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Tam-Tams from Kivu
Trails
of Kivu - March 2007
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Good
news! The route from Bukavu to Walungu was repaired in 2006; the 45
km trip is therefore reduced from a two-hour hard trek to a quicker
and more comfortable three quarters of an hour. Exchanges with
Bukavu for shopping, visits, reading and sending emails are much
easier now.
The red earth tracks of Walungu lead us to the Fonds Social du Kivu
(FSKi) hospital. This general reference hospital is the focal point
of a health care zone which comprises 19 health centres spread
throughout the region. Our NGO is continuing to intervene in this
very poor rural zone by supporting our local partner on many fronts,
including knowledge exchanges between North and South. Thus a doctor
and member of AAPK invited the chief medical doctor of the FSKi
hospital in Walungu to Belgium for an intensive internship at the
St-John Clinic in Brussels.
Not far from the hospital is the Uzima Technical Medical Institute,
where the nurses of tomorrow are being trained. The students are
spread out on the lawns under the shade of colourful trees, revising
their courses and preparing for their exams. An ambiance of
studiousness and calm is reigning in this beautiful setting. Thanks
to a donation from the Nicolas Cusanus Foundation, AAPK is supporting
a project which aims to modernise the contents of the library of
this nursing school.
A few kilometres from there, we visit a small local NGO which is
becoming our partner: the Groupe Engagé pour la Promotion Rurale (Group
committed to rural promotion). This group brings together 300 women
and organises the apportionment and distribution of seeds, tools and
fields necessary for food production, as well as breeding of
rabbits, chickens and guinea pigs. The agronomist responsible for
the project keeps a precise list of the contributions of each ... in
terms of dejecta; manure destined for the gardening fields is a
community effort as well! The produce from these fields supports
several thousand inhabitants of the region. AAPK is working with
this partner to launch new projects such as the purchase of cereal
mills. These machines will save much time spent currently on the
fastidious job of threshing and pounding of grains. Any surplus will
allow the development of a small commercial activity.
From the trails of Kivu back to Belgium where AAPK is renewing its
NGO status this year. This is an opportunity for us to
reflect on our activity in the domain of health and integrate other
aspects of local development such as education, agriculture and food
supply.
Thank you for your generosity which is helping us to develop
projects in this region!
Donate
now
Receive
the Tam-Tams from the Kivu
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