The village of Kabweke, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is part of 5 Orange village projects launched this year. Construction of a school and health centre began in September.
2,000 families have moved to the undeveloped Basses Terres areas in the region of Béni (north-east of DRC), looking for farmland to support their family. These areas have absolutely no infrastructure. The school is made up of three straw huts which cannot hold all the children. There is no health centre. Currently around 15,000 people live in Kabweke.
The project includes the construction of a six class school, a health centre with an operating theatre, a delivery room, and toilets, as well as the development of a source of drinking water.
Before starting construction, the access roads had to be reinforced so that delivery trucks could access the site without difficulties. The local community therefore prepared 300 metres to provide access the construction site, and reinforced two bridges. It also worked on the future school site by removing palm trees and shrubs.
School construction began a few weeks ago. It can hold 300 students.
A team of carpenters has set up a workshop there to build desks. Planks will be purchased from a local logger.
It will take 9 months to build the school and health centre. The toilets and water source will take 4 months. The buildings will then need to be furnished. The whole project will take one year.
A micro-hydro turbine will be installed to supply low-cost energy to the health centre and to make it easier to set up income-generating activities.
