Today Mathilde was on a two and a half hour visit with Tjostolv and Joshua in the prison.
It was the big candy day, with chips and sweets. They were in Joshua’s cell for the most part, where Tjostolv spends his days. Here they have two blue plastic chairs and a table and their things. As I’ve understood it Tjostolv shares a cell with five or six others prisoners at night. They feel safe around their inmates now, unless a group of new prisoners arrive which easily changes the dynamics in the prison. While Mathilde was with the guys, both colonel Wawara, the prosecutor and lawyer Kibambe came to take a closer look at Tjostolvs mother! Tjostolv ate a good breakfast today and made sense when he talked according to Mathilde. Tjostolv was given a lot of medication at the hospital, but they gradually left the body after he came back to the prison and was not forced to take any more medication.
According to one of the online newspapers, Joshua still has typhoid and malaria in his body. Joshua hasn’t been well for some time and hasn’t gotten permission to have a doctor take a look at him. But we hope that the Norwegian doctor can help him. We haven’t spoken to him for a couple of days. Mathilde didn’t get to talk to Joshua so much alone, but at least he got some things brought from us. Mostly first aid supplies to the “clinic” in this package. Mathilde said that they are both optimists.
When Mathilde was going to see Tjostolv later that day she was stopped by colonel Samwaka, despite the fact that she had the vice governors permission to visit Tjostolv.
Mathilde has also planned to visit the widow to show her sympathy – we will probably hear more about that later.
To those of you that have given your support to the “Inmate to Inmate” account:
Rune Edvardsen has been at the big Osio-prison today with food for the prisoners. This food has been bought with money from you. THANK YOU!
Osio-prison is very notorious and is located on the other side of the Congo River. Here there are hundreds of prisoners who have inflicted a lot of pain, but also suffer themselves. There are also innocent people in the prisons. Let’s hope everything goes well with the food supplies to the Central Prison and other prisons over the next days.
Kari Hilde French, November 15th 2009
