Members of the Community Health Club in Acibalongo, South Kivu, who represent 135 of the village’s 140 households
English
Builders from the Community Health Club in Acibalongo support a vulnerable family to build a latrine
Discussing an image during a meeting of the Community Health Club Mwatembo 1. Mwatembo village began with one Community Health Club,
but now has three
Villages in South Kivu in which Community Health Clubs have been set up with the support of Africa AHEAD and Tearfund have already witnessed significant changes in terms of hygiene behavior and sanitation, Africa AHEAD found during recent visits. Villages are now planning further initiatives around health, education and the local economy.
Members of the Community Health Club in Acibalongo sub-village, who represent 135 of the village’s 140 households, say that issues of poor hygiene around water points have been resolved, the occurrence of disease has been reduced, and the practice of open defecation is disappearing.
Acibalongo has a high water table, which makes digging latrines challenging. To address the issue, four members of the Community Health Club who are builders or craftsmen have formed a group to provide advice and ensure other members don’t dig below the threshold depth. With the support of masons, they are also helping more vulnerable members of the club with latrine construction, and training others to carry out the work themselves.
Bread of maize and Ndagala
On 5 October 2015, Africa AHEAD joined an intervention by the builders and masons to construct a latrine for the family of Basengelele Juma. Afterwards, participants shared a lunch of ‘bread of maize and Ndagala (small fish)’, and agreed that they would discuss with the rest of the Community Health Club how they could contribute towards purchasing cows to provide milk for the family’s children, with the head of the village offering to provide somewhere to keep them.
Members of Acibalongo’s Community Health Club say being part of it has ‘woken them up’ and brought about a change in their mentality. They are now planning to set up a primary school in the village, having realised that six members of the club are qualified teachers.
From sanitation and hygiene to savings and loans
Mwatembo village started with one Community Health Club but now has no less than three, and is witnessing a similar process of mobilisation. Having seen the difference in hygiene and cleanliness between their own village and those without a club, members have decided to share their new knowledge and encourage other villages to follow suit.
In line with the mutual assistance strategy it has set up to build latrines for vulnerable families in the village, Mwatembo 1 club has also established a savings and loan scheme, enabling members to take out short-term loans to support businesses. Once the club has completed its training in health and hygiene, members plan to set up a village bakery.
Africa AHEAD visited Mwatembo 1 on 26 September 2015, joining a session on malaria prevention. Afterwards they met a girl called Regina in the village, whose mother and father are both members of the Community Health Club. Regina did her parents proud by correctly describing when it is important to wash one’s hands, and demonstrating the process perfectly.
