Discover the challenges of the unique One Health project developed by Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Belgium, Médecins du Monde and Action pour le Développement des Milieux Ruraux in South Kivu.
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.
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.
DR Congo: an unprecedented One Health project in the heart of an area at risk from new, emerging pandemics
The Congolese people who live around the Kahuzi-Biega National Park share their homes with their livestock and go into the forest every day, where disease-carrying wild animals live. In doing so, they unwittingly expose themselves to zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans, which is how pandemics such as Covid-19 begin. This observation has prompted the consortium composed of Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Belgium, Médecins du Monde and Action pour le Développement des Milieux Ruraux to develop an unprecedented One Health project to the east of this nature reserve in South Kivu.
Flooding in South Kivu: our campaign to bring relief to the victims
In the night of 4 to 5 May 2023, an unprecedented flood ravaged Kalehe Territory in South Kivu, claiming more than 400 victims and destroying thousands of people’s homes. Thanks to our generous donors, we have been able to provide food aid to almost 300 people. A look back at that terrible night through the stories of three people caught up in the disaster.
New report on the success and challenges of Community Animal Health Workers
In the framework of a two-year project with the World Organisation for Animal Health, Vétérinaires Sans Frontières International just published an interesting literature review about Community Animal Health Workers. The network recommends several ways to improve practices.
Looking back at 2022
We are coming to the end of 2022, and it has been a rich year, both in the regions in Africa where we intervene and in Belgium. These images offer a reminder of some of the milestones of the past year.
“The Lake Kivu region is an explosive cocktail for the emergence of a pandemic”
How can a potential new pandemic be eradicated before it even develops? Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Belgium (VSF-B) is seeking answers to this problem, particularly in the Eastern Congo.
A network to protect animal health in South Kivu
Charline Nabintu and Safi Ngomora live in South Kivu in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The two women have never met, but they have a lot in common. Despite the underlying insecurity, they have both chosen to devote their careers to animal health, serving livestock keepers in the region. Safi is a vet and Charline is a community animal health worker. This is a service of great benefit to society in a region where most of the population depend on livestock keeping for survival.
Moving towards humanitarian aid
Thanks to the European Union’s Humanitarian Partnership Certificate, emergency aid actions are now within our reach. We should soon be able to help even more livestock keepers’ families.