Maud KellsThis is Maud Kells who lives in Cookstown Co. Tyrone. Maud trained as a nurse in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital. 2003 makes it thirty-five years since she made her first trip - by boat - to Congo to do missionary work. Since then she has made 16 visits to the Congo, staying on occasions up to four years at a time. She now spends half of her year in Congo and half back home in Cookstown. When she's home she gives illustrated talks and slide-shows to PWA and other groups. Her most recent missionary work has involved overseeing the opening of an airfield, managing the construction of a new school and hospital, both with hand made bricks.

Maud works near the eastern border of Congo near Isiro and Mulita, an area that continues to experience ongoing conflict and hardship. She has been evacuated twice from the area and since her last visit, her house there has been ransacked by rebels who left none of her belongings behind. The hospital she helped build also came under attack and much equipment - even Maud's precious Land Rover - has been taken.

Isiro, Nebabongo and Mulita are on the eastern side of Congo

In her own words Maud says: 'In September 2002 Nyankunde was invaded by ethnic rebels and many, many people were massacred. That huge mission/church/complex has been completely destroyed and the whole community devastated. Similarly at Mulita, my old mission station / church /hospital /Bible school where the Mayi-Mayi rebels have invaded, looted, burned down houses, taken church leaders hostage and created much fear and despair to the local people, thus causing them to flee into hiding in the surrounding forest. The people have returned to rebuild their burned down houses and classrooms, and the nurses have courageously carried on the medical work, despite practically no medical supplies of any kind. For this reason I would like to return to Mulita bringing aid and medicines, as soon as it is safe and advisable to do so, following my arrival back in Africa. I hope to fly to Entebbbe, Uganda on 21st October, purchase the medicines and supplies in Kampala, then fly on into Isiro, with MAF. There the church President, Pastor Kibuka, will be able to advise me about returning to Mulita.'

So, there's much work to do and, In October 2003, Maud sets out once more on another six month period of voluntary 'duty'. She spoke to John Gregg on BBC Radio Ulster's 'Your Place and Mine' programme in September.

 Click Here to listen to the discussion.

Maud Kells also lent us her photo albums from previous visits to the Congo which contain powerful and compelling images of a lifestyle we can barely comprehend.

Below is a very small selection of the pictures from her most recent visits. You can click on any link beneath the picture to view a much larger version in a new window.

A whole family sets out on a journey on a small motorbike
A lorry falls through a weak bridge into the river below
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Local people clear away brushland to make an airstrip
Children gather the grass cuttings by hand to clear the new airstrip
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A view of the Orthopaedic ward at Nebobongo
Photograph showing the interior of the Paediatric ward in Nebobongo
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Relatives of patients making lunch under a tree in the waiting area
Cooked termites and flying ants are a commonly made meal
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Children delivering hand-made bricks for their new school
Local men putting the roof onto a new kitchen block
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A polygamist's wife loses a finger in a fight with a rival wife
The bicycle is a primary form of transport in Congo
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Women distributing hand made soap
The skeleton of a new building which will house nursing students
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