The account number for the “Inmate to Inmate” project is ready: 3080.33.19002
Everything on this account will be used to help inmates in Congo, first of all we want this help to go to Tjostolv and Joshua’s fellow inmates.
You can read more under “inmate to inmate”.
This relief effort for prisoners is Tjostolv and Joshua’s initiative. It hasn’t been easy for them to see their inmates starve and suffer in other ways. They themselves get what they need of food, bottled water, medication etc. because our two families sends money (which has also come from donors) to our helpers in Kisangani. They make sure that the boys have what they need. Tjostolv and Joshua has helped their fellow inmates with the little they can share, but have seen the need for a lot more help for their inmates and more continuity in the help.
We have contacted Rune Edvardsen. His organisation already works in Congo with helping raped women and children. Rune Edvardsens organisation will be responsible for the help to the prisoners and administrate the money that comes in to the “Inmate to Inmate” account. We will get back with more information about this account and how much we will rise. One of the last things Tjostolv said before he got sick was in fact to get help for the others in the prison.
News about Joshua:
This morning I got through on the phone to my son. Many of you have asked how often we are in contact with each other. The answer is that it’ very varying. The seaman’s priest Knut Lyngseth bought a mobile phone to Tjostolv and Joshua when he was there. They can’t have it in the cell. The Congolese helpers bring it with them when they come to the prison with the food etc. They can use it as long as it has enough credit on it. My son sends me a text message that it’s ok to call. And then I call him. Sometimes there is so much noise on the line that it’s impossible to speak to each other. Sometimes there is so much noise from the other inmates that it’s impossible to hear. Sometimes we get to borrow other people’s phones for example the seaman’s priest or others who are visiting. Yesterday Joshua washed the cell with some help from Dolphin, one of the other prisoners they’ve been helping. He also tried to wash the walls that are filled with mould.
The message from Joshua that he wanted me to tell everyone is posted under “Joshua & Tjostolv”. He told me that he’d had an ok night. He’s alone in the cell right now, and that is not so safe than when they are two. But he felt fairly safe, and he also has other friends in the prison who “takes care” of him.
A question we often get:
There are many of you who have asked us why we don’t go down to Kisangani. We have often thought about this, but so far decided not to. It’s still not out of the question.
Two main reasons are as followed:
- The boys have pleaded with us not to come for safety reasons.
- The culture in Congo is very different than in Norway. In Congo the relatives are responsible for the individual. That means that we can be held responsible for the compensation and we may risk being taken “hostage” as well if we go down there.
News on Tjostolv:
I’ve spent this evening trying to find out how Tjostolv is doing.
The Molands have NOT heard from the Foreign Ministry at all today, either in Norway or from the representative in Kisangani. It’s unbelievable when you think of how sick he’s been and how extreme the situation is. Now is the time that information is most important, and we feel that this is an outrage.
From one person in Kisangani I found out the following about Tjostolvs situation:
He is in a room in one of the many buildings in the hospital. Five police guards watching him.
Tjostolv was medicated yesterday. The person who saw him today says that he sat in a corner on a mattress, sleeping, drowsy and drugged. This was apparently necessary to prevent him from hurting himself. He some times gets food from doctors or nurses. The hospital room is clean and has good air projection, which is necessary in this moist heat.
Colonel Wawara from the prosecution has apparently spoken to him, and says he is looking better! The doctors are worried, and we are very worried that he could be incorrectly medicated.
We haven’t heard anything about any diagnosis. Neither have we heard anything about what kind of medication he has received for malaria and if he still gets medicine for malaria. We don’t know what kind of medicine he gets at the hospital. We have different reports of what kind of medicine Tjostolv got when he was so sick from malaria earlier.
From ambassador Vea, who’s always friendly and attentive when I call, I heard that the Foreign Ministry now has two representatives in Kisangani. One of them came from Kampala in Uganda today, and had a bag of food for the guys. The embassy plans to have people in Kisangani all the time now. They will visit Tjostolv and Joshua every day. One concern has been if Tjostolv gets adequate treatment. The Foreign Ministry has the deciding authority.
The UN in Kampala has offered to send specialised personnel to help Tjostolv. We still don’t know what happened to the doctor who was arrested yesterday. Mathilde Moland wrote an e-mail tonight to our “caseworker” X in the Foreign Ministry. She wants it to be on our website.
Mathilde Moland wrote to the Foreign Ministry:
Att: X
I’ve been in agony the whole day, hoping for some info on my son. Unfortunately I haven’t heard anything. Tonight I’ve heard some from Kari Hilde French who has some info from Y in Kisangani. Not good news.
Online I read “- it’s for the most part Congolese authorities who are responsible for both safety and healthcare for prisoners in Congolese prisons, states communications adviser in the Foreign Ministry Haakon Svane to NTB. He stresses that it will be a severely comprehensive process to arrange for Norwegian healthcare professionals to get access to Moland in Congo, and it’s not appropriate to start this now”.
So When??
I prepare myself for a DEATH MESSAGE from Kisangani.
Mathilde Moland.
Up to this evening 40 000 people have visited our website (Before we changed the web-site address). We have also received a lot of e-mails. Thanks for your engagement. Tomorrow I will probably not write anything unless it’s very important.
Kare Hilde French, October 23rd 09
