 1,000 francs.\u00a0 And there is the time going and coming and waiting to get in.\u00a0\u00a0 This all adds up to a lot of time away from other activities for someone in the family.<\/p>\n
G himself has spent numerous hours there waiting to see this or that official or for proceedings to start.\u00a0 We haven\u2019t counted the number of days of work he has missed entirely or only been here a couple hours, all for which we have continued to pay him.\u00a0 G told me that they have sold all their chickens over the past 7 weeks.\u00a0 And this was just after he had initiated a little project amongst all the workers where every 2 weeks they would each bring a chicken and give to a selected person, thereby building up their small flock.\u00a0 G has sold all those chickens.<\/p>\n
Along the way we have pondered how should we help.\u00a0 Yes, we can put out more money, but we don\u2019t just want to be deep pockets all the time either.\u00a0 We\u2019ve helped with money twice and most recently gave the additional 30,000 francs, later increased to 40,000 francs, hoping that he would be released.<\/p>\n
The blatant injustice and corruption is appalling.\u00a0 \u201cYes, your son is innocent, he did nothing wrong; now bring me this and we\u2019ll set him free. \u00a0Oh, and bring me something else besides.\u201d\u00a0 Please pray for us as we walk alongside G during this time.\u00a0 Pray for wisdom and discernment, for creative ideas from the Spirit for how we can support him and encourage him.\u00a0 Please also pray for G and W.\u00a0 Pray that W would be released and be able to return to his family.\u00a0 Pray that the Spirit would convict the hearts of the corrupt officials who are involved.\u00a0 Pray that the Lord would be glorified through this situation.<\/p>\n