Hey! I'm sending postcards from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Home of the 5th largest river Congo River 2,920 miles (4,700 km) & more than 220 miles deep

Hey Mom! It's really big here. I would have to say it's as big as the United States.The first thing I wanted to do was go visit the Congo River. I hear it's the world's 5 th largest river. Congolese are really nice from what I see. It's really hot here, I'm guessing it's from being in the equatorial zone. Love, Sara

From the tropical place in Congo

Hey again!! Congo is looking amazing. We're having high humidity because I'm near a tropical area. What I've been told by some Congolese is that it's usually humid near the city but during May- September it's usually cold and sometimes it goes below freezing!!! I'm in Central Congo. Here it rains inches a year, but it varies. You know what else I learned from these really nice and friendly Congolese? Most of the country is in the Congo river basin!!! I'm learning many new things from them. Love, Sara

Monkeypox Greetings from Congo

Hey guys! This is going to be a sad postcard because there are so many people dying of AIDS and monkeypox. They are really lacking medical supplies throughout the country, (not even just in the town). Many people are dying not just because of medical reasons but because of the tragic accident that just happened. There was a plane crash in Goma and around 37 people died. But there are not many physicians to help people.There are not even enough people to help the people in the deadliest war for government. Its a shame people have to live with many health issues. I'm going to send you a picture of monkeypox. Love, Sara

Democratic Republic of the Congo Greetings from...

Hello again! I just came from church. Unsurprisingly, half the population is Christian. What is surprising, though, is that only 10% is Muslim! I had to hire a translator because here French is the official language. Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba, and Kiswahili are the other languages spoken here. In a few minutes, I'm going to a nganda restaurant to eat fish with a vegetable sauce. I've heard that kwanga, a staple in Congolese food, is actually a type of fermented bread. I wonder how it'll taste. After that, I'm going to see a traditional dance. Maybe tomorrow I'll buy a dress like the ones worn here. What do you think? Love, Veronica

Democratic Republic of the Congo Land of gemstones and conflict King Leopold II of Belgium Cobalt Mobutu Sese Seko, a dictator who ruled the DRC and called it Zaire

Hi Mom! Hi Dad! I just took a tour of a diamond mining operation!!! Here, diamonds aren't mined in shaft mines; people dig holes with shovels and pan for the diamonds. Also, I saw a mine for copper and cobalt, and was told that gold and silver are also mined here in the DRC. Unfortunately, in the past those resources were being misused by Belgium's king, King Leopold the II. He took all the resources from the people and used them to build lavish palaces! Later, the Belgian parliament seized the land from Leopold and ruled Congo until June 30, Then Belgium granted autonomy to Belgian Congo. Isn't the stuff about King Leopold crazy?! I can't believe that's actually allowed!! Unsurprisingly, the Congo's independence brought a lot of problems. The president and prime minister were having a power struggle, and one province seceded. After a while, the Katanga province joined the country again. By the way, people vote every 7 years to elect a president, and they have to vote if they're over 18. Love, Veronica

I hope you liked my postcards about the DRC! By the way, on my last day here, I went to the zoo and saw a strange animal called an okapi. I put a picture here for you to see. See you in a few days!