Joint project Municipality of Frederiksberg and Danish Refugee Council

Final Report Joint project Municipality of Frederiksberg and Danish Refugee Council In the Faradje Territory, DR Congo Submitted by Danish Refugee Council, DR Congo Programme, 30 Septembre 2013 Location of the project: Faradje Territory, Haut-Uélé District, Oriental Province, DRCongo FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 1 of 17

Introduction and background During 2012 and 2013, the town of Frederiksberg raised funds for a project to be executed in cooperation with Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Area of intervention and context According to need assessments and the analysis of the context, the DRC Programme in DR Congo chose the Territory of Faradje for implementing the planned interventions. The Territory of Faradje and surrounding areas. The three communities where this project was implemented are highlighted: Vorani, Udukwa, Tsore/Ombatsi. The territory of Faradje lies in the very North-Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo and is part of the Oriental Province (red marked on the left upper map), which is the biggest Province of the country. Part of this territory is covered by the vast Garamba National Park, while the rest of the area is relatively sparsely populated with small villages that mainly live from agriculture. Since 2009, the Danish Refugee Council has had an operating base in Faradje, the main town of Faradje territory, from which the organization works throughout the territory. The reason for DRC s presence in Faradje is the presence of the Lord s Resistance Army (LRA) since 2008. This rebel group, initially active in Uganda, has chosen the Garamba National Park as a hiding place from military efforts to combat the LRA. From Garamba National Park, the LRA has launched extremely cruel attacks against the population of Faradje Territory. Crimes such as executions, mutilations, kidnappings and forced recruitment of adults and children, pillaging as well as burning down houses, forced a large part of the territory s population to leave their villages and seek refuge in calmer areas. FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 2 of 17

In recent years the number of LRA attacks has substantially reduced and only few attacks by small groups with less violent methods are reported. For this reason, many households that had fled the territory of Faradje are now returning to their home villages. However, during the long period of displacement and conflict, basic structures such as schools, health centers and wells have been destroyed. As the impoverished population has difficulties in rebuilding the basic structures without external assistance, the Danish Refugee Council is supporting the population though education, protection, water and Sanitation as well as agricultural projects. The Frederiksberg project supported 3 different communities of the Faradje Territory: Tsore, Udukwa and Vorani. The prioritized sectors were education as well as water and sanitation. Access to Education: sites of intervention 1. Tsore Tsore is located 82 km North East of Faradje and has experienced several LRA attacks since April 7, 2009. As a consequence of the insecurity, the local primary school Ombatsi- Mbyandu Primary School was closed for one school year. With the last attack in Tsore dating from March 2010, a large percentage of the households that fled Tsore have returned to the village and reopened the school, in buildings made of mud and brick walls covered with straw roofs. However, the learning environment is deplorable. 2. Udukwa The village of Udukwa, just 16 km North East of Faradje town, is located in an area that has been particularly affected by the LRA s attacks, due to its proximity to Garamba National Park. The first attacks in Udukwa started in December 2006 and continued the following years. Throughout 2011 and 2012 the security situation in the area has improved so that the former inhabitants began to return. However, sporadic small-scale attacks in the surroundings of the village have resumed since December 2012, yet with a less brutal mode of operation (stealing of food and clothes but no killings). In Udukwa, the returning population has set up a school built of local materials (walls made of wood, with a straw roof): Lemvo Primary School. However, the buildings are in bad state. Moreover, the school was located several hundred meters away from the main road as well as from the surrounding houses. As this distance from the school to the habitations presents a security risk for the school children, the community of Udukwa wished to construct the new school buildings closer to the main road. FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 3 of 17

Construction works DRC works through a community based approach : this means that all along the project implementation no unilateral decisions and no action without the active involvement of the target community is taken. This is in order to reinforce local capacities, to capacity build and support local skills and resources, to empower community members and to ensure understanding and involvement in the development of their own community. Community anchoring also goes through purchase of local materials (according to availability) and the voluntary support of community member in the construction process. From above left: Local materials are provided and stored with the local community s help. Wood is stored and ready for use in the construction site; sand is purchased from the local community and charged on a DRC vehicle; big stones necessary for the foundation works are collected by the community. FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 4 of 17

Construction work: step by step DRC locally hires a qualified team of skilled workers, who will be supported by volunteers from the community for light and easy tasks. An experienced Congolese engineer (DRC staff) conducts, supervises and manages all construction processes. Above: Udukwa s community helping the construction team in digging foundations for 6 classrooms and 1 office at the new Primary school. To the right: Tsore s construction team has already finalized the stone foundation and is listening to DRC s engineer for furthers instruction about installation of plank pillars. Below: Udukwa s community is bringing stones and sand to construction sites, supported by logistic means provided by DRC (trucks and pick-up cars). In the back, the school structure made by a concrete foundation and a wood frame starts to take form. FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 5 of 17

Local skills, tools, technologies and capacities Local artisans use a straw pouch for roof-nails (focus below), which they fix to their belt (see picture to the left) before stepping onto the roof in order to sit on the wooden structure and fix the tin-roof. Above and below: burned oil, left over from mechanics shops, is extremely good to preserve wood from termites. The entire building is carefully painted all around. Above: cement is mixed by hand and the whole team is working on making the floor once the mix is ready. In fact, due to the hot weather cement is drying quite quickly and the construction team has to use it all before it gets useless FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 6 of 17

School furniture Schools furniture is also provided: 25 double desks and benches for students, 1 table and 1 teacher chair, 1 black-board for each classroom. The principal s Office is also provided with a table, chairs and a black-board Production of school furniture: cutting, assembling and painting wood According to standards no more than 2 students should sit on each of these double benches, but very often classrooms are overcrowded and 3 or even 4 children have to find their place on it Group photo of construction team at EP Lemvo (left) and EP Ombatsi-Mbyandu (right), in front of the newly finalized building. The construction team is recruited among community members, to support and strengthen local capacities and initiative. DRC provides supervision, technical guidance and support in order to achieve its objectives through capacity building and empowerment of the local population. FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 7 of 17

Latrines Each school was equipped with 2 sets of 3 latrines: 3 for girls and 3 for boys. Latrines are also semi durable structures made with a concrete base and a wooden structure. Clockwise from above left: waste is collected in a 3 m deep septic tank, the wooden structure is built after the cement floor has dried; a water tank is provided for hand-washing : rain water collection is foreseen through a collection system. On the photo below right: The septic tank is ventilated by a plastic pipe which is protected with a tiny net at its extremity. By this simple, but fundamental setup, air is circulating but no insect is able to escape the tank and contaminate the surrounding area. FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 8 of 17

Opening ceremony At the end of the construction work, the entire community was engaged in organizing the best opening ceremony, according to local customs and traditions. All local and state representative leaders were invited, every one having right to a speech, a dance and an official dedication for the new building. Pupils organized small theatre-sketches, poems, songs and dances, whereas the whole community was paying small contributions in kind for preparing the traditional cassavabased meal: fou-fou and pondu, a kind of cassava-polenta accompanied by stuffed cassava-leaves. An official ribbon cut and visibility board installation was also part of the ceremony, lasting all the day long, from dawn until sunset. FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 9 of 17

Results achieved The town of Frederiksberg financed the construction of 6 class rooms and one office at Lemvo Primary School, as well as co-financed with POOLED FUND 2 blocks of latrines of 3 compartments each at the same school. With the same funds it also co-financed with POOLED FUND the construction of 6 class rooms and one office, as well as 2 blocks of latrines of 3 compartments each at Ombatsi- Mbyandu Primary School. Before After Comparing schools buildings and infrastructures before (left side) and after (right side) the joint intervention of Frederiksberg town and DRC: Above : Ombatsi-Mbyandu Primary School; Below : Lemvo Primary School. The school building is made by 6 classrooms and one principal s office. A semi-durable school is made by wood and has a concrete foundation. FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 10 of 17

A picture is worth a thousand words schools furniture at Ombatsi-Mbyandu. Latrines are build in 2 separate blocks; each block has 3 compartments: one block is meant to be for boys (above right: G for garcon is marked on the door), the other one for girls (below right: F for fille). FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 11 of 17

A view inside the latrine: as the photo shows, the previous state of the Ombatsi-Mbyandu latrines was dangerous for the safety and hygiene of the pupils. Pictures of the original state of Lemvo Primary School latrines are not available since there was no infrastructure in place at all: children and teachers were just going into the bush for their needs with leading to protection and hygiene risks. 772 children now have a safe and adequate place for learning, playing and meeting: 538 children (229 girls and 309 boys) in Ombatsi/Mbyandu and 234 children (139 girls and 95 boys) in Lemvo Ombatsi/Mbyandu School Year 2012-13: enrolled students Classes Enrolled students Girls Boys T 1st 66 84 150 2nd 88 85 173 3rd 29 58 87 4th 18 36 54 5th 17 31 48 6th 11 15 26 Total 229 309 538 Lemvo School Year 2012-13: enrolled students Class Total per class Returnee Displaced (IDPs) Local G B T G B T G B T G B T 1 st 32 15 47 12 9 21 4 3 7 16 3 19 2 nd 25 19 44 10 7 17 2 0 2 13 12 25 3 rd 24 17 41 9 6 15 4 1 5 11 10 21 4 th 27 18 45 13 9 22 6 3 9 8 6 14 5 th 18 12 30 7 6 13 2 4 6 9 2 11 6 th 13 14 27 5 5 10 1 2 3 7 7 14 Total 139 95 234 56 42 98 19 13 32 64 40 104 FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 12 of 17

The statistics illustrate the high percentage of children from households that returned to Udukwa and of households that are seeking refuge in Udukwa since their villages of origin in the interior of the Garamba National Park are very unsafe. Despite the infrastructural problems of the school the children are very motivated and some of them walk 2 hours every morning to reach the school. The same 2 hours have of course to be done again back home in the afternoon. In order to also enhance the quality of the teaching and to contribute to a safe learning environment at Ombatsi and Lemvo Primary School, DRC organized trainings for the teachers on the National Curriculum for Primary Education as well as workshops on risk reduction, children s rights as well as on hygiene promotion. Moreover, DRC supported vulnerable children in both communities through school vouchers and psychosocial counseling. These activities are equally co-financed by the POOLED FUND. Access to safe ad pure water: sites of intervention The territory of Faradje, has, as many parts of DR Congo, no systematic water supply system. Each household fetches their own water at water sources. However, most sources are not protected. Thus the originally clean water that emerges directly becomes polluted at the surface and presents a health risk if used for washing or consumption. 1. Udukwa In the village of Udukwa, where Frederiksberg s support enabled the construction of the new Primary School Lemvo, a need in Water and Sanitation was also been identified. Before the beginning of the project, among the 3 sources existing in the village, none was protected. 2. Vorani The village of Vorani is located about 30 kilometers North-east of Faradje on the same main road as Udukwa Village. Being relatively close to Udukwa, Vorani has a similar history as Udukwa, but the attacks in Vorani started later (in 2009) and since 2011 no attacks in the direct surroundings of Vorani have happened. Vorani counts an approximate number of 1944 inhabitants. The village has 8 sources, of which only 4 were already protected. Because of the distance from protected sources and because of lack of education about the risk of using polluted water, the population uses all 8 sources. Construction works A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with the local community after discussions about terms and conditions of the mutual cooperation between them and DRC. Local leaders involved their community and 15 signatures were gathered in order to have an equal representation of social-, age- and gender groups. FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 13 of 17

Signature of the MoU in Vorani The local community is the main actor in its own development by taking active part in each step of the construction work: creating free access to the source (above left), situated in the middle of the forest; by witnessing material deliveries by DRC (above right); Digging water tanks and drains; supporting the construction team by mixing cement (all pictures above and at right side). FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 14 of 17

In order to arrange a source its captage zone is protected against the pollution through animals and humans. The water is channeled into pipes so that it can be directly filled into jerry cans or canisters without getting polluted. Results achieved Frederiksberg s supported DRC to intervene in 2 communities for the construction/protection of sources. Village Men Women Boys Girls TOTAL inhabitants 01 Vorani 546 698 340 360 1944 02 Udukwa 339 350 298 283 1270 In Udukwa community: In order to allow access to clean water, DRC targeted the most frequented source in the village, Bhuda Source. In Vorani community: To make a further step in access to clean water for Vorani s population, DRC protected the Apilinvoyo Source. This was a highly used source, despite not meeting hygiene standards. FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 15 of 17

In addition to source construction, trainings on domestic and daily health and hygiene, as well as water consumption and conservation, were held in each target community. At the same time a Water Source Committee has been put in place in order to maintain and look after the work. Left: representatives of the community participate in training. The majority of attendees are women, since water drawing, domestic work and children s hygiene is mainly considered as their task Before After Comparing sources before (left side) and after (right side) the joint intervention of Frederiksberg and DRC: Above : Bhuda source in Udukwa; Below : Apilinvoyo source in Vorani. FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 16 of 17

A protected source provides clean water and thus reduces health risks in the village. On the other hand, the source becomes a meeting point where clothes or other items are washed. In certain cases they even attract small scale business for example for the production of palm oil as the pictures below illustrate. Maman Birundyi (in all two pictures of Apilinvoyo source in the previous page and here above on the left side) was already using Apilinvoyo source for drinking water, domestic use and especially for the production of palm oil. She is an elderly woman of Vorani and really appreciates how the newly protected source gives cleaner and better water. She specially appreciate how the new access to the source facilitate her work and how for drawing water she no longer needs to enter into the muddy pond previously created by stagnant water. Above: Palm oil production just beside Apilinvoyo source in Vorani. A big quantity of water is used to press palm oil-nuts: a woman is pouring water into the oil-well while others are turning the press full of oil-nuts at Bhuda (left) FREDERIKSBERG and DR Congo FINAL REPORT Page 17 of 17