The Democratic Republic of Congo is only one country away from being the worst place on earth for life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living.
Potentially Africa’s richest country, the Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered merciless exploitation and conflict over its vast resources of timber, minerals, oil and gas.
In 1997, DRC plunged into a many-sided war, at one point involving armies of six African nations. By 2002, more than 4 million people had died: the deadliest conflict since the Second World War.
Lack of access to safe water, sanitation and healthcare is compounded by humidity and high rainfall – an ideal breeding ground for epidemics.
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Region |
Nyanzale |
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Map |
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Who’s being helped |
588 latrines have been built by the community working together, as Nyanzale didn’t have any toilets before the project began. |
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The project |
Tearfund’s Disaster Management Team began work in Nyanzale by raising awareness about the benefits of sanitation and hygiene. They then distributed tools to groups of 10 households, to enable them to work together to dig a pit and build their own latrine. The Disaster Management Team also distributed hand-washing buckets. |
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Sustainability |
The project has encouraged community members to use locally-available materials for the floor, walls and roof. |
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Benefits |
Statistics from the Nyanzale Health Centre indicate that malaria rates have decreased by 78% and diarrhoea rates by 53%. |
