Contractual dependencies:

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

One of the most conspicuous livelihood strategies for physically disabled people in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, is a particular style of begging known locally as “doing documents.” Confronted with the stigma of begging, disabled beggars create documents in an attempt to legitimize and regulate begging through formalization and bureaucracy, presenting their relationship with donors as NGO fund‐raising and government tax‐collecting. The dynamics of petitioning for these “contractual dependencies” provide a nuanced perspective on desired dependencies: dependencies can be presented in multiple ways, and people consider some dependencies more legitimate and valuable than others. Recipients are not passive but play a defining role in shaping these relationships, seeking a balance between proximity and desired distance to patrons. [dependence, disability, distribution, bureaucracy, begging, temporality, Democratic Republic of Congo]
Na Kinshasa, moko ya bamayele ya kobika po na bato bazali na tengu (handicapés) ezali oyo babengaka: “kosalela badocument” to “kosalela mikanda”. Bato ya tengu basenga‐sengaka lisungi pe ebimisaka bango bisenga‐senga. Po na kokima ebimiseli wana, bato ya tengu bamisalela mikanda po na kondimisa kosenga na bango bo ete eyebani na mobeko. Na boye bakomisa yango bo likambo ezali kosalama na nzela pe endimami na leta pe eyangelamaka na mikanda. Epayi ya bato bakopesa mosolo, bamibimisaka lokola Lingomba ya bokumbeli makambo ya leta te (ONG) ya bokongoli mosolo ya lisungi pe ya mpako ya leta. Loyenge ya bolakisi mikanda ya “boyokani po na kosalisama” epesi mwa bokeseni na etaleli ya kosalisama oyo bango balingi. Kosalisama ekoki kolakisama na banzela ebele. Na kati ya boyokani yango, bazwi‐lisungi bamitikaka te kasi bamitiaka nde na esika ya basengi na bolukaka ndelo ya malamu kati na bango pe bakolo mimbongo. [kosalisama, tengu, bokaboleli, boyangelami na mikanda, bisenga‐senga, botango, Ekolo Kongo ya Demokrasi]
An untitled painting by Kinshasa artist Bosoku Ekunde, 2014. The painting depicts documentaires, or those who beg using documents in Kinshasa. While the artist made the painting at the author's request, he chose to depict the international population from which beggars request donations. From left to right, he shows documentaires begging from people of West African, Asian, and Congolese origin; both beggars and donors point at documents. In the foreground, he depicts individual beggars.