Women's Day Parade

After a false Women's Day on Saturday, the real Women's Day was celebrated on Sunday, March 8. I guess the women were petitioning for a day other than Sunday because that is already a holiday, and in the end they got outvoted. I don't know who did the voting, or who made the decision, but everyone was supposed to go to church in the morning and then assemble at 10am at a church in the business district.

For any kind of gathering where many different groups will be represented, the people of Congo (or Goma and Beni at least because that is where I have been) like to dress in coordinated fabric. Every group picks out their own fabric and then have clothes made on their own, but from the same fabric. In that way, the women of Beni marched down the streets. Oh did they march. I don't know how long the distance was, but there were women who had been out there for 4 hours when the UCBC group finished, and an hour later, they were still marching. Thousands of women.

The muzungus of UCBC marched with some of the students and they got there a little late. We didn't know exactly when the marching was going to start so the students called when it was underway and then they got dressed and went to walk. The three muzungu guys then sat in the shade and watched the women of Beni march past. Each group had a banner in front, either of cloth or wood that said where they were from. There were school and church groups as well as company groups and organizations. Anyone who wanted to march I think just had to have a banner and a fabric picked out.

As they got to the end there was a covered pavilion, and sitting under it were all the important people of Beni. The mayor for instance was sitting on a couch in front. As the women would come by they would sing and dance and yell like they had not done before (even though the whole way before some had been singing and dancing in step as well). An MC would shout out the group of the women and everyone would cheer and shout. They even had a band to welcome them! It was pretty cool, except the women were still outside for 4+ hours start to finish!

One other cool thing about the march was the medics who were patrolling on the edges. Dressed in tan, they carried first aid kits and stretchers in case a need arose. Right before one group got to where we were sitting, a little girl fainted and they came running and quickly took her to the shade. It was good to see the medics there as that is something easily forgotten here in Congo.