My brother, Sam, first enlightened me about the Sapeur.
A Sapeur, in the Congo (both sides of the River), is a gentleman in the midst of war and poverty. Their self-proclaimed motto, “let’s drop the weapons, let’s work and dress eloquently” is a regurgitation of the governments constant efforts to downplay the largely civil war-stripped country. But they are happy to oblige!
Here is an amusing excerpt from AfricaFeed.com about Papy Mosengo, a Sapeur:
Mosengo can scarcely afford this passion for fashion. He worked eight months at his part-time job at a money-exchange shop to earn enough for the single outfit, one of 30 he owns, so he’ll never have to wear the same one twice in a month. He doesn’t own a car. He lets an ex-girlfriend support their 5-year-old son and still lives with his parents, sleeping in a dingy, blue-walled bedroom that is more aptly described as a closet with a mattress.
Hector Mediavilla has been working since 2003 to document the Sapeur in the Congo.
Photo Credit: “the internet”