Hobbies of a Congolese Foster Mom

I'll be honest, our foster moms don't have a ton of free time to spend doing their favorite hobbies. I'm sure any mom's reading this can attest to this reality. However, it's so important to us as employers that our residential staff members are as happy with us as possible. That includes ensuring that they have time for themselves to do some of their favorite things.  

On my last visit, I asked our lovely mamas what some of their hobbies are to ensure that they have the supplies and time to do them. Here are the top 5 hobbies of a foster mom living in DR Congo: 

Bolingo Foster moms crocheting scrubbies to wash the kids, Democratic Republic of Congo, August 2021.

Crocheting

Whenever I'm at Bolingo, there's always one hobby I witness in action almost every single day. At around 6 PM, I can count on at least two of our foster moms sitting out on the front stoop of a house together crocheting. For a long time, I assumed they were just crocheting a blanket. One day, I decided to ask what they were making. It was a scrubby to wash the little ones! I assured them that we could purchase them scrubbies, to which they responded that they choose to make them because they just like doing it!

Farming

When we built the little garden beds behind each foster home, we weren't aware that this was something every foster mom actually enjoys doing. Turns out, most of them grew up doing farm work in their homes. Planting cassava was a regular Monday chore for them. Some of them added that farming allows them to feel a sense of accomplishment. It's nice to tend to something from start to finish, or in this case, from soil to our kiddos' bellies. 

Listening to Music

Ah music… the universal language.  

Singing

This is Mama Therese #1's (yes, we have multiple Mama Therese's) all-time favorite thing to do. Any time I hear singing, I can almost guarantee you it's her. Her favorite tunes to sing are worship songs. They get the whole village dancing and joining in! 

Spending Time with Family 

This one is a no-brainer. While our foster moms love their Bolingo family, there's nothing like being with your own children, siblings, and grandbabies. Luckily, our mamas have PTO and can visit their families back home any time they'd like.