DR Congo: Between Lake Dangers And Conflict, WALIP Project Brings Water, Hygiene, And Hope To Vitshumbi People
Located on the shores of Lake Edward in the heart of Virunga National Park, in North Province, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the fishing village of Vitshumbi presents a contrasting picture. Its wild beauty hides a brutal reality: more than 29,000 inhabitants, including 5,000 displaced persons fleeing conflict, survive there without access to a source of drinking water. They are totally dependent on the lake, with dramatic consequences.
Every day, women and children are exposed to a double danger. To quench her thirst, 20-year-old Dulcine sums up the daily ordeal:
“The most pressing need here is drinking water because we drink water from the lake.”
This water is a source of waterborne diseases such as cholera, which is reported every season. The risk does not stop there. Juliette, 12, speaks with chilling clarity:
“I'm scared because a caiman ate my classmate who was also coming to fetch water.”
Hippos and crocodiles regularly claim victims during these water-fetching tasks, which have become a perilous quest.
Faced with this emergency, World Vision, through its integrated WALIP (WASH, Livelihoods, Protection) project, is taking action on two fronts: immediate and sustainable.
A vital emergency response: WASH kits
On the ground, the distribution of hygiene and sanitation kits (WASH) is providing concrete relief to more than 1,600 families in Vitshumbi. These kits, containing equipment for purifying and storing water, as well as essential personal hygiene items for women and girls, are a lifeline. KASAI, 53, expresses her relief: "I am relieved to receive soap, basins, jerry cans, and sanitary pads and underwear for my daughters and myself. "
This action is part of a broader response. In the territories of Rutshuru and Nyiragongo, World Vision has already distributed more than 4,200 WASH kits and plans to reach 9,980 kits by the end of the project. At the same time, the organization has built or rehabilitated 262 toilets and plans to build an additional 850 (latrines, showers) by 2026, responding to Dulcine's cry about the deplorable state of sanitation facilities.
Building the future: drinking water powered by solar energy
But beyond the emergency, World Vision is building a permanent solution. A little further into the village, a project of hope is underway: the rehabilitation of a drinking water supply system powered by solar photovoltaic energy. Carried out with local contractors and community volunteers, this system promises to put an end to years of dangerous chores. “Today, we distribute the means to protect ourselves. Tomorrow, we build the permanent solution” is the philosophy behind the intervention.
Beyond water: towards economic resilience
However, access to water, as crucial as it is, is only a first victory. As Augustin MUNYARUYENZI, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for the WALIP project, points out: "Access to drinking water is only a first victory. In Vitshumbi and the surrounding communities, survival depends on a single pillar: fishing. True resilience also means diversifying livelihoods, and here we can do that by training young people in new trades to build a more solid future."
This vision guides the “Livelihoods” component of the WALIP project. In a region where the fragile economy is at the mercy of conflict and the whims of the lake, securing safe drinking water is the first step on a longer path to self-sufficiency and peace.
The WALIP project thus embodies a holistic approach: protecting populations immediately with essential goods, building sustainable infrastructure to break the cycle of disease and danger, and laying the foundations for a diversified economy. In Vitshumbi, every kit distributed, every tap that will flow thanks to the sun, and every training course provided are the building blocks of a future where children like Providence, 4, who was found drinking water from the lake, will be able to grow up safely and with new dreams within reach.