Hi there, Mbote!

We are Christian and Martina, two Italians currently based in Kimpese, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since January, we have been undertaking a six-month international volunteering placement with Humana People to People.

The project involves nine rural villages, but we are working in three: Wene, Kisiama and Kinanga. Our work focuses on three main areas: agriculture, hygiene and nutrition.

Here , the communities face numerous challenges and difficulties every day , the foremost of which concerns access to water – the most essential resource, yet one that is not guaranteed. Instead of going to school or engaging in other activities, women and children walk for miles every day to reach the river and fill buckets with water which, sadly, is not even drinkable. This water is used for washing, cooking and drinking. However, it is contaminated: the river is used as a public toilet, due to the lack of latrines, and as a rubbish dump, as there is no waste management system.

Consequently, the water becomes a vehicle for many infections and diseases. Diarrhoea, in particular, caused mainly by contaminated water and food, leads to malnutrition, especially among children. In a context where access to medical care is limited, these diseases can have very serious consequences.

One of our tasks here is to raise awareness among village communities about the importance of hygiene and to promote the installation of handwashing facilities. However, this seems counterintuitive: how can we encourage people to wash their hands if the available water is limited and contaminated? This is why we have decided to launch a fundraising campaign to build wells that will allow us to tap into groundwater, thereby ensuring that these people also have access to this vital resource that everyone should be able to access.

HOW WILL WE USE THE FUNDS RAISED?

The aim is to provide communities with clean, safe drinking water that is always accessible, reducing the risk of disease and infection and improving quality of life, especially for children. The funds raised will be used to purchase the necessary materials and pay a team of workers who will dig to find water and install the hand pump.

Thank you for your support.

Bayooo!