BULENGO BRIEFING, DAY 13
Various health challenges are still preoccupying the camp of displaced persons in Bulengo. This was noted on March 6. These include the cleanliness of toilets. The latter are initially fewer in number and more concentrated in a single part occupied by the former displaced persons. They are divided into blocks of 60 households in the camp.
This Monday, it was necessary to measure the impact of the hygiene tools distributed last week. Indeed, in the past few days, AGIR's community animators have been raising awareness about hygiene. This organization even proceeded to the distribution of some Kits composed of a bucket, a scraper, a water can but also broom. A significant advance in the framework of hygiene.
It is 9 o'clock in the morning, the animators begin the tour. A child, visibly 4 years old, is sitting in the toilets of block 102. Astonished, the animators want to know where she comes from and why she is there, alone. Suffering from stomach ache, she speaks with difficulty and cries. They decide to alert the neighbors. Very quickly, some mothers came to wash the child. Taking advantage of the crowd of people, they raise awareness on the issue of cleanliness of toilets.
In some blocks, the toilets are clean because they are practiced hygiene, others are dirty and smelly. If for some the dirt is due to the fact that they lack toilets, others have them but do not have cleaning tools, and still others require the construction of toilets.
The displaced persons in blocks 90, 91, 93, 94, share four toilet doors. Describing the situation of these toilets, Gasago Célestin, head of block 90, indicates that there is a need to build other doors. More than 400 people share four doors. We have to clean them every time but we don't have any (Bave clore) or OMO to clean and prevent the bad smell," he says.
In addition, other toilets have big holes and this is a big risk for children. In the sensitization, facilitators then proposed to the hygiene teams to organize for the cleaning of toilets although insufficient. Cleanliness should not only happen in the morning, but they are used all day. says Jenny Paria to a group of mothers.
On the other hand, the team of psycho-social counselors has carried out 19 visits and psychological follow-up, including 18 women and 1 man. Tulinabo Muhanuka, 18 years old, is a young man from Block 97 who has been sick with a bleeding wound since he fled the war. He was listened to and then referred for treatment at the camp hospital clinic. He will continue his treatment the next day.
On the way back, a group of children build kites and play together. One of them, Styves, has come from Bulungu. He is playing with his blue pants (school uniform). A month later he does not know when he will return to school to continue his fourth year of primary school. His dream is to become a teacher. When I grow up I will be a teacher and I will teach the students how to make peace", says this child.
