Situation in the Congo

I am over 4 weeks into my running plan. So far, I have run 83 miles of the 216 I hope to run in 12 weeks, so I am ahead of the goal. One of my favorite runs has been through downtown Denver--while on a business trip. I ran out to Invesco Field at Mile High, where the Broncos play, from downtown Denver. Most of this run was along the South Platte river, which also runs near my hometown.

You can track my progress here.  Eighteen miles a week has proven more difficult than I originally thought, but it's also been fun. Thank you to everyone who has donated to this cause. I'm grateful for your support and you've given me added motivation.  By the way my fundraising page is here.

I also want to write a little more about the reason for my fundraising and tell you a bit about the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I remember distinctly that one of the reasons for my interest in Africa in general was an article I read in Christianity Today--sometime in the early 2000's. It told the story of  a doctor in the DRC, and that story has stuck with me.

The current conflict in the DRC is the most violent event since WWII. I couldn't find the original article I read so many years ago, but here is a Christianity Today blog post that tells the story.

Did you know that the median age in the Congo is around 16? That means that most likely, you'd already be dead. It is even worse for women--more than two-thirds of women have been raped. This is why I run:  to build awareness (for myself and others) for the plight of the people in the DRC--a situation I wouldn't wish upon anyone.

The Congo was originally colonized by Belgium. During that time it was abused for slaves and rubber.  Now, the DRC is the 12th largest country (18th by population) and it has the second lowest Human Development Index score (right behind Zimbabwe). For many years, it was called Zaire. And, it is not to be confused with it's neighbor to the north, the Republic of Congo.  Both take their names from the Congo River, the second largest in the world.

Here are some interesting pictures celebrating the DRC's 50th anniversary of freedom from Belgium:
In pictures: The DR Congo at 50

Some recent news articles about the DRC:
DR Congo colonel Kibibi Mutware jailed for mass rape
Unesco: Conflict robs 28 million children of education
Congo's east - Still smuggling New DR Congo centre for rape victims opens
DR Congo: Six killed in 'coup bid' against Kabila

Finally, here is a map showing the development index of various countries. Pay special attention to the the black color--these countries are lowest on the scale.

UN_Human_Development_Report_2010 map