{"id":6047,"date":"2020-11-26T11:38:55","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T10:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vivasalud.be\/dr-congo-toegang-tot-water-in-de-strijd-tegen-corona\/"},"modified":"2021-03-18T17:45:59","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T16:45:59","slug":"dr-congo-the-fight-against-coronavirus-and-access-to-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vivasalud.be\/en\/blog\/2020\/11\/26\/rd-congo-la-lutte-contre-le-coronavirus-et-l-acces-a-l-eau\/","title":{"rendered":"DR Congo: The fight against coronavirus and access to water"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the time being, the<\/strong>he number of infections and deaths due to Covid-19 in DR Congo remains lower than initially feared. Nevertheless, convincing people to protect themselves properly <\/strong>is a long-term project<\/strong>. The spread of the virus must be halted at all costs to avoid a health catastrophe. In a series of interviews, our partners explain how they are doing this, despite the many obstacles.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And amongst these obstacles is the issue of access to safe drinking water. Our partners, Etoile du Sud and CODIC, have been campaigning for years on access to water, and today this issue is more crucial than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What impact have the coronavirus measures had on your work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Aziza Mupa Kasiama, head of \u2018De la Racine aux Ailes\u2019, a member organisation of our Congolese partner CODIC: \u00abWe were deprived of our freedom of movement. Those who had jobs could no longer work. Through \u00abDe la Racine aux Ailes\u00bb, we went to speak to the authorities to explain that we are a member organisation of CODIC, a social organisation whose aim is to raise awareness amongst its members. But we were no longer allowed to gather in groups of more than 20 people.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How were you able to carry on with your work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u00abWe\u2019ve put together a group of three people who are experienced enough \u2013 reliable people. Because when we go to visit people at home, they often say to us: \u00abNo, no, no, don\u2019t come because of the coronavirus.\u00a0\u00bb But we had to get our message across \u2013 that they needed to wash their hands and protect themselves properly.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also went to see the authorities to tell them that we needed electricity so we could follow the news on television. That\u2019s not possible at the moment because there\u2019s no electricity. We\u2019re also supposed to wash our hands, but there\u2019s no water! We were then given two months\u00bb worth of water for free, but as the supply is often unreliable, we didn\u2019t have much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Health campaigners from Etoile du Sud are handing out posters and going door-to-door to inform people about measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Brigitte Bikumba, chair of \u2018Dynamique des Femmes\u2019 in Etoile du Sud: \u00abTake Kalamu, a commune known for its poor sanitary conditions. There is virtually no access to water. People were willing to follow the hygiene measures recommended by the authorities, but they simply had no water at the time.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we wanted to make a difference, we couldn\u2019t just stay at home and do nothing. So, in small groups, we went out to raise awareness amongst our members about this disease. We made posters and banners. We went door-to-door to inform people and explain how to protect themselves from becoming infected.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How could you convince people to take preventive measures if they don\u2019t even have access to water?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During our prevention campaigns, we realised that not everyone can afford to buy hand sanitiser or a disinfectant. That is why we gave our members this advice: \u00abIf you don\u2019t have anything, use ash\u00bb. Ashes are effective for disinfecting hands, washing up, cleaning toilets or maintaining sanitary facilities. We therefore recommended using ashes. It was the easiest way to reach almost everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other videos:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n