So I left a bit of suspense with regard to this story unintentionally, but I’m finally getting around to filling in the details. More »
The Congo River apart from being the transportation and economic lifeblood of much of the DRC is also a great source of fun!! We took the day off for a nice cruise on the river and a picnic lunch on a white sandbar/island. As we were hanging out, jumping off the “cliffs” and generally relaxing, a big boat with a live band and dancers landed on the island. Congolese preformers came ashore and preformed drumb and dance routines for a group of businessmen starting up a new cell phone company. We joined in watching, and dancing, of course!
The money will run out in Zimbabwe in two weeks. Not just from one person’s pocket, or a family’s savings, or a bank’s reserves, but the in flow of actual paper money in the country will stop.
Did the IMF and World Bank finally find a way to halt the hyperinflation that has been a hallmark of the once-strong, now ravaged, Zimbabwean economy? Did Mugabe finally learn his economics lesson? More »
So, I realized that there was a lot that I’ve been doing that didn’t seem suitable to writing about. In a country many people won’t ever get to visit, it seems one should report on compelling current events, poignant historical processes, women’s worrying woes, or at least, telling tales of terrible tensions. But, in reality, my experience here so far has been quite pleasant. I read any articles I can about what’s going on in the country (especially the conflict in the East) and, of course, my work on reintegrating ex-combatant has all to do with conflict and strife, but that’s only half the story! I will travel to the East soon and I’m sure have more to say on such things then, but in the meantime, I feel sometimes like I’m on an all-expenses-paid-vacation (that is the new preferred term for “internship”) in Kinshasa.
But, now, is that really such a bad thing?? More »
“I used to have a home with a room and a bed, a porch and a driveway and a big garage, but then I traded it in . . .” (Kate is Great, The Bouncing Souls) More »
My first trip out of Kinshasa was down a long paved road. Past the huge soccer stadium built by the Chinese, past a huge column with weird ramp-like things coming out of it (supposedly an unfinished highway intersection point, Mobutu had intended to build), past the brand new hospital built by the famous Congolese basketball player, past the land that was once pineapple plantations (Mobutu did manage to build those) now just overgrown, past the airport, past the ubiquitous tin shacks with people selling all manner of things, past a little market with fresh fish and antelope tied in bundles of green leaves and roasted over the fire, to a sign that said: tourist attraction. . . More »
36 billion sold a year across Africa, for an average cost of 20-30 cents each. The largest private sector employer in Africa and tied to 1% of South Africa’s economy. Global boss grew up, barefoot, in Zambia and the Africa director is from Liberia. It’s been operating in Africa since 1928 and got plants in Eritrea, Somalia and Zimbabwe (although they’re not really producing much at the moment). And now they’re saying sales numbers are a good indicator of stability and prosperity. More »
“Assuming an average annual 5.3% economic growth rate, it will take until 2060 for the DRC to reach the level of GDP per capita it had in 1960.”
For comparison, see 
pictures of DRC in the 70s
*Francisco Goya knew this long ago . . . Los desastres de la guerra
So . . . it turns out the most expensive city in the world actually is not London, not New York, but . . .:Luanda, Angola! Interestingly, Africa bosts both the highest and lowest cost cities! (RE: my earlier post, Juba wasn’t on their research list so the jury is still out)
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With the return of summer and free time, I’ve found myself listening more to NPR. As such, I have a few show recommendations, all available as podcasts:
APM: Marketplace describes itself as a “money show for the rest of us.” In other words, you don’t need to have a finance specialization or economic background to listen to the show. Though having a basic economic background definitely gets your head churning. The last show on 6/20 talked about China’s attempt to lower oil demand. I found myself thinking why it would and wouldn’t work. Overall, it’s a clever show that provides a daily summary of national and international economic events. For those hardcore, I would also recommend Marketplace Morning Report. The morning show is under 8 minutes and provides slightly better coverage of international market events.
KCRW’s Left, Right & Center is a weekly news roundup that discusses American politics. Unlike other the talking head format, where the discussion can be tedious at best, and devolve into a yelling match, “Left, Right, & Center” attempts to provide a fair and balance discussion of current events. The discussions are always engaging and the differing views are “refreshing.”
I stumbled upon WBUR’s On Point with Tom Ashbrook when my friend sent me a link to their show about Rwanda Rebirth. As a non-expert on Africa, I found the show engaging and better than some articles about Africa in the Economist. I haven’t been listening to it that long, but the show appears to be two hours long and divided into two segments. Today’s show talked about War and Peace in Afghanistan while the second hour had the founder of Maxim Magazine talking about how ruthless and getting rich go hand and hand.