DR CONGO

PUBLICATIONS

Poster presented by Amans Ntakarutimana at Regional Health Conference Bujumbura 2017

Look and Learn Visit between IRC and a Tearfund project. 

Before starting the CHC project members from IRC went to Fizi to check how the CHCs had done which were started by Tearfund with the help of Africa AHEAD over two years ago. They came back with a positive experience, as they had seen that there had been large scale response by the community with most having a latrine and a tippy tap. HOwever they also picked up that since Tearfund had left the CHCs had stagnated and many complained that they never got the certificates that they had been promised. This is an example of how NGOs cut corners in the CHC method and short change the community because of lack of understanding of how important certificates are as an incentive. We sincerely hope that IRC will not make the same mistake and will set up a long term programme so as to sustain the CHCs past the initial health training.

SOUTH  KIVU

March 2015

The Pilot of CHC in DR Congo is taking place in one District: South  KIvu.

20 CHCs have been started after a training was held in April. 2015.

The Oxfam-Tearfund Consortium was awarded a Contract under the DFID-funded WASH Results Programme (WRP). Africa AHEAD is an Implementing Partner within this Consortium. ODI  are conducting an evaluation for DFID to monitor the Outcomes and assess Value for Money and sustainability aspects of this ‘payment-by-results’ form of contract until March 2018.

The Community Health Club (CHC) approach for achieving sustainable hygiene behaviour change and holistic development was piloted in DRC  to identify if the CHC Model can add value to the National Village Assaini (VA) Programme in terms of sustainable hygiene behaviour change, Value for Money and effectiveness and will be measuring five dimensions of sustainability: Functional, Institutional, Environmental, Financial and Equity. By the end of the year the Local Authority was impressed and has asked Africa AHEAD to continue in the District.

 SOUTH KIVU

 August 2018

IRC is starting 8 CHCs in one District: South  Kivu. This intervention provides an example of how at very little cost an NGO is able to start up CHCs with the help of Africa AHEAD facilitators, based in Rwanda who were able to come at very short notice and provide the training.  This was done at the instigation of Peninah Muthenge, the Health Promotion Advisor for DRC, who has had experience of the CHC capacity to change behaviour in Zimbabwe.

The workshop took place in Luberizi, South Kivu with 16 CHC villages facilitators and IRC staff and local health centre staff. In total 21 participants  took part in this introductory training provided by Africa AHEAD where they learnt firstly, how to start up a CHC, elect a committee and map their village, after which the first few health sessions were done so as to provide some training in a participatory style of facilitation. All sessions were based on the AA  Manual which had been further adapted and edited in french to be more suitable for the DRC. There was not enough time allocated to complete the full training so additional training will have to be scheduled once the facilitators have registered their CHC members.

Click here to read the full workshop report 

Dr.Juliet Waterkeyn, Director of Monitoring & Training, Adaptation of Manual and training material for DRC

Amans Ntakarutimana was responsible for the Tearfund Project 2014-2015

Marcie Mberira was responsible for the IRC training in 2018