Economiser the Economy

The verb economiser (euh-cah-no-mee-zay), in French, essentially means “to save.”  In the context of saving money, anyway.  It is obviously somehow related to our English word “economy.”  But I’m not a linguist, so that’s kind of where I have to leave that.  It’s confusing, though, to make the switch in my head.

All that to say, besides being interesting, perhaps, I’m beginning to feel the pinch of the economy here…and how hard it is to economiser l’argent (to save money).  Inflation has been real, and it is really becoming a problem.  Essentially, the prices of everything have risen almost 50% since last summer.  Think about that for a second.  If, in six months, everything around you suddenly cost 50% more than it does right now, but nothing else changed?

So, while I can use US dollars for larger purchases and feel less of a press, I do need to use Congolese Francs for many smaller purchases and local vendors and I’m feeling the weight of the bricks of cash that I need to carry around when I do.

But that’s me, and I can afford it (mostly).  The people around me….most of the other 12 or 15 million people in this city?  They can’t.  And people who are scared react differently than people who aren’t.  People who live in fear of their economy may not have the confidence to react well when their government is also making strange maneuvers.

Please remember this country in your prayers as inflation mounts.  Each month it goes up significantly.  Inflation can only go so high before something bursts.  Let’s be praying for God’s will in this situation, and for all those involved.