It is not an easy thing to get into Australia. Especially if you live in the Congo.
The reputation of the Congo goes before it. It is rated Level 5 by our government as a place similar to Iraq and Afghanistan. Visas are very hard to come by as our authorities are suspicious of people from countries in turmoil, worried that they may make the journey but not want to return.
Add to this the geographical difficulty of getting a visa. Ise-somo lives in the Eastern part of DRC (the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and the nearest place to get a visa into Australia is in Kenya, a couple of thousand kms away and about $1000 or more in travel and accommodation costs for him. That means that Ise-somo has to fly on a commuter airline from Butembo to Bunia in DRC, change planes fly to Entebbe Airport in Uganda, travel in to Kampala, the capital of Uganda and stay overnight, then catch a bus for a difficult 10-12 hour journey from Uganda to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, submit the documents to the Australian High Commission and then return to Congo in the same manner - this all takes a minimum of a week to coordinate.
Timon lives in Kampala so he links up with Ise-somo and they travelled together. This all involves loss of work and thus loss of income. It is not easy to come to Australia. And it is not cheap. For Timon at least $500.
So that is what happened ...
Ise-somo flew out of DRC on Saturday 19th January and met up with Timon in Kampala.
On Sunday they took a bus to Nairobi. The roads are dangerous and bus crashes are frequent and if one does crash it is not uncommon to have more than twenty deaths.
On Monday 21st January they submitted their papers to the Aust. HC.
On the Wednesday they returned to Kampala and then Ise on to DRC.
On our side the treasurer of our newly formed organisation called CONGO DENTAL SUPPORT(CDS), Kerry Bartlett, a former Federal politician, contacted Louise Markus, our present Federal Member of Parliament, who then contacted the Aust. HC to vouch for the 'bona fides' of Ise and Tim.
But it all takes time. and here we are 10 days later and still waiting for the visas to be emailed to our representative in Kampala, Frederick Ngadjole.
When Fred gets the visas he can buy the air tickets. But time is running out.
Yesterday Fred emailed urgently that CDS needed to send the money so that the banks can clear it because it is next Wednesday that Ise must leave the Congo and fly to Uganda. There are only two flights a week out of Butembo and only 17 seats available.
So at midnight last night the money was transferred with the hope that the visas will be approved today or early next week and that the airline tickets are still available and that the flight is not now full.
Fred has been renewing the booking of the tickets every 4 days or so but couldn't pay until visas are approved. Oh it has been a fun time....
Anyway that is the way it goes and usually it all works out at the last minute and I hope to report to you as you follow this blog that the news is good next week and that next Friday at 6pm they board the Qatar Airlines flight out of Entebbe, via Doha, and are landing in Melbourne next Saturday the 9th February at 10.55pm to be met by me. An exciting and stimulating month awaits us. Check out the program.
Yours in anticipation and hope for a successful outcome,
Graham Toulmin
The reputation of the Congo goes before it. It is rated Level 5 by our government as a place similar to Iraq and Afghanistan. Visas are very hard to come by as our authorities are suspicious of people from countries in turmoil, worried that they may make the journey but not want to return.
Add to this the geographical difficulty of getting a visa. Ise-somo lives in the Eastern part of DRC (the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and the nearest place to get a visa into Australia is in Kenya, a couple of thousand kms away and about $1000 or more in travel and accommodation costs for him. That means that Ise-somo has to fly on a commuter airline from Butembo to Bunia in DRC, change planes fly to Entebbe Airport in Uganda, travel in to Kampala, the capital of Uganda and stay overnight, then catch a bus for a difficult 10-12 hour journey from Uganda to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, submit the documents to the Australian High Commission and then return to Congo in the same manner - this all takes a minimum of a week to coordinate.
Timon lives in Kampala so he links up with Ise-somo and they travelled together. This all involves loss of work and thus loss of income. It is not easy to come to Australia. And it is not cheap. For Timon at least $500.
So that is what happened ...
Ise-somo flew out of DRC on Saturday 19th January and met up with Timon in Kampala.
On Sunday they took a bus to Nairobi. The roads are dangerous and bus crashes are frequent and if one does crash it is not uncommon to have more than twenty deaths.
On Monday 21st January they submitted their papers to the Aust. HC.
On the Wednesday they returned to Kampala and then Ise on to DRC.
On our side the treasurer of our newly formed organisation called CONGO DENTAL SUPPORT(CDS), Kerry Bartlett, a former Federal politician, contacted Louise Markus, our present Federal Member of Parliament, who then contacted the Aust. HC to vouch for the 'bona fides' of Ise and Tim.
But it all takes time. and here we are 10 days later and still waiting for the visas to be emailed to our representative in Kampala, Frederick Ngadjole.
When Fred gets the visas he can buy the air tickets. But time is running out.
Yesterday Fred emailed urgently that CDS needed to send the money so that the banks can clear it because it is next Wednesday that Ise must leave the Congo and fly to Uganda. There are only two flights a week out of Butembo and only 17 seats available.
So at midnight last night the money was transferred with the hope that the visas will be approved today or early next week and that the airline tickets are still available and that the flight is not now full.
Fred has been renewing the booking of the tickets every 4 days or so but couldn't pay until visas are approved. Oh it has been a fun time....
Anyway that is the way it goes and usually it all works out at the last minute and I hope to report to you as you follow this blog that the news is good next week and that next Friday at 6pm they board the Qatar Airlines flight out of Entebbe, via Doha, and are landing in Melbourne next Saturday the 9th February at 10.55pm to be met by me. An exciting and stimulating month awaits us. Check out the program.
Yours in anticipation and hope for a successful outcome,
Graham Toulmin
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