DR Congo: Support for the rural population

Hugo Mambote, the head of the health service, at an information and awareness session on Covid-19. Photo: CEK.

The Congolese government's measures have had a major impact. Schools and restaurants have been closed throughout the country, and gatherings of more than 20 people are banned - including regular church services. In addition, traffic in and out of the capital Kinshasa is closed. Outside the city, transportation options are also severely limited, and prices of basic foodstuffs are already rising in some places.

Another problem is providing the population with important information about the virus. In Kwango province, only a few people have a radio. Access to the Internet is practically unaffordable for anyone. In order to inform the particularly affected population in rural areas, our partner church CEK active. CEK's Service de Santé (SSC) is active in Kwango Province and is now conducting awareness campaigns there.

An intervention in everyday life

In general, rural provinces are not on the government's radar when it comes to preventive measures against the Corona virus. The main focus is on Kinshasa. All the more reason for the CEK to become active in the Kwango region through the SSC with preventive measures and awareness campaigns.

But this is not always easy, because many people want to ignore the virus and have trouble even mouthing the word Corona. Even everyday life presents enough challenges for many, and the idea that major changes are imminent due to the Corona virus frightens many. The professionals from SSC explain to people why it is important to wash their hands and follow spacing rules. In several teams, they visit the people in the villages and explain to them, with pictures or with information flyers, what measures they can take to protect themselves from the Corona virus.

Multipliers in action in the countryside

There is hardly any testing in the DR Congo, and if there is, it is only in Kinshasa. The SSC therefore uses multipliers in Kwango, i.e. people who disseminate the most important information on the course of the disease Covid-19 and the prevention measures against the virus in a certain radius.

The official advice from the government is more or less the same as here in Switzerland. In addition, caution is advised in contact with live and dead animals. The SSC has adapted its information material to the rural population and added some points:

  • If there is no more soap, wash your hands with ash, the roots of our bushes that lather like soap (kuanda), making sure to thoroughly clean the spaces between your fingers and nails as well.
  • Avoid greetings and hugs with passersby
  • Avoid traveling to other villages

The SSC's prevention work in the Kwango on the Corona virus is important for the local population. This is because the SSC adapts its information very specifically to the lives and daily routines of the people in the region and complements the information provided by the government. In this way, the SSC makes it easier for people to implement the measures and thus makes an important contribution to the health of the population.

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