A Day in the Life of a Welder in the Congo

I’m Dan Reany, and I travel the world bringing back stories of the good CBN does in people’s lives.  I have a Master’s in anthropology and I love meeting new people and learning about different cultures.

I’ve battled among the Masai, seen earthquake aftermath in Haiti, and walked the shepherds’ fields of the Holy Land.

Now I want to spend at least 24 hours with some of the families we help.  I want to work with them, eat with them, and understand firsthand what they go through, struggling to survive … One Day at a Time.

On the outskirts of Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I toured a children’s home, which is supported by CBN’s Orphan’s Promise.  That’s where I met Mbuta, a young man who was one of the first orphans raised by Mama Georgette.

Mbuta works as a welder, and volunteered weeks of his time to build all the doors and windows for the school at the children’s home.

I wanted to find out more about Mbuta’s life, so I asked him to show me where he lives.  He led me down through the neighborhood, and took me to a small apartment building where he rents a single room.  He offered me a cold drink, and we talked.

“When I was a small boy both of my parents died,” Mbuta said.  “When I was 14 I came to the children’s home and life way very good.  I had good food, enough clothes and I could go to school and church.

As the heat of the day passed, Mbuta told me it was time  to get to work.  I was shocked to see the equipment he uses.  Bare wires, bad connections, and 210 volts of danger.  I nicknamed his welder “Electric Mayhem.”

“The homemade welder is the only kind I can afford,” he said.  “It works, but it is not very powerful.  And it overheats a lot and has to be fixed all the time.  I rent my grinder and some other equipment.  There are other things I need, like gloves and shoes, but I don’t have enough money for them.

Mbuta said he’s saving every penny he can because he wants to get married.  His fiancé, Yuyu, is an apprentice at her aunt’s dress shop, right across the street from Mbuta’s welding yard.

When I saw her it was love at first sight,” Mbuta said.  “She is very pretty, but what I like most about her is that she is very kind, and a good Christian.  I know we will have a good life together.”

“Mbuta is not like other boys,” Yuyu said.  “He is a follower of Christ and he treats me with respect.  He’s a hard worker.  He will be a good husband.”

Mbuta and I worked on a door together that day.  His rented grinder wasn’t working, so he cut all the pieces by hand.  

Lunch was simple, just a few pieces of bread and some soda.  While we ate, he told me more about how he grew up.

“When both my parents died, I went to live with my uncle,” he said.  “He had many wives and children, and couldn’t take care of me.  I had nothing.”

He ran away to find a better life, but wound up living in the street.  “I had no home and I slept on the ground.  It was a very sad time.”

One day, someone told him about the children’s home that had opened just outside the city.  “When I was 14 I came to live at the children’s home and life was good.  I had food, and nice clothes, and I could go to school and church.”

After lunch, we got back to the project. Mbuta had the grinder working again, so things were a little easier.  But I still wanted to do something about Electric Mayhem, so a few days later, I went into the city.  

Mbuta is the kind of person I love to help.  You can just tell he has a really good heart, and genuinely cares about other people.  And he’s a hard worker.  So I know that with just a little hand up, he won’t stop at building a good life for himself and Yuyu.  He’ll continue to help others.  His family will be better off for generations to come, and so will the community.

Back at Mbuta’s welding yard, he had no idea what was about to happen.  We gave him a new, heavy duty welder and welding equipment.

And we had one last surprise for him to present to Yuyu, a sewing machine of her own.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Mbuta said.  “With these blessings I know Yuyu and I have a bright future ahead of us.  I can’t thank you enough and I hope God will bless you more!”