Lullabies of the abandoned

摘要

In Kinshasa, the vast and sprawling 1 capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the disabled have enjoyed just two state-sponsored perks: half-price passage on the ferry across the Congo river to Brazzaville, capital of the smaller (and arguably even less democratic) Republic of Congo; and free entry to the city's derelict zoo, which houses a handful of mangy animals. If you can hobble or wheel yourself onto the ferry, you may be lucky enough to join the mafia-like gangs trading in cheap clothes, alcohol and cigarettes.