Bulenga - ITA Buzi/Bulenga

Published December 2013

Congo (Democratic Republic of the)

270

People Served

Rain Water Harvesting

Recognition Text

mycharity: water

Project Cost

$6,503.64

Local Partner

Action Against Hunger

Field Notes

Students here used to walk up to two hours to collect water for school. The water wasn't safe to drink and often made them sick. Thanks to your help, the students now have access to water right at school! And most importantly, the water is safe enough to drink.

charity: water projects at schools like this one use clean water as a catalyst to improve the overall health of kids and the surrounding community. That means this school project includes a water source, but also hygiene training.

Our local partner educated all students on proper hygiene practices and formed student hygiene clubs, who will continue to spread understanding of good practices in school and their community.

Working in the South Kivu region of the DRC presented two challenges. The team at ACF has worked hard through supply chain issues and conflict to complete this project.

In the Spring 2012, a conflict between the Congolese army and other armed forces in eastern DRC forced a migration of refugees into South Kivu. With the number of internally displaced people quickly increasing, natural resources were at an all time low.

The delivery of pipes and accessories, which includes finding the correct materials, shipping and navigating customs, took extra time. In addition, DRC is a large country -- transporting materials across demanding terrain made delivery complex.

Our partner Action Against Hunger was able to continue their activity on the ground and have since reported a 30% increase in the number of people with access to clean water! In total, 13 schools and 5 health clinics were able to gain access to a safe water source, and many water committees were created who have contact with local authorities. About 250 household latrines were built in Kivu. This significantly improves hygiene and sanitation.

With over 100 water points serving the communities in South Kivu, women and children no longer have to walk for several miles and hours to get water. Thanks to your help, they now have enough water per day for drinking, bathing, cooking and everything else. Most importantly, the water they bring home each day is safe enough to drink.



Note: There is no picture of flowing water for this project, but rest assured it is working. Many of our projects are in remote areas and it can be difficult for our implementing partners to visit every single water point at the exact time that water is being collected. In these instances, our partners take the best photo that they can.


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