Kokolopori - Falls Church Sister City Partnership
A Washington area Congolese band, Bana Ndule, provided a lively backdrop for the April 2007 Microcredit Fund Benefit Reception for Falls Church's sister city.

Photo © Richard Fischer, Bonobo Conservation Initiative
The clinic’s need for funds could not be more urgent.  As in much of the developing world, birth rates in Kokolopori are high, and so are the rates of infant and maternal mortality.  On average, 127 babies and 18 mothers die for every 1,000 births.  (That compares to 6.9 babies and 0.13 mothers in the U.S.)  Women in Kokolopori do not have access to contraception, and malaria and poor nutrition contribute to high mortality rates among mothers and babies.  About 40 babies are born every month in Kokolopori, and about 225 cases of malaria are treated monthly.
Kokolopori Health Clinic
The health clinic now has a doctor and three nurses for 8000 people, but no electricity, no running wather, and only a small supply of medicines.
Photo © Kokolopori Partnership
Photo © Kokolopori Partnership
If you can't make it, but would like to contribute,  sponsorship donations can be made online at www.kokolopori-partnership.org (Click on "Donate"), or by sending a check, payable to KFCSCP, to Maura Constance, 203 S. Lee Street, Falls Church, VA 22046. Donations of any amount are deeply appreciated!

Play Bingo!  Win Prizes!  Support Projects in Kokolopori!


What:    Play Bingo to Support Our Sister City
When:  To Be Announced
Where: Falls Church Community Center
Why:     It’s fun and supports a good cause!


For $20, paid at the door, you’ll be entitled to 12 game cards and a dauber for marking them. 

Each game card includes three Bingo cards, so you’ll get three chances to win each game.  Play all three of them at once in this fast-paced, exciting game of chance.  Local Falls Church businesses have generously donated exciting prizes for this event.  Best of all, there will be a Grand Prize of $100 in cash for the last game.

You could be one of the Big Winners.  The other Big Winners will be the people of Kokolopori with whom Falls Church has a Sister City Relationship since February 2006, and the people of Falls Church who benefit richly from this first-hand experience in global citizenship.



May 1st Reception Benefited Kokolopori Health Clinic

On Thursday, May 1st, the Kokolopori-Falls Church Sister City Partnership held a benefit reception at The Atrium at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia that raised $10,000 for Kokolopori’s health clinic.  Event Chair Barbara Cram graciously presided as Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening’s program. 

The party featured a lively Congolese band, Bana Ndule, a West African buffet supper catered by Bukom Café, fine wines, desserts from Falls Church eateries, and a silent auction, all amid the greenery and fountains of The Atrium’s award-winning glass enclosure.  Ingrid Schulze presented a video and slideshow about her visit to Kokolopori in February 2008.  An award was presented to the City of Falls Church from the Jamestown 2007 organization, which recognized the important role that the Sister City partnership with Kokolopori played in our participation in America’s 400th Anniversary Celebration. 

Part of the benefit funds have already been used to purchase urgently needed medicines and hire a trained nurse to assist the doctor during surgeries.  Generous benefit guests made extra donations on the spot for specific items such as mosquito nets, training workshops, delivery kits and pharmaceuticals.  The clinic’s need for funds could not be more urgent.  High infant and maternal mortality rates, rampant malaria, parasitic infections, malnutrition and other diseases all take their toll on the people of Kokolopori.  A clean and convenient water source, solar lighting, a medical waste incinerator, and a patient recovery room are all pressing needs for additional funding.


Many thanks to our Benefit Sponsors who helped to make the event a success:
Corporate Champions: 
Barbara Cram, of Greenscape and Virginia 2007
Don Beyer Volvo
Janmedia Interactive
The Winfield Group

Corporate Patrons:
Falls Church Medical Associates
Hekemian & Co.
Demosphere International
Falls Church News-Press
Drs. Love and Miller, Family Dentistry

Nonprofit Sponsors:
Falls Church Chamber of Commerce
Lions Club of Falls Church
Temple Rodef Shalom
Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation
Victorian Society at Falls Church