What are we doing?
With a few family members we decided to step into the footsteps of our uncle missionary and travel to the Northern part of Congo, Aketi in February 2015.
Together with the people of Aketi, we set a list of their goals of needs. That’s why we started with family and friends the nonprofit organization Aketi.
Description of the project, partner organization, in the developing country.
Our partners are the non-official representatives of the local population: the school direction, parent committee, société civile, parish and especially the professors of the University of Kisangani who discovered the local community with us.
We defined the projects with them as follows:
basic needs, urgent.
- potable water, drilling of water wells (the surface water wells are contaminated)
- electricity with solar panels. The population does not have any money for generators and fuel. Step by step the small installations of 10 KwH on the hospital and schools…
- communication via internet and computers to promote better connectivity with the world, to support education, to be in contact with the university of Kisangani: courses in agriculture methods for continuing agriculture and variety in nutrition.
2. Education: short and long term
- delivery of school benches, black boards, school material, utensils for the technical school. ( there are about 30.000 kids, the schools are in poor conditions).
- sanitary provisions in schools, today barely existent.
Computers and beamers to allow the University of Kisangani to teach the local population durable agriculture and diversification in nutrition.
- grants to send students to the University of Kisangani with 4 to 5 years of education with the commitment to return to Aketi.
3. Start up of agriculture and livestock farming, model projects following the instructions of the professors of Kisangani. This has to improve a secure source of food and avoid starvation.
- chicken farming
- pig farming
- fish ponds
4. Long term: rebuilding of the neglected rubber-, palm oil- and cacao plantations to create jobs and income to the community.
Aketi can since 2 years to be reached by trucks.
Mid and long term goals
Another 3 water wells for potable water and pumps.
- Increase the number of small-scale pig farms, chicken farms.
- schools: more school benches, teacher support.
- continue grants for students.
- more sanitary provisions in the schools are necessary.
- solar panels on other locations.
Restarting neglected rubber-, palm oil- and cacao plantations with the expertise of the professors of Kisangani. The organization of the plantations and the production led by the local population, offer employment to the local people.
We have started several projects to provide for the basic needs (water, electricity, school equipment).
More and more, however, our projects will focus on the people taking charge of their own future (agriculture, farming, plantations).
This is also the vision of the profesors of the University of Kisangani.
They have the saying "don't just give fish to the people, but teach them how to fish".