Enhancing Access to Improve Drinking Water Sources through Strengthened Community Resilience in Congo DR

Congo, DR

The main project objectives were to enhanced access to improved drinking water sources and sanitation facilities, to strengthen community health resilience through the CBHFA (Community-based Health and First Aid) approach, and to fight against malnutrition through early detection and community-based case management. The project has been operationally and financially completed and the overall assessment of the project and been highly satisfactory. The Grant contributed to improving the health and care of the population by reducing the incidence of disease and water-related malnutrition in the Bas-Congo and Equateur provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Through beneficiary participation in the planned activities: 1) Improved abilities and stronger knowledge on vaccination of the population contributing to curb the rate of vaccine preventable diseases 2) Improved hygiene practices and knowledge contributing to curb the rate of water related diseases. The project key achievements are: • Reached 327,987 people • reached 108,390 refugees • trained 90 volunteers for the project • trained 25 community relays for the project • reached 470 households through home visits • improved 4 water points • constructed 7 boreholes • constructed 22 school latrines • provided 1,505 slabs for the construction of family latrines • 1 sanitation campaign has been organized in public places and 15 volunteers took part in it. • 1 cassava mill for Income-generating activity (IGA) in Bas-Congo province in the DRC RC. • 9 malnourished children were detected and directed to the health centre for support • 1 malnourished male adult was detected and directed to the health centre for support • 77 pregnant women have been sensitized and oriented towards the maternity for antenatal visits. Beneficiaries: The project benefited the people of Libengue, in the South-Ubangi provincial health Division (218,959 persons and 96,390 refugees) and Nsona-Mpangu in the Bas-Congo provincial health Division (109,028 persons and 12,000 refugees). These people live in urban and rural areas. The direct beneficiaries included malnourished children who benefited from supplementation in the community, children who have abandoned vaccination and are vaccinated, pregnant women who did not receive prenatal care and those who directly benefited from the facilities built under this project. Implementation: Faced with the collapse of the socio-economic infrastructure and mass population movements, resulting in inaccessibility to drinking water and water related diseases, the Red Cross and the Central Africa Country Cluster Support Team (CCST) of the Federation worked in collaboration with other partners, notably UNICEF and the Ministry of Health (MoH). The implementing partners have been very active in determining the location of beneficiaries and choosing the activities. In addition, UNICEF provided logistical guidance for needed supplies. These partners equally worked in parallel for implementing this project.