United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
Jean-Tobie Okala
20 November 2008
An "Apprenticeship and training college for the profit of mothers with badly nourished children" has just been opened in Iyonda, 12 kilometres from Mbandaka, financed by MONUC within the framework of its Quick Impact Projects (QIPs).
With the support of the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF, the Congregation of the Brothers of Saint Joseph's Workers, initiator of this project, trains these women in various trades, in particular in the hand manufacture of soap.
The centre has fields of soya and other beans, which make it possible for the women to compensate for the lack of protein in their children's diet.
According to the temporary governor of Equateur province, who inaugurated the centre on November 18 last, "the MONUC QIP project is not only fast, but it has a visible impact." It will contribute to reduce poverty and to aid development in the province.
The temporary governor criticised "the partners of the provincial government who announce projects with pompous budgets, which are then never realised," before demanding of them to follow the example of MONUC.
The head of MONUC Mbandaka called for the "good use" of this investment; because "used better, it will give to the recipients a new chance in life". He pointed out the very detailed attention that MONUC always gave to maternal and infantile health.
On the whole, some 5,639 families of the Zone of Health of Iyonda are concerned with this QIP project, which costed MONUC a little more than $US8,000.
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