Halliburton: "Villagers Supply the Joy" "Medical Ctr for Congolese Village-

(I was actually was working on a separate graphic and went to their site to get a logo. Then, I saw the information on the medical center they are building in the Congo. It is racist because these pictures would not run in quite the same way if the villagers were, say, white impoverished Romanians. In that case, I think Halliburton might have chosen other photographs, perhaps a bulldozer, rather than a wheelbarrow and wooden toy in their "proud" public relations campaign.)

This from their Site:

Villagers Supply the Joy

The growing population of Louvoulou, Republic of Congo, is getting a medical center, thanks to Halliburton. The Company is funding construction of the facility, which will be managed and staffed by the Red Cross.

The village of Louvoulou, Republic of Congo, where Halliburton funded the construction of a much-needed Red Cross medical center. The central building with the raised roof is Louvoulou's marketplace.


"What makes this village more needy than others is the frequent occurrence of the ulcer of Buruli, a disease related to leprosy and tuberculosis, and the absence of a medical center within 40 kilometers," explained Eugene van Schaik, operations manager, Energy Services Group (ESG). "The main objective of the center is to identify serious diseases in an early stage when treatment is relatively simple."

The Red Cross asked Halliburton in late 2001 to help build or rebuild medical centers in villages around Pointe-Noire. Halliburton has a base in Pointe-Noire, the capital of the Republic of Congo.

This boy will be among the 5,900 Louvoulou residents to benefit from the medical center.




Once complete, the medical center will initially serve about 5,900 people. Professional nurses trained and paid by the Red Cross will staff the center. They expect 210-240 treatments per month, primarily providing first aid, dispensing generic medication and diagnosing illnesses. Three doctors will visit the center regularly and seriously ill people may be transported to Pointe-Noire hospitals for care.
In early October, about 20 representatives of Halliburton and the Congolese Red Cross helped lay the medical center's first stone. A huge crowd of Louvoulou villagers was on hand, bringing music, dancing and joy.

A special ceremony in October marked the laying of the first stone of Louvoulou's medical center. From left, ESG Operations Manager Eugene Van Schaik, medical center project director Dr. Ouvrard and the village president mix the mortar to commence building. Scores of Louvoulou villagers supplied music, dancing and joy to celebrate the occasion.


"The ceremony was a bigger spectacle than any of us expected," van Schaik said. "The village president, the Congolese Red Cross president and I gave speeches and gifts were exchanged. Between speeches, the music and the choir added a light note to the proceedings.

"Then we were led around the site, where kids had made booths promoting dancing and soccer against AIDS. We all got to dance a round with a number of the elder ladies," he added.

After the festivities, the Halliburton group got good news that reinforced the importance of the facility. "To our relief, we found that a girl who seemed very sick a week earlier was very alive once more," van Schaik added.