Project profile — Better Beginnings, Stronger Families

• Congo, Democratic Republic (100.00%)

• Education, Level Unspecified: Education facilities and training (11120) (36.00%)
• Basic Health: Basic health care (12220) (43.00%)
• Developmental Food Aid/Food Security Assistance: Food aid/food security programs (52010) (21.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Children's issues (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)

The project improves access to basic education, health and livelihoods for 200,000 individuals living in 10 villages in the territories of Walikale and Lubutu located East of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The project also supports good governance in the communities and their understanding of environmental issues. To improve children’s access to basic education, particularly for girls, the project includes building or renovating eight schools and provides equipment as well as training on good teaching techniques to 80 teachers. The project also involves youth in development projects to build their awareness about environmental and development issues. In addition, the project aims to achieve better access to public health services by building or renovating and providing equipment to seven health centres in six villages, as well as latrines in seven villages. The project also provides health training on illness prevention, reproductive and early childhood health services to 35 community health workers, and provides training in illness prevention and children's health to 200 volunteers in the target communities. Other activities include protecting six natural water springs, creating and training village committees to protect these springs, and ensuring that at least 40% of committee participants are women. Finally, the project aims to ensure improved livelihoods and access to sufficient healthy nutritious foods by increasing agricultural production. Activities include: distribution of equipment to farmers; training in animal husbandry for 150 women farmers; training in agroforestry for communities to improve soil quality and crop yields; establishing seven tree nurseries in the villages and ensuring that at least 40% of participants in the newly-established village development committees are women. The project emphasises in particular gender equality so that women can gain access to positions of greater influence and of greater responsibility within their community. The local Partner is Union of Associations for Gorilla Conservation and Community Development in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (UGADEC).

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (i) Increased use of improved teaching methods and environmental education by teachers, and increased number of primary school aged children attending eight target schools; (ii) increased use of new knowledge by health workers and community members, and of primary health care services and family planning by communities living around seven target health centres; (iii) increased use of clean water and local management of water sources by local communities living around the ten targeted water sources; and (iv) increased use of improved sustainable agricultural techniques, livestock husbandry, and forest and resource management.

Results achieved as of December 2014 include: (1) completed renovation/construction of three schools for about 3,100 students and equipped them with pedagogical material (books, dictionaries, posters, maps, and didactical materials) and furniture (22 benches per classroom, furniture for teachers and the directors’ offices; (2) built a block of six latrines in each school; (3) completed the renovation/construction and equipment of three health facilities with operating and gynecological tables, medical kits, solar panels and other health care supplies for about 14,500 people; (4) started renovation/construction of four schools and four health structures in July 2014, and were 95% complete before the end of the year; (5) built a block of four latrines and two showers, one incinerator, and one placenta disposal hole in each health facility; (6) trained 346 health workers and community volunteers in disease prevention methods, reproductive health and family planning management tools, early childhood health and sanitation; (7) trained 136 community based development agents (CBDA) and 146 health workers on health topics such as prevention of infection from HIV and other sexual transmittable diseases as well as family planning methods, early childhood care; (8) educated 62,956 people in family planning and reproductive health issues; (9) protected 5 springs in four villages one of which is attached to a water piping system that contains three fountains; (10) trained five water committees to be operational; (11) trained 350 farmers in sheep, rabbit and chicken husbandry, veterinary care and sustainable use of the livestock; (12) distributed 432 animals (sheep,rabbits and chickens) to trained farmers; (13) 500 students have joined active Roots & Shoots groups in the three schools. Roots and Shoots is a youth action program which empowers young people to address issues in their communities; (14) established three tree nurseries with the help of women; and (15) 13,140 fruit trees and 129,385 indigenous seedlings were planted by members of communities on their land. These have improved access to basic education, health and livelihoods for beneficiary communities in the territories and Lubutu located East of the Democratic Republic of Congo of Walikale and Lubutu located East of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Proactive disclosure