Congolese Grandpa; A Life of War, Work and Worship

By Shannon Buchbach

Evariste: doctor, drafted politician, political refugee, father, farmer and community worker. 

He once worshiped his ancestors and turned to witchcraft for healing. He has had multiple wives, many children and countless grandchildren. A man who has seen brutality inflicted upon the innocent and corrupt men rise to power, yet walked true to his beliefs. His life was transformed when he discovered God and he now preaches at every turn.  Today he is in his eighties, but he is not above climbing onto the back of a motorbike for his community development work. He is determined that his beloved nation will reach its potential.

In this gripping biography, Shannon Buchbach captures all the fascinating intrigue of Evariste’s life and the greater happenings in the Democratic Republic of Congo whilst remaining true to the tale’s personal heartbeat.  

Author proceeds go back to the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shannon Buchbach
• Release date: Sep 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9780994424228

Book preview

Acknowledgements

This book would not have been possible without the great amount of assistance I was given by friends and family. Supporters of Redefined Ministries International also offered help and, on behalf of the ministry, we give them thanks.

Thanks must be given to Anecho Innocent and Patrick Lumumba who acted as translators as Grandpa’s story was collected as well as sharing their own stories. I also thank everyone who offered us hospitality as we traveled through the places of Grandpa's story and those who shared their stories with us.

Finally, I would like to thank Grandpa who continues to walk a determined path of hope for the betterment of his nation.

From the Author

It was from Grandpa that I gained a heart for the people of the Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo). On my first visit into the Congo in 2011, God gave me a sense of homecoming upon crossing the border from north-west Uganda. It was on this trip that He used Grandpa to stir up my love for the people.

I had entered Grandpa’s country with his grandson, Anecho Innocent, to explore whether God was leading me to be part of His work there. Grandpa's love for his fellows and his passion to see his land transformed are contagious and left me little choice. I knew that the Congo had just been revealed as the home of my heart. I have never yet lived for an extended period in the Congo, but since that first trip my thoughts and prayers have been in that land.

I have been involved in establishing and working with the NGO (non-governmental organisation) Redefined Ministries International these past five years. It is a ministry based in Grandpa’s area of the DRC. As anyone involved in missions work would know, it is not always easy, particularly in its founding years, but it is the love for people like Grandpa that inspires me to continue.

It would have been hard to remain distant after he adopted me as kin. It was he who named me Nyapamitu, or Daughter of Mitu. Mitu was the founding father of their tribe. It is an honour to bear the name. On the very first day we met, he also gave me permission to call him Grandpa and it is out of fondness for him that I will refer to him by this title throughout the telling of his story.

The words and thoughts in this book come from interviews and discussions with Grandpa between 2011 and 2014 as well as interviews with a number of his family members, friends and work colleagues completed in those same years. Additional information was also gathered through written correspondence as required. It is important to remember that whilst Grandpa commentates on his society, his views may not be held by everyone in his area of Congo.

I have tried to remain true to Grandpa’s thoughts, opinions and theologising as I have found them, rather than interspersing my own views and theology into the story. This has resulted in some bias of sight when looking at larger events in DRC’s (Democratic Republic of Congo) history.

It is my hope that Grandpa's story will instill new hope for his land into your heart, whilst encouraging you through the telling of a life well lived and hard fought.

With blessings,

Shannon Buchbach

Kigali, Rwanda, 2014

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Above: This photograph of Grandpa, Innocent, and I was taken in April 2014 when I was visiting the DRC for Redefined Ministries International.

Introducing Grandpa

Old Man they call him with affection and laughter in their voices. His hands are like chiselled wood. His front teeth are chipped. His aged frame is thin under an old suit that is several sizes too big. However the intellect and purpose still displayed in his sculptured face prevents him from looking frail. His eyes still sparkle with youth and his voice is strong with determination and conviction. At eighty years of age, his only complaint after a week spending long hours on the back of a motorcycle is of slight arthritic pain in his knee joints.

Though those of his community call him Old Man, I came to know him affectionately as Grandpa and that is how I will refer to him as I tell his story. For the record, the name given to him at birth is Ukerdhogu Jalukal Evariste.

His life is one of contrasts. Grandpa has done much, and yet is poor, without coins to rub together. He played a fundamental role in building the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and yet he has been unable to build a home of his own, to the chagrin of his older children. There is no retirement for him. At the age of eighty, he still seeks to improve the Congo through his project work, counsel and medical skills. 

For one respected in the community as a man of wisdom, he sits quietly listening to those around him, content for younger men to speak their views in eagerness. It is when the young cease their flow of words that he begins preaching his opinion or dictating what action the community will take. All around him pay attention. Power reverberates in his voice; it is the voice of a natural leader. He draws people to his side because he sees the best of them and society. He also demands their best.

Grandpa has lived through many eras in the Congo, from colonial days in his youth, to manhood in war in the aftermath of Congo independence, to years in exile in nearby Uganda, to finally return to the DRC at the end of Mobutu’s dictatorship.

Grandpa’s story is woven with seeming contradictions. He shows love for his children, but has also been accused of emotional neglect. He has lived a hard life, but he continues with enthusiasm. He mourns his country’s current state of affairs, and yet rejoices in the simple pleasures life offers him. He seeks to live by the Law of the Lord, and yet spent many years entangled in the traditions of his ancestors, practising ancestral worship. He is a trained medical assistant, and yet once sought the aid of witchdoctors.

The media tells us many tales of woe – both past and present – from the DRC. It also predicts many more years of darkness to come for that land. However there is much beauty and hope within that nation and many of its people hold a strong determination to bring positive change. It is hoped that Grandpa’s story will shed light on the lives of the ordinary people living extraordinary lives within the Congo. It is also hoped that Grandpa’s story will cause the global community to once again have hope for that golden nation, which contains many treasures if one but takes the time to look.

Above: Grandpa speaking at a community meeting in Jalasiga, 2012.

Beginnings

All good tales have a historical setting, which is as interesting as its main story and Grandpa’s life is no different. We need look no further than his parents to see this.

Royalty

Grandpa recounts of how his mother, Nyalobu Alinyir Melanie, was a woman who was born in the palace of Djukoth – Yiima, Ndhama, in Theragu. She was amongst the first baptised in the church of Logo as the church was opening. There were two princesses baptised on that day, Nyalobu Melanie and her cousin-sister, Maria, both born of the palace on the same day.

(A cultural note needs to be added here before we continue. Throughout many parts of East Africa, the terms cousin-brother, uncle-brother, cousin-sister, and so on come from close extended families. A cousin is often called a brother or sister as can an uncle or aunt close in age to their niece or nephew. This makes it difficult to determine accurately the degree of relationship between family members. Hyphenating these terms assists one to follow the genealogical ties). 

Grandpa’s mother, Nyalobu Alinyir Melanie, was the aunt to the current king of Djukoth.  Her grandmother gave birth to Thamuzi, one of the former kings. Her father was Awacango, who was the brother of King Songe.

The monarchy for Grandpa’s people differs slightly from what we might be used to when considering the monarchies of Europe. With the passing of a king, his son is crowned; this part is familiar to us. The new queen, however, is not the king’s wife, but rather one of his relatives. To decide upon the queen, they consider both age and relationship to the king. So when King Songe passed away, his son, Amula Jalsinda, was to be crowned king and a daughter of the family was to be selected as queen.

King Songe had only one daughter, Maria, who had died. Nyalobu Melanie was the next female kin closest to the king in genealogy and age, and thus she was selected to be crowned queen. Grandpa was present on the day of his mother’s coronation, which occurred in 1942.

The coronation ceremony is also different to what we might imagine having watched the modern ceremonies of European kings and queens. Early in the morning, the king-in-waiting climbs on to the thatched roof of one of the village homes as the people start confessing the words of tradition.  Below the mud-brick home, many sharpened sticks have been placed and the future king is pushed from the roof. Tradition holds that if the sticks pierce the king-to-be and he passes away, then the gods did not want him as king. Nyalobu Melanie had no such test to pass; she waited below amongst her kin, watching and hoping for the king’s safe fall.

On the day of King Amula Jalsinda’s coronation in 1942, the king landed safely between the spikes. The people then gathered around the king as they walked, whilst singing, to the palace, where he took his seat on the throne. Here in the palace they continued to bless the new king, before making their way to the cultural shrine. At the shrine, the new king gained authority and was believed to gain the power to bless and curse his people.

One of the traditional roles that Nyalobu Melanie, Grandpa’s mother, took on as queen was as the traditional woman attendant. She addressed woman-specific issues, including the task of traditional midwife. She had continued her work as birth-attendant after her marriage to Grandpa’s father, Jaganda Lawrence, in Theragu. Payment for attending a birth was usually one goat, a considerable payment in that area. When Rimba Hospital opened its doors in 1952, her work declined as most women preferred to go to the new hospital, where her son had commenced his work as a medical practitioner.

Grandpa is proud of his mother’s work and sees it as one of the factors that eventually led him to a career in medicine, stating that: My mother was traditional; I was modern and worked in a hospital. He recalls how he loved attending his mother’s appointments with the women when he was young. Perhaps this is also a contributing factor to Grandpa’s respect for women as leaders and his promotion of the general rights of women in society.

All this talk of princesses and kings may sound impressive, but it was not what Grandpa remembered his mother for, or why he loved her as he did. His love for her was evident whenever he speaks of her. He recalled that: She was loving at home, social, and she did not drink alcohol. She was a very serious Catholic who would not leave her rosaries unattended. It seems that her faith also influenced Grandpa’s dedication to the Catholic traditions.

Nyalobu Melanie died in 1971. It seems like few years have passed since her death for Grandpa, even though over forty years have gone by. Grandpa was in Uganda when she passed and his actions at this time seem to haunt him. He had paid her a visit and found her in Theragu before returning to Uganda. She had wanted to go with him and he recalls that he made a mistake, telling her that he would come back and pick [her up] after two to three months, but during my absence, she died.

Early years

Grandpa was born on June 18, 1931, in the small village of Eveche, Nioka, in the far north-east of the DRC. Grandpa had a childhood that many dream of. It was filled with loving parents, mischief, outdoor adventures, a healthy dose of discipline, and siblings that doubled as co-conspirators.

Grandpa had a half-brother, named Alithum, who was twelve years older. Nyalobu Melanie had first been married to Grandpa’s uncle, who fathered Alithum before passing away. After the death of her first husband, Nyalobu Melanie married his brother, Jaganda Lawrence.  Grandpa recalls that he inherited most of his clothes as hand-me-downs from his half-brother, Alithum.

Nyalobu Melanie is reported to have cursed her first husband when he passed away – a response to deep emotions of grief and fear for her family's provision. After remarrying, it took her time to become pregnant once more and she believed this was due to her cursing. She also lost three children between Isabella and Grandpa.

When Grandpa was delivered, his mother said tame your mouth (in regards to the curse); she was telling people to manage their mouth. This became his first name, Ukerdhogu. In contrast, his middle name, Jalukal is a title of praise, meaning the child of the kingdom. The name Jalukal was given after one of the early princes, a son of the first king, Mitu. Everest, which Grandpa is most commonly called by, was the baptismal name given to him by the priests who baptised him.

Grandpa's sister, Isabella, was four years older. She died in Paidha, Uganda, in 1977, during the exile. Grandpa had a firm friendship with both Alithum and Isabella from childhood. He was especially close to Isabella because they were closer in age.

It was evident from his posture that Grandpa saw his childhood as one he can be fond of. As he began to share, his eyes grew intent and he leant forward, closer to me, as he told his childhood tales. We were standing outside what remains of the old farmhouse of the Belgian family for whom his father worked. His words drew me into his story and I began to see people I’ve never met moving around me as if they had returned as ghosts, so vivid were the memories he evoked.

Working for the Whites

Jaganda Lawrence, Grandpa’s father, worked for the whites (the Belgians), specifically for INEAC (National Institute of Agriculture of Congo-Belgium). INEAC established many beef farms in the area and also imported Australian sheep, to be raised for their wool. Animal husbandry was taught to some of the locals who worked in the organisation’s veterinary hospital, which predominately catered for farm animals.

The veterinary hospital remains today; however, it has depleted resources and its workers do not always receive payment for their efforts. There has also been pillaging of the area’s livestock in a recent tribal war – which will be discussed in more detail later – and so their focus has become repopulating the land with livestock, rather than care of sick animals. 

Jaganda Lawrence, Grandpa’s father, was employed through INEAC by a Belgian named Shafratz, on whose farm he worked, planting coffee. Grandpa recalls that his father was loved by his employer for his hard work and the respect that he offered to Shafratz.

My dad had these things: love, confidence and respect – and he advised me that, when working with the white men in that era, you had to have respect and, when he called you, you said: Yes and ran to him.

He also advised Grandpa to report early for work and, when closing work for the day, to always say farewell. This is advice that Grandpa proudly reports implementing through his time working with Belgians in Rimba Hospital before Congo’s independence.

Grandpa attributes his father’s career progression to his hard work and respect for the Belgians. Jaganda Lawrence was in charge of Shafratz’s coffee plantations as a coffee farmer; he was a kapita (or foreman) of kawa (coffee). He was also responsible for the oversight of tree planting. Today, beautiful avenues of pines trees and Australian ghost gums remain in the Nioka region. They were planted by Jaganda Lawrence and his co-workers. Their branches overhang dirt roads – some of the only pot-hole- and ridge- free roads in the area. Walking under these branches, one looks over the rolling hills of luscious green pastures that were once home to the animals of INEAC. It is easy when looking at such peaceful vistas to forget the recent history of the area. You begin to understand why the Congolese are unwavering in their belief that they live in a rich land.

Jaganda Lawrence was given both a house and a salary with his job. The workers lived together in small communities. The worker houses were set up in groupings of eight well-constructed brick houses, with an internal fireplace and chimney, windows with shutters, iron rooves, and wooden doors. Each house was constructed as a duplex, for two families to share. These houses are still lived in today, having escaped damage during the wars that have been fought since the country’s independence. Jaganda Lawrence concentrated all his time and efforts into his work; in his life, he never came to own land or property.

Alithum, Grandpa’s half-brother, followed his father into a career working as a coffee farmer for INEAC. Whilst Grandpa attributes his heart for coffee farming to his father’s occupation, he chose to farm his own plantation and did not farm coffee for the Belgians. Jaganda Lawrence had loved coffee and said that it was a good crop; it was he who directed Grandpa to first plant coffee on his Ladii land.  Grandpa believes that if he leaves coffee farming, he would lose part of God’s blessing in his life. He has an emotional attachment to land and agriculture, believing that wealth is sure to flow from farming endeavours.

Grandpa’s family appears to have been close to that of Jaganda’s employers, the Shafratz family, consisting of Harry Shafratz, his wife, Ashar, and their two sons, Arma and Jashafratz. Ashar served as mid-wife at Grandpa’s birth and used to give Grandpa second-hand clothes from her boys. Jashafratz, the Shafratz' second son, was born in 1929, making him close to Grandpa’s age and a ready playmate.

An event occurred in 1931 that served to further the bonds developing between employer and employee. Shafratz's