IDP (Internally Displaced People) Camps
Friends of CME Trust supported IDP camps around Beni from 2003 until 2009 via the organisation PPSSP, for example through food and hygiene supplies. After the displaced people began returning home the focus of our support changed (please see the other projects we currently support). Photos on the right show the IDP camps as they were when we visited in August 2004.
March 2011
During the last few years, the IDP camps have been disbanded as the people have been able to return home or rebuild new homes elsewhere. As a result, we have not needed to support PPSSP in their work in the camps since 2009.
April 2009: Project Progress Reports
A full, final report (April 2009) can be found here here (PDF).
An Interim report (January 2009) can be found here here (PDF).
January 2009: IDP and vulnerable people support project (PPSSP) - Interim Report
We've been helping fund various development projects aimed at helping the people re-establish livelihoods and become self-sufficient again. These include agricultural/farming (seeds, tools and livestock) and palm oil soap production. Eight camps are benefitting from this project. The work has now extended to include water and sanitation, health promotion, psychological support to victims of sexual violence and people living with HIV/AIDS, malaria prevention and reproductive health. Friends of CME Trust support has been specifically focussed on helping groups such as IDPs, orphans, widows, pygmies and other vulnerable people.
November 2005: Returning home from the Refugee Camps
These photos show people able at last to leave the crowded conditions of the IDP camps to return to wider open spaces - although they may continue to have only a tarpaulin for a roof.
Many of the diplaced people are large, young families and the thought of walking back 150 km was impossible. Friends of CME Trust and others have helped provide the fuel costs for the families to return. The solid and heavy items are packed on the truck - these are all the belongings for 60-70 people. The people sit on top of their belongings. The empty, plastic jerry cans tied on the back are essential for carrying and storing water.
2005: Jerry Cans in Beni - WATER CARRIERS DISTRIBUTION REPORT
PPSSP discovered that many women and children had settled in a camp at Talyata, in the Paida quarter of the town of Beni.
PPSSP's (Programme for the Promotion of Primary healthcare) mission is: To contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the populations by promoting good practices of public health and to contribute to the minimization of the impact of trauma caused by inter-ethnic conflicts, civil wars, sexual violence towards women and girls as well as victims of HIV/AIDS.
So PPSSP initiated a survey at Talyata on June 15th and found the existence of 650 households headed by women alone. Sanitary problems included: lack of clothing, malnutrition and signs of anemia, malaria, scabies, depression and anxiety, absence of hygienic latrines, consumption of unclean water, and no containers which with to fetch and conserve clear water.
PPSSP used the funds donated by Friends of CME (FOC) to purchase plastic jerry cans in order to provide families with containers for clean drinking water. 345 cans were distributed to women for the collection of water. 225 plastic basins were purchased and distributed to mothers who had babies so they can easily wash them.
These provisions have led to a decrease of diarrheal cases since each home has a good quantity of clean water. The ladies are keeping their cans very clean and they are using them well. In addition, having used to bath in the river, the women can now wash in the showers they have erected and they easily wash their babies and children. Thus, the scabies disease is progressively disappearing.
PPSSP sincerely thank the team of Friends of CME who kindly contributed to this donation for their compassion and their assistance to the vulnerable women and children of the site of Talyata.