It has been almost one year since when we decided to found
"ACQUACHIARACONGO"
foundation with our dear friends. The goal was to support children and widows of one of the most devastated parts of Congo, namely North KIVU. Ongoing wars, lack of institutions, continuous exploitation of the country’s natural resources by other rich countries have forced the residents of this region to live in barracks without water, light, sanitary services and schools.
The sensitivity and generosity of people from Lanciano and other parts of the world helped us meet the most urgent needs signaled to us by Sister Brigitte and Madame Bibiche, who work day and night for the good of their people.
With these pages of our journal, we’d like to present you all the projects we have realized so far with absolute transparency. This will allow people who made contributions so far to feel a part of all the good that had been realized and the gratitude from the part of the children and the widows.
Lanciano, October 2016
This has been the first intervention from our side: there were no desks or chairs at the school.
Sister Brigitte, our contact person in Goma, realized this project with our contribution.
In a short while, 450 students of the "Reina de la Paz" school were able to attend to classrooms and listen to their teacher while seated; just like our kids can.
The poor widows were trying to support their families by carrying goods on their shoulders for others for a few cents.
Bibiche’s co-op together with our contribution has provided them a small credit for them to start a small economic activity. This initiative had success and liberated widow mothers from the heavy work they used to carry out.
A beneficiary of our microcredit
The floors of the schools were made of dangerous and dirty volcanic material.
The precarious state of the floor
These floors have been renewed using cement. We are very proud of having saved the feet of 450 kids and their teachers.
A phase of the works
A classroom with the new floor
The small feet finally safe
The school of Goma is made of wooden shacks. Bad weather and poor maintenance have unfortunately made, over time, the entire structure very dilapidated.
The precarious condition of the walls...
...and of the windows!
We decided to restructure all the walls and the windows of the school in order to give the school a more dignified look and to make it safer for the children.
The work...
...completed!
Before they were destroyed and dirty, now they are beautiful and decent
Drinking water in Goma is only available in the central and rich neighborhoods.
The majority of the population has to carry this precious liquid on their shoulders in plastic bottles for kilometers.
Most of the time it’s the women and the children who have to provide water for their families in heavy plastic bottles.
A girl getting water from the lake
We have sent 30 rolling water tanks (rototaniche). These cylindric tanks are made of plastic and they have a metal handle. These rototaniche allow women and children to carry water to and from long distances without feeling tired.
Assembling of water tanks
Now children are having fun rolling the water
We have constructed a fountain with 4 tube in a poor area of Goma.
A phase of the construction of the fountain
The tubes are very solid!
Finally no longer the lake, but a fountain near the house!
Everybody is around the fountain!
This speaks for itself
We made to build a reservoir to collect rainwater for hygienic purposes and cleaning of the classrooms.
The construction of the base of the reservoir
The reservoir takes shape
The internal walls
Works finished
Both Brigitte and Bibiche studied needlecraft and are very good at making clothes. We have decided to donate three sewing machines to build a small atelier in Goma. The aim of this project was to provide a source of income and jobs for some of the women under the guidance of Brigitte and Bibiche.
This project has been realized thanks to two of our dear friends Ilenia and Emiliano. This young married couple decided to give a considerable amount of contribution for buying machines instead of distributing wedding candies.
Young seamstress with one of the new sewing machines
The Association thought that also the widows of Bibiche and their children have the right to celebrate the most beautiful day of the year with a
CHRISTMAS LUNCH
We’ve sent an amount of contribution to buy quality food and meat in unusual quantities for the families. Their joy and gratitudes can be clearly seen in the photos.
Distribution of Christmas supplies
The smiles and the poster of gratitude
The school "Reina de la paz" have been chosen as the sister school of the kindergarten "Il Girotondo" in Lanciano. The first thing the kids of this kindergarten did was to share their toys with the kids in Congo. The distribution of the toys have been realized a while ago, during the recommencement of the school.
The joy of the children who received the toys was irrepressible. The educational value of this initiative had a profound effect on our children.
Sister Brigitte distributes the toys