Balance, something that Captain Ame spends most of his time searching for. It's worth mentioning that he captains a rather unusual boat. Scores of passengers put their lives in his hands, having no other choice than to risk a journey in this boat.
Indeed, at 90 meters long and 40 meters wide, the wooden monster that he captains is practically uncontrollable. However, given the appalling state of the roads in the Congo, the river is still the simplest way to transport tree trunks. Such a heavy load means each maneuver must be thought about well in advance.
The journey to the capital promises a few tense moments for Vandu, the helmsman. They must make it. The 228 tree trunks that make up the raft are worth more than €350,000.
Losing even one of them is not an option, so the sailors constantly check the hundreds of meters of steel cables that hold their raft together. Even more importantly, if there is too much space between the trunks, passengers risk falling into a hole and ending up crushed by a log. There are around 50 passengers.
Most of them are merchants or traders, all hoping to make a better living at the markets in the capital, especially by selling bugs that have become impossible to find in town. There'll be a lot of ups and downs before they get to the capital. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second biggest country in Africa, so getting from one town to another is an ordeal.
To go and see their family or do business, thousands of people must squeeze onto inconceivable boats. Every year there are hundreds of fatalities. On the roads, which are smashed up by the rain, all trucks fight hard to arrive at their destination and there's no place for tiredness among the crew.
For the passengers, the bumpy ride is nothing compared to having to walk when there are too many bumps. Whether on land or on water, the Congolese people have developed a constant survival instinct. Even when they're swept away by the waves, the bravery of these people will always overcome God's wrath.
The huge 100-meter-long raft looks small in the middle of the Congo River. The descent towards Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, isn't going too badly. In ten days, they've traveled more than 700 kilometers to reach Mbandaka without any problems.
The last 700 kilometers won't be so easy, but for now, the sailors can take it easy. Bathing in the water from the river Congo isn't a very good idea, as it's extremely polluted by toxic waste from products used in the mines and the swirls in this swimming pool are not like those you get in a Jacuzzi. This young, reckless sailor is quickly called to order.
Accidents are frequent onboard the raft, and feet are usually the first to suffer from the many bits of metal sticking out of the raft. Even when you have very little, you can make do and find a solution in any emergency. The alcohol level is over 50 percent.
It's perfect except The sailor will get an anti-tetanus jab when he arrives in Kinshasa. Until then, he goes back to his post. To travel on the river, the Congolese people don't have many options to choose from.
There are whalers, which are sort of floating coffins that take on water everywhere, but are perhaps the most comfortable of boats available, especially when you compare them to these ones. They look like floating shanty towns, the biggest of which can pack up to 2000 people onto them without any water or toilets. According to Vandu, the state is not entirely responsible for this lack of infrastructure.
The state has to cope with widespread corruption amongst its civil servants, and it has also struggled to pick itself back up from the damage done by two armed conflicts, as well as having to combat the guerrilla groups hindering the economy in certain regions. In the Congo, unemployment affects 40 percent of the population, with many people surviving rather than living. Everyone tries to sell what they can, like Gloria.
This grandmother is traveling alone with her two-year-old granddaughter. Life isn't easy for her. The parents of the little girl left without leaving an address or any money.
To pay off her debts Gloria has started to sell cassava flour or as it's familiarly referred to, Fufu. A good discount for the grandmother as the other passengers have paid around €8 each. To avoid passengers having to travel with their backsides in the water, the captain of the raft has made some planks available, but there aren't enough for everyone.
When new traders like Jean-Paul come aboard with several bags of goods, people are bound to grumble. Jean-Paul makes a bit of space to store his fish in a dry patch, but the other traders don't appreciate it. Quickly, the lack of space will become the least of their worries.
Though the evening might have seemed calm and beautiful, Vandu and the captain have noticed the weather starting to change. They have just enough time to pull up on the bank. Simply the strength of the wind combined with the waves could cause the raft to completely come apart.
Gloria, the grandmother who is traveling with her granddaughter, is worried. Jean-Paul, the merchant, isn't much better equipped. The sailors tighten all the cables as much as they can, but the raft starts to come apart.
Some logs become detached. However, the problems keep coming. Water flows into the boats whole through this air vent.
Two hours later, as if by a miracle, the wind calms down. The captain is disheartened. His raft isn't really supposed to transport passengers.
Waking up the next morning is likely to be hard for the passengers and the following day could be even worse. The Congolese people are like hostages. Their modes of transport are constant suffering and their days are often very difficult.
For the most part, the community fights each day for something to eat. In town, modest jobs are more easily found, but in the countryside, sometimes you have to risk your life for a full plate of food. At its mouth, the Congo River merges with the Atlantic Ocean.
This mixture of the two waters has created a little paradise, the Mangrove. This labyrinth of islands and canals is home to all sorts of fish, crustaceans, shellfish and some very brave women. 25 year old Jan has been clam fishing for seven years.
It's the only job she's found that can feed her four children. Around 100 of these women scoured the depth without any equipment, just their courage and legendary lung capacity and rising water levels caused by climate change have made their task a lot more difficult. However, diving four meters deep, six hours a day all week has its consequences.
According to the villagers, the locals here have been fishing for clams for more than 100 years, which explains the thousands or even millions of shells that cover the riverbanks now. Their houses look like they're built on top of clamshells. This is because the divers don't sell them at the markets alive, but rather cook them here to preserve them better.
These ones just came off the stove. The excessive farming of clams is very likely to cause them to disappear. To avoid this catastrophe, the villagers must alternate with another catch.
How else can they do it when no one has the means to buy nets? The country's economy is fragile and largely depends on the mining sector and, by extension, fluctuations and global exchange rates. Even when rates are at their highest, this silver mine very rarely benefits the local community, of which three-quarters live in extreme poverty.
The truck plows on despite the damaged road. The driver and his passengers cannot miss the last appointment of the day, so they keep going as fast as they can, that is to say, as fast as a man can run. It's a race against the clock to try and catch the last ferry of the day, and to be clear, if they miss it, they'll be sleeping on the riverbank.
Baju, the driver, maneuvers around the holes as best as he can, but he can't fight against his truck's dilapidation. It seems unlikely that they'll make the last ferry, but miraculously, once they get past this last hole, the road is smoother. It was a close call, but luckily for them, the ferry rarely runs on time.
For the past 30 years, this has been the only link between the two banks of the Congo Central Province. It takes 25 minutes for the old boat to reach the opposite riverbank Before continuing their journey, the man check that their cargo is safely stowed, as their journey is going to shake it around a lot. A ten-hour journey.
Baju is very, very optimistic, but he has a good reason to be. He has invested in something that he hopes will let him drive in a more relaxed way to Kimpese. The smallest accident can quickly become a tragedy as roughly 20 passengers are crammed onto the wagon.
Comfort is limited, but it's still cheaper than traveling by minibus. According to Baju, the state of the roads is linked to an evil that is eating away at the country. Each time they reach an obstacle that's too dangerous, the passengers are the ones who suffer.
Without his crew, Baju wouldn't be able to go on. The journey has only just begun, but it's already become a marathon for the passengers. Seeing him running Jean is clearly a force of nature.
Some of the younger passengers are already on the brink of exhaustion. At this rate, their average speed won't go above ten kilometers an hour, especially since Bajwa is trying to spare his very old tires. The assistant gives the thumbs-up a bit too quickly.
Luckily, the tire was repairable and even more luckily, they had an air pump. This good fortune won't be enough to get them to Kimpese this evening. They've only traveled 20 kilometers out of 100.
Baju is going to drive for part of the night to make up for lost time, but nobody truly believes that. Jean, the oldest person on the truck, has come to terms with him. Their hardship is just beginning.
On the River Congo, the raft passengers are still in shock from the storm and with good reason. The raft has taken a hit and some trunks now float beneath the surface of the water. The sailors are trying to bring the wood back to the surface.
Everyone's feet are in the water, but that's not the most important thing today. Vandu and the captain are now sailing in dangerous waters. Here, sand banks are an invisible trap.
The sailor celebrated a little too soon. The river's current gets stronger, and the old motor can't fight against the strength of the water. A 100-meter raft can't be steered like a boat.
The captain finds himself stuck against an island. The maneuver is still extremely tricky, especially when it comes to the safety of the passengers. The helm must be used carefully and power expertly measured.
The raft comes away from the bank and there's even a nice surprise. The huge vessel sets off towards the capital Kinshasa again. The miracle fish has his own private cabin.
He'll be enjoyed later on. During their 30 day journey, the sailors and passengers don't have to go far for provisions. Every day, people from the villages alongside the river come to sell them all sorts of food.
Without these riverside grocers, Gloria wouldn't be able to give her granddaughter anything to eat. They also sell knickknacks, coal for cooking, and sometimes quite frightening animals. While everyone's having a laugh, they fail to notice the catastrophe that awaits them.
Several sand banks are looming on the horizon. Vandu and the captain are going to have to zigzag round these unavoidable traps. However, if they fail, it'll be a real nightmare.
It's no good. The raft isn't budging. Vandu gets into the water.
Some of the passengers cheer on the crew. Their singing seems to have reinvigorated the man. After a five-hour battle, the raft is finally freed.
To get back on track, the man tests the depth of the river constantly. After a few more anxious hours, Vandu and the captain are once again back on the right route. Despite the time they've lost, they're hoping to arrive at the outskirts of Kinshasa tomorrow, but nature still has a few surprises left for them.
On the road, Baju's journey has become a slog. He promised his customers that he'd knock out 100 kilometers in a day, but that's not really what's happened. Jean, the eldest passenger is completely exhausted.
They've practically not slept overnight. Jean has a bad feeling that the journey has only just begun. €15, which is a fortune for these travelers.
The average Congolese salary amounts to €38 per month. To make matters worse, the slightest obstacle means they have to walk. This part of the road is going to make them sweat.
The assistants have been working for two days with no respite. Without them, Baju wouldn't have even traveled two kilometers. Their work is intense, but no one complains.
They're just happy to have a job. A thankless job, but not one where you can give up. Sometimes the assistants and passengers find there's an advantage to going this slow.
Germs are not. They don't really have a choice. Their journey is far from over.
They still have 70 kilometers to travel and many obstacles to overcome. Kinshasa is just a few kilometers away, but the weather isn't going to make it easy for them. The last few hours of sailing are going to be very difficult for Vandu and the captain.
Despite this final calamity, they're nearly there. Sir Jean-Paul, the dry fish merchant, is still smiling. Luckily, the wind is nowhere near as bad as the day before.
As a sunny spell breaks out, the capital can finally be seen. Vandu is relieved that the journey is ending after almost one month. He's not the only one.
Gloria, the grandmother traveling with her granddaughter, is going to be able to sell her cassava flour and pay off her debts. She and all the small traders hope that they haven't made this perilous journey for nothing. As for the sailors, they'll spend another three days dismantling the 22 logs for the travelers on the trucks, however, their nightmare is far from over.
In two days, Baju has traveled only 70 kilometers. He'll spend another 48 hours getting through the last 30 kilometers. As for the passengers, they'll all tell you their feet hurt, like Jean.
The Congolese people are resilient. Finding work, getting something to eat, and even traveling from one place to another, everything requires an excessive amount of energy. Their lives are a battle equal only to their courage.
