Fizi is a large area in south Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  ‘Our links with Georges and Lydia’ tells just a little of the true story of love, separation, survival and faith amid the tragedy of war-torn Africa which is told in the book Valley of the Shadow (http://www.valleyoftheshadow.co.uk/). Early in 2006 Georges went back to Africa to visit his parents. They too had thought he must be dead. Georges had someone very special to introduce to them!

After the excitement of family reunions, Georges and Lydia were able to look around the area and it was with great sadness that they saw the devastation which had been caused by the war. People were still traumatised and in many cases lacked the motivation to see any sense of hope for the future.

During that visit, Georges was able to lead some seminars and to bring a sense of vision for the future. Some local chiefs donated two large areas of land, and a small group of people made a start at cultivating it. The soil was very fertile and the land quickly produced an encouraging harvest.

The area, however, is desperately poor. There is no electricity, no piped water, no sanitation, no postal system and no land-line phones.  Just a few villages now have a tap, but many people walk a kilometre to fetch water which is often of a very dubious quality.  Many wash themselves and their clothes in Lake Tanganyika and then take the same water home to drink.