Healthy Village, Healthy School: a participatory programme in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is gradually recovering from two decades of instability and conflict that have plunged its people into a state of extreme poverty, especially in the South Kivu province. The chronic crisis has not spared the water, hygiene and sanitation sector, and the government has developed the Healthy Village, Healthy School ("Village et école assainis") programme in response. Caritas Développement Bukavu is an active member of the Water and Sanitation group led and coordinated by Unicef to improve water and sanitation services and basic hygiene habits.

The supported project gives people served by three health centres in Nyantende, Kaziba and Kadutu (24,000 people) the benefit of access to safe drinking water nearby (water fountains and supply systems) and improved sanitation facilities (latrines and rainwater recovery tanks) for families, schools and the health centres. The community and its representatives are included in the decision-making and operational process, establishing local water governance and developing community action plans in the 12 villages and the health centre and a maintenance and operation plan in the four schools. Training for village committees in maintaining the facilities, collecting payments and raising residents' awareness of best practice also guarantee a long-term future for the project. The 12 rural communities, the health centre and the four schools have consequently received national "Village, écoles et centre de santé assainis" certification.

This very comprehensive project targets long-term development by integrating the problems of malnutrition and education: better access to schools equipped with toilets and handwashing facilities, while avoiding the time spent on water-fetching duties for girls, enabling them to attend school. As part of an experimental nutritional component, high-quality agricultural inputs and tools have been distributed to beneficiary households in order to combine water and sanitation with a healthy diet and achieve a holistic impact on people's quality of life. Training has also been provided in setting up a kitchen garden to provide a more varied diet.