How was this project received?
The project responds to a real need of the community. I notice it when I go to the field: the faces of the people light up when they see me . The children are happy to have drinking water at school and so are their families. Access to drinking water is a source of pride for the community, especially for the Batwa minority, who often felt excluded from development projects.
Did the community feel involved?
Yes, some concrete actions of reciprocity show how everyone feels involved. I was pleasantly surprised by their reaction: they immediately built fences to protect the infrastructure that transports drinking water. And then they organized themselves into watershed management committees.
What is the attitude of the authorities instead?
The authorities also show willingness to collaborate , we hope that this will contribute to the sustainability of the project. A member of the administration told me: “Access to drinking water is very important to us. We appreciate everything that is being achieved. That is why we do not fail to offer our support and collaboration.”
How far along are the works?
The water network is active. Monitoring actions have been undertaken to prepare for the official handover of the infrastructure, which will take place shortly. In the meantime, ecological latrines are being built for some families and for the Nombe primary school. Here the children have already started using the latrines, for them it is a great advantage.
Other ongoing activities are related to raising awareness among families to join community health mutuals , and to supporting those who have already joined. The training activity of community microcredit groups also continues.
What are the next steps?
Monitoring of community participation in the project is planned soon: it is essential to involve the management committees in each individual village. Regarding hygiene and health, there will be training sessions on the use of ecological latrines, on the use of organic waste as fertilizer in agriculture and on awareness and education on hygiene in schools.
