WASH Project Launched to Improve the WASH Status In the Communities in Conflict Zones

More than 139,000 people living in 60 villages of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will soon be able access safe and affordable drinking water and improved sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, thanks to a project recently launched by World Vision and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“We are committed to improving the lives of children living in very difficult conditions characterized by armed conflict and most recently the Ebola virus disease,” says Helen Barclay-Hollands, Director of World Vision's work in the Eastern Zone,  DRC.

Access to clean water and improved sanitation and hygiene will help in the fight against diseases--including Ebola--and improve the quality of life for women as well as young girls who normally walk long distances in search of water often from contaminated sources.

People with disabilities, women and children, will be the primary beneficiaries of the new and rehabilitated WASH infrastructure. This part of the country suffers a number of crises, including Ebola, which when combined are leaving an estimated 13 million people, including nearly six million children, in need of humanitarian assistance.

"I hope that this project, through its community-centered approach, and its attention for sustainable management of water and sanitation, will have a long-term impact on the lives of the people in the targeted villages," Dr. Timmo Gaasbeek, First Secretary / Water and Environment says.

Together, World Vision and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs are convinced the project will spur development and safeguard vulnerable children in rural communities that are difficult to access. Implementation will follow the DRC government-developed methodology to engage the community in a systematic way and foster a sense of community ownership and confidence.   

Through all its projects, World Vision engages communities in multi-sectoral interventions, including WASH, to address development deficits and improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities, especially children.

As a Christian organization established in 1950, World Vision has been working in the DRC since 1988. Last year, 1.8 million vulnerable children benefited from the organisation’s programmes, enabled through the support of various partners, like the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For Further Information Please Contact:

Helen Barclay-Hollands, Director Eastern Zone,

Email: Helen_Barclay-Hollands@wvi.org

Patrick Abega, Communications Manager,

Email: Patrick_Abega@wvi.org

Jorien Schermers-Hart, Programme Officer,

Email: jorien_schermers@worldvision.nl

Anne-Marie Connor, National Director

Email: , Anne-Marie_Connor@wvi.org