DR Congo: After years without water, World Vision intervenes to give water to the inhabitants of Ishasha

By Rodrigue Harakandi, Communications Officer

Ishasha is a health area in the province of North Kivu, in the Rutshuru territory in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It borders Uganda. For years, this locality has been suffering from a lack of drinking water. The local authorities and civil society organisations have been advocating to find a partner who can meet this need and save the community from illness caused by drinking unsafe water.

Working in this town through its Childhood Rescue programme, World Vision has launched water catchment works to supply this community with drinking water and guarantee effective and permanent access.

In collaboration with volunteers and community partners, World Vision teams have begun the initial work of catching springs, which will enable water to be conveyed over a distance of more than 20 km. This is a real technical and human effort that testifies the organisation's determination to meet the vital needs of the Ishasha communities.

Imagine for a moment a life without drinking water. That's why World Vision's support is so important for the community of Ishasha. Thanks to this project, the lives of 9615 inhabitants will be transformed and water will finally become a resource accessible to all.

The Childhood Rescue programme has made this project a major priority for the current year. The urgent need to provide water to members of the community and save lives in this context of armed conflict requires substantial financial, material and human resources.

But collecting water from several villages and transporting it to another community can also create tensions and provoke conflict if the necessary precautions are not taken. This is why World Vision organises meetings with local leaders in the areas concerned, to promote the NEXUS approach and ensure that it is respected in all actions undertaken.

"We are optimistic and hope to work towards the success of the drinking water catchment project for the Ishasha community. Access to drinking water is a vital and urgent need that cannot be ignored. Together with our partners and members of the community, we can meet this need, for the well-being and future of Ishasha", says Ignace Ngwasi, head of the Childhood Rescue programme in the DRC.

The participation of civil society, the Cellule de Paix et de Développement de Binza (Peace and Development Committee of Binza), churches and local leaders is essential to ensure that all communities adhere to World Vision's vision and are ready to support the organisation in its projects. Together, they are building a future where clean water is no longer a luxury, but a fundamental right for all.

Thanks to the commitment of World Vision and the mobilisation of many stakeholders, Ishasha, a health zone in need of water, will finally be able to quench its thirst. One more step towards a world where no one will have to live without the precious treasure which is the drinking water.