Tchukudu-5
This is a story about TCHUKUDU. What is tchukudu? It is an phenomenon that exists only in Congolese province of North Kivu. It is an testament to indomitability and pragmatic ingenuity of Congolese people.
For example, let's say that you live in an village in North Kivu and you have to bring 300 kg of potatoes to the market in Goma, but you don't have an pickup track. You could use a motorcycle, but you don't have one either. Maybe you could borrow a bicycle, but nobody you know have one. What do you do?? Well, you pick up a few pieces of wood and you build yourself an tchukudu!! That's right!
Tchukudu is kind of wooden bike or scooter that is capable of carrying up to half a ton of cargo or several people.
For some reason, I was fascinated with them when I was in the area in June, they look so psychedelic, weird, medieval and so damn cool! And they are everywhere. In Goma (provincial capital), they mix about with cars, motorcycles and pedestrians; in the villages around Goma they are often the only form of transport you see.
Some people build their own. Others buy them. They go from around $50 for a basic model, to up to $100 for a fancy one.
I have seen people pushing them heavily loaded from their villages for as much as 30 km to Goma market and back.
Talking about toughness! Since the area around Goma is hilly, one can see guys speeding downhill with heavily loaded tchukudus with such a ease, grace, nonchalance and control, it is fascinating to watch.
There are even tchukudu taxis, hauling around people and goods. Tchukudus have lifted many people out of poverty in this region. There is an saying often heard in North Kivu:
"if you marry tchukudu driver, you will never die of hunger."
As it can be seen from people's expressions in some of these photos, many folks here really don't like to be photographed.
I mostly always respect that, so many people in these photos didn't know that they were being photographed, because I used very long telephoto lens and was able to shoot from considerable distance. However, it was impossible for me not to be spotted almost immediately by everybody, since everywhere I went I was the only "mzungu" (white man) in the area. I have been in many African countries, but I have never seen people responding to "mzungu" so strongly and emotionally as in Congo, both in positive and negative ways.
In some of the more remote villages, children would often run away from me, especially if I would point my big telephoto lens in their direction. Some would drop to the ground and cover their heads. And there were so many children everywhere, in a village of 10 houses there would be 80 children running around. If I would point my camera in direction of adults, they would often get very angry. I had to be careful with that.
In Goma, my favorite fun was to simply walk around and watch lively chaos of Congo unfold around me. There are a few places in the world that have such a intense energy and even some sort of charizma. I had so much fun there.
Tchukudu-5
This is a story about TCHUKUDU. What is tchukudu? It is an phenomenon that exists only in Congolese province of North Kivu. It is an testament to indomitability and pragmatic ingenuity of Congolese people.
For example, let's say that you live in an village in North Kivu and you have to bring 300 kg of potatoes to the market in Goma, but you don't have an pickup track. You could use a motorcycle, but you don't have one either. Maybe you could borrow a bicycle, but nobody you know have one. What do you do?? Well, you pick up a few pieces of wood and you build yourself an tchukudu!! That's right!
Tchukudu is kind of wooden bike or scooter that is capable of carrying up to half a ton of cargo or several people.
For some reason, I was fascinated with them when I was in the area in June, they look so psychedelic, weird, medieval and so damn cool! And they are everywhere. In Goma (provincial capital), they mix about with cars, motorcycles and pedestrians; in the villages around Goma they are often the only form of transport you see.
Some people build their own. Others buy them. They go from around $50 for a basic model, to up to $100 for a fancy one.
I have seen people pushing them heavily loaded from their villages for as much as 30 km to Goma market and back.
Talking about toughness! Since the area around Goma is hilly, one can see guys speeding downhill with heavily loaded tchukudus with such a ease, grace, nonchalance and control, it is fascinating to watch.
There are even tchukudu taxis, hauling around people and goods. Tchukudus have lifted many people out of poverty in this region. There is an saying often heard in North Kivu:
"if you marry tchukudu driver, you will never die of hunger."
As it can be seen from people's expressions in some of these photos, many folks here really don't like to be photographed.
I mostly always respect that, so many people in these photos didn't know that they were being photographed, because I used very long telephoto lens and was able to shoot from considerable distance. However, it was impossible for me not to be spotted almost immediately by everybody, since everywhere I went I was the only "mzungu" (white man) in the area. I have been in many African countries, but I have never seen people responding to "mzungu" so strongly and emotionally as in Congo, both in positive and negative ways.
In some of the more remote villages, children would often run away from me, especially if I would point my big telephoto lens in their direction. Some would drop to the ground and cover their heads. And there were so many children everywhere, in a village of 10 houses there would be 80 children running around. If I would point my camera in direction of adults, they would often get very angry. I had to be careful with that.
In Goma, my favorite fun was to simply walk around and watch lively chaos of Congo unfold around me. There are a few places in the world that have such a intense energy and even some sort of charizma. I had so much fun there.