Kasangulu Area Program

The Kasangulu community is located in the Bas Congo province, close to the capital city of Kinshasa. The community is spread across hills, and was founded long before the country's independence. There are old buildings built by colonisers that today are used by local administration.

Despite this history, however, the majority of people in Kasangulu do not have access to adequate shelter. Houses are not made of concrete and homes do not have enough space for families with as many as 7 children. Also, for security reasons, it is very common for people to keep livestock in their homes, which puts them at risk of disease.

There are two seasons in Kasangulu: rainy and season. The rainy season lasts from September to May. Kasangulu is rich in natural resources, such as forests and rivers. People in the area make a living selling charcoal, firewood, bricks, and vegetables. However, these activities contribute to the destruction of the environment through deforestation, land erosion, and a decrease of crop production such as cassava, plantains, and beans.

Livelihoods
The majority of people in Kasangulu practice agriculture as their main economic activity. They usually grow cassava, maize, and peanuts. However, 80% of crops consumed in the area come from Kinshasa or from other cities. The farms around Kasangulu belong to private owners, and the majority of community members have difficulty accessing arable land. People often have to travel five kilometres away from their homes to find available land for farming.

Fish breeding is another community economic activity in Kasangulu. Fishponds help households produce fish for sale and household consumption. This enterprise suffers, though, from a lack of fertilized fish eggs for improved production. Fish breeders also lack the technical expertise needed to gain full benefit from their activities.

Health
Despite the presence of health services in the community, less than half of the population uses them. Many go to traditional healers or try to treat themselves, as they cannot afford to pay health centre fees to receive treatment. Health centres assist women during childbirth, however not all medical staff members are properly trained to do so.

Recurrent diseases in the community include malaria, acute respiratory infections, diarrheic diseases, and malnutrition. HIV & AIDS remains a threat in the community, as knowledge about its spread and prevention is low. Water sources are not well protected, which often leads to households using polluted or contaminated water. In addition, many families do not have hygienic latrines, which further exacerbates sanitation problems.

Education
Primary education in Kasangulu has been characterized by the high number of children who do not attend school. Many households cannot afford the monthly school fees, and there aren't enough trade schools in the area, many young people are undereducated and unemployed.

The number of primary and secondary school-aged children in the area is increasing, and the existing school infrastructure is insufficient to educate all of them. Of the existing primary and secondary schools, almost 60% are not properly equipped and do not offer adequate conditions for learning. Many do not have desks, libraries, water, or latrines. The quality of education in the community is also low. Although qualified teachers can be found in primary schools, they do not have access to periodic training to improve the quality of their teaching. There is also lack of qualified teachers for secondary schools.

Livelihoods
To ensure parents in Kasangulu can provide for their families, World Vision will partner with the community to:

• Increase the agricultural productivity of households to improve their economic resilience.
• Improve household income by facilitating savings and access to credit in order to conduct income-generating activities.

Health
With the partnership of Canadian sponsors and the community, World Vision will work to:

• Improve access to and quantity of clean water for the community by drilling boreholes and installing water pumps.
• Promote good hygienic practices through education campaigns on the importance of good sanitation, including promoting the use of toilets.

Education
To ensure children can access and benefit from quality education, World Vision will assist the community to:

• Increase the number of school-age children attending and finishing primary school.
• Enable adolescents to learn a trade to increase their vocational skillset and help them obtain employment.
• Retrain social workers and teachers to provide students with an improved learning experience.