Water Sanitation and Hygiene

Access to drinking water and sanitation is a human right. But at present, hundreds of millions of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in North Kivu, do not have access to drinking water and thousands of people cannot access the sanitation services they need. SOC works to guarantee the populations of the entire North Kivu equitable, sustainable and affordable access to water and sanitation services. To achieve this goal, we help villages in the different territories of North Kivu to implement effective emergency, recovery and long-term WASH programmes. Improving access to and awareness of WASH in North Kivu is an integral part of our overall health and care work to create healthier and more resilient communities. Collectively, we serve reach more than thousands of people each year with quality water supply, sanitation and hygiene activities. Our work in EHA includes both a “hardware” and a “software” approach: On the “hardware” side, we are building WASH infrastructure such as community toilets and water pumps. We also repair or build sewage systems, water storage and water treatment facilities; On the “software” side, we carry out hygiene promotion and behavior change activities to improve people's knowledge of good sanitation and hygiene practices (such as proper handwashing). We also help communities to effectively manage and maintain their water supply, hygiene and sanitation facilities. Increasingly, we are integrating WASH activities into other areas of our long-term and emergency work, from nutrition and protection to gender and inclusion. And we are constantly researching and innovating new WASH technologies and tools to better serve our communities.