République démocratique du Congo: Programme de réhabilitation de l’agriculture dans la province orientale (PRAPO)

BFFS components

The overall goals of the JP components are to:

• Improve the health status of the target population
• Support improvements in household nutrition
• Improve the availability of primary schooling
• Improve access to clean drinking water

Operating in a fragile post-conflict environment in a remote and inaccessible part of this vast country, the programme has been slow to become operative, and risked the withdrawal of BFFS funds as a result. Various challenges including a change in programme staff in September 2010 have caused delays in implementation. These delays have particularly slowed the provision of infrastructure by the JP: schools, health centres and wells. However, a supervision mission in February 2011 noted the impact that the programme is having on the rural population.

Health

A brand new health centre is being built and medicines have been delivered to the Yangambi health centre to be distributed on to the different health zones. Eight doctors have received training and will head each health outpost. 105 community health workers have received training, 22 of whom are women. 38 individuals have received training in the handling and storage of medicines. More than 78,000 basic medicine packages have been distributed.

In order to ensure good outreach of community health services, the JP has funded the purchase of 5 ambulances, 2 motorboats, 100 bicycles and 6 motorbikes.

Schooling

Five primary schools are either being constructed or rehabilitated, and school equipment is ready for delivery once the building works are completed. A total of 325 schoolteachers have been trained and 6,850 girls uniforms have been distributed.

The project has purchased two motorbikes to facilitate awareness raising campaigns to ensure that families in the target area understand the importance of sending their children to school, especially girls. A further 8 motorbikes are to be used for inspection and coordination of the new and rehabilitated schools.

Nutrition

Thanks to BFFS co-financed interventions, 300 malnourished families have been identified in the target area, and will receive nutritional support from the health centres. The JP has also introduced the use of fiches de croissance, a system of monitoring of the health and nutritional status of newborns in 25,000 households.

The 6 motorbikes provided will also be used to carry out nutritional surveillance and training.