Francis Hannaway

My name is Francis Hannaway. I am a lay missionary with Mill Hill Missionaries. I live and work in Basankusu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo ... right in the heart of the rainforest of the Congo Basin. Basankusu sit just one degree above the Equator and is quite isolated from other places.People live by planting vegetables, fishing, hunting and buying and selling produce in the market-place. If someone has a job they will be paid between 90 cents to $1.30 (US) per day. The infrastructure of developed countries has slowly collapsed since the county's independance in 1960. Because of this, Health and Social Care are in a very poor state, with vulnerable families running into life threatening situations. For whatever reason, a propotion of young children become malnourished and underfed; some die from this. Infant mortality is high, as is the rate at which mothers die after child-birth. My videos reflect the daily lives of the people of Basankusu and Congo generally.