On Thursday April 7, the site of ERAIFT in Yangambi received a delegation led by Mr. Patrick Van Alphen, consisting of the wife of the Belgian ambassador, Mrs. Dagmar Indekeu, and the president of the Order of Malta Mr. De Liedekerke, and 12 other people. The visit aimed to show to the delegation essentially constituted by Belgians, that results of research conducted in the DRC, particularly in Yangambi can be useful in Central Africa as well as at the international level. Their visit was to see the herbarium as well; the largest collection in DRC whose herbarium has been digitized thanks to the financing of Belgium, according the president of the Order of Malta who also expressed regard to the Congolese researchers who stay in Yangambi to do the fieldwork while, considering their education level, could go elsewhere and earn more but, they chose to serve the DRC and the whole world by staying in Yangambi. The delegation arrived in Yangambi at 12:00 and returned to Kisangani at 14:00, after visiting the library of INERA-Yangambi, the Guest House, and the herbarium.

Family photo at the end of the visit to the INERA-Yangambi library

ERAIFT thanks INERA and all its partners, notably CIFOR, RSD, and Enabel, for accompanying the delegation. ERAIFT sincerely thanks the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union for their financial support in the Yangambi landscape.