Our Annual General Meeting was held on Thursday 27 June. We took the opportunity to organise our first symposium on the “One Health” approach, with guests from the Institute of Tropical Medicine, the Royal Museum for Central Africa and Médecins du Monde Belgium.
Digital livestock branding in Karamoja: a step towards sustainable development
In Karamoja, a region in north-eastern Uganda, communities face challenges such as climate change, poverty and conflict every day. An innovative initiative, supported by the Digital For Development Fund, is bringing hope by digitising the traditional practice of branding cattle. As well as strengthening the livestock-keeping value chain, this also contributes to peace between communities. Curious to find out how technology can make a difference in one of the most vulnerable regions in the world? Find out more about this innovative project and the way to a more sustainable future for Karamoja.
South Kivu: “Even when we work in emergencies, our interventions are sustainable.”
After two years of supporting displaced populations in Bwegera, South Kivu, we embarked upon a new emergency programme in Lemera at the end of 2023. This is a new town where our arrival was warmly welcomed by the population. Almost six months after starting our activities there, we checked in with Richard Maisha Barhabula, our humanitarian programmes manager based in Bukavu.
The career path of a female vet in the eastern DR Congo
Dr Safi Ngomora’s daily life has changed considerably since she was selected to expand our veterinary network in Katana (South Kivu) in 2019. Just short of her 31st birthday, this young Congolese woman currently heads a network of 72 community animal health workers who care together for more than 3,500 people’s livestock in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. And she doesn’t intend to stop there! Meet a vet who is as inspiring as she is determined.
Food.Film.Fest. 2023: on the transition to an agro-ecological food system
We participated in the agro-ecological film festival Food.Film.Fest again this year. We showed the film ‘Sur Le Champ!’, followed by a debate on the opportunities and challenges presented by a transition to an agro-ecological food system.
A look back at 2023
The year 2023 is drawing to a close. It’s been another year of inspiring moments, stimulating projects and valuable collaborations. Here’s a look back at some of the highlights of the past year.
Innovative projects transforming life in rural areas of Rwanda
With its insect farms, drones and the transformation of cow dung into cooking gas, Rwanda is one of the most innovative countries we work in. We take a closer look at three high-potential projects for the development of rural areas, which are attracting growing interest from universities and research students.
Pastoralism, a resilient system nonetheless under threat in Burkina Faso
What are the main challenges faced by pastoralist livestock keepers in Burkina Faso? When Hamado Ouedraogo, our country director based in Ouagadougou, visited Belgium, we took the opportunity to find out more. Of course we also talked about the solutions we are putting in place and our demands for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists planned for 2026.
Supporting displaced populations: our mission in South Kivu
Since April 2021, the village of Bwegera in South Kivu has been hosting displaced families from the highlands and uplands of Uvira territory. The inter-ethnic conflicts there are so violent that many residents have been forced to flee their homes, leaving everything behind. Since October 2021, we have been intervening on the ground to offer assistance to the displaced population and their hosts.
The LPVS’ recipe for success in Niger
The first Local Private Veterinary Services (LPVSs) were set up in Niger 20 years ago, initiated by Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Belgium and its local partners. Since then, we have made efforts to replicate this system in the other countries where we work, with varying degrees of success. In this article, we look back at the specific features of the LPVS model, the factors that have contributed to its success and the challenges encountered in Niger with our colleague Yacouba Mahamadou, based in Niamey.