Boomer’s Legacy touches schools

Maj Nickolas Roby, Maj Dany Hétu, Maj Dany Jacob-David, and Kimpoko school children move their new desks in their classrooms.

As the newly procured school desks were off loaded from the United Nations (UN) cargo vehicles, the children and villagers of Kimpoko began to chant a traditional Congolese song, thanking the Mundèle (the white travellers) for giving them a helping hand.

The children danced and assisted us in moving the desks into their classrooms; it quickly became evident that The Boomers Legacy Fund had once again changed the lives of those less fortunate, but this time it was far from the Afghanistan desert.

The village of Kimpoko is situated approximately 45 kilometres east of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and houses 100 civil war widows and their children. In 2006, Canadian Armed Forces members here in the DRC recognized the requirement for assistance in the village.

Since then, various projects have been initiated and completed including the construction of water wells, and the construction of 40 homes.

More recently, CAF members have assisted in the financing of the education of the children of Kimpoko by paying $8,000 in tuition costs per year.

During a recent visit, Operation Crocodile Task Force members identified the requirement for classroom desks, as many students were either sitting on the dirt floor, or were crowded three to five children on one bench, which was originally constructed for only two children.

It was clear  these conditions were not conducive to a beneficial learning environment.

Remembering the work that had been completed under the auspices of The Boomer’s Legacy Fund, a request was submitted for funding in order to assist in the purchase of school desks.

About $10,000 was allocated for the acquisition allowing us to purchase 150 desks for the three Kimpoko schools.

Maximizing the humanitarian assistance, the desks were purchased from a technical college for teenagers and young adults, which is funded through private donations.

Not only has The Boomer’s Legacy Fund assisted Kimpoko schools, but also has assisted approximately 325 students of this technical college, who will continue to learn the academic and technical skills that are required to prosper in the DRC.

Unbeknownst to us, a formal ceremony was hosted by the villagers and the various school children following the delivery of the desks.

A principal of one of the schools tearfully asserted, “We cannot put into words, the joy and the good that you Canadians have been able to accomplish in Kimpoko, and we will forever be indebted to Canada for your assistance in our village.”

This sentiment was apparently shared by Kimpoko residents, as we were overwhelmed by the children and their parents who continued to embrace us. Boomer’s Legacy continues to live on in Africa.

-Maj Nickolas Roby, Operation Crocodile