Central African Republic

2008 : Emergency assistance to victims of the Central African Republic conflict – Vakaga Prefecture, Central African Republic

In 2008, following an emergency programme in the Central African Republic and in the framework of the decision made by the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission (ECHO) to support the victims of the crisis in northern Central African Republic, Triangle G H carried out a programme aimed at improving access to water and sanitation facilities for the people of Vakaga, North-East CAR.

The programme, that was funded by ECHO, led to rehabilitation of 12 existing bore-holes. Each was equipped with hand-operated pumps. Maintenance agents were trained and supplied with the tools and spare parts to maintain the structures repaired. The latter ensure a daily supply of  some 120,000 litres of water.

In parallel, 20 wells were created or rehabilitated to ensure that each site involved provided good quality water, in sufficient quantity and on a constant basis.

In terms of sanitation, 404 latrines were built in the targeted sites (e.g. sites presenting the highest concentration of people, therefore the highest health risk). 

To back-up the programme’s technical activities, Triangle ran a widespread campaign on good hygiene and water practices. Among other benefits, this led to the creation of health committees in the villages involved.

ECHO’s contribution goes even further than the activities directly funded: by allowing Triangle to sustain an appropriate logistical and human set-up, ECHO is helping us achieve additional projects, such as food and cereal seed distribution.

2009: Towards sustainable access to good quality drinking water for vulnerable populations

In 2009, when the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission made a second decision to aid victims of the crisis in the Central African Republic, ECHO once again chose Triangle G H as a partner and financed a program to improve access to potable water for the people living in Sam Ouandja (Haute-Kotto Prefecture).

This new programme plans the creation and/or rehabilitation of 21 water points. Currently, 18 of these wells are of the traditional type; they give access to polluted water, in insufficient quantity. Out of the 287 wells identified in the town, 18 were chosen because of their appropriate location in each area of town and on the edge of a private concession or road, enabling public access. Three bore holes will be built at the end of the program. They will be the first to exist in the Haute-Kotto area.

The 21 water points targeted by the programme will provide drinking water. The community will doubtlessly use the other wells for domestic purposes. From the very start of the programme, we must anticipate a change of practices and strongly involve the beneficiaries. For instance, the citizens’ commitment can operate through water management committees and voluntary community agents in each area of the town. Acting as informal agents for the programme, such volunteers relay the principles for using and maintaining the wells; they also help the beneficiaries understand the advantages of systematically drinking clean water.

No bore-hole currently exists in the Prefecture. Triangle G H is therefore participating in the town’s development, responding to the beneficiaries’ demand, and helping to support national policies regards development of access to water. In addition, this innovative project plans to equip every renovated/created well with a highly simple, locally built pump enabling water extraction without opening the well. As is de rigueur today, such improvements prevent contamination of the water because it is no longer necessary to throw poly-polluted buckets into the well to collect water.

Triangle will organise several awareness sessions and meetings in a constant endeavour to involve the beneficiaries individually or collectively, and to ease their transition to new practices attached to the water made available through the programme.

Furthermore, during the programme’s implementation, Triangle G H will devote time evaluating the situation of neighbouring villages where, we already know, the extremely poor and isolated populations have no access to water.

Thanks to ECHO’s support for this programme, by the end of 2009, sustainable access to a sufficient quantity of good quality drinking water will therefore be improved in Sam Ouandja. At the cost of less than 15 euros per person.