In the Democratic Republic of Congo
of the population has access to a safe source of clean drinking water.
of children die before reaching the age of five.
of DRC’s children are not vaccinated for the most common childhood diseases.
of Grauer’s gorilla populations have disappeared from eastern DRC, declining from 17,000 in 1995 to 3,800 today.
The places where we work in the DRC are politically volatile. People and animals alike have suffered from the ongoing conflict there. JGI is committed to implementing multi-year projects despite uncertainty and danger. The eastern DRC includes enormous rainforests – the “green heart” of Africa – which is critically important habitat for chimpanzees and the highly endangered Grauer’s gorilla, also known as the eastern lowland gorilla. Protecting the forests is essential to the long-term survival of great apes.
Our current project, Delivering Healthy Futures, is based on the understanding of a strong and interactive relationship between the health and sustainability of human communities and the integrity of the local ecosystem.
Working with our office in Goma, as well as field workers, volunteers and community members, the goal of the Delivering Healthy Futures project is to reduce maternal and child mortality rates in 20 villages located along an important wildlife corridor in eastern DRC.
Train local community members on reproductive health and prevention of childhood disease
Build new maternal health clinics
Support the implementation of a region-wide vaccination program
This project is funded in partnership with the Government of Canada, through Global Affairs, Canada.
The current Ebola outbreak has not affected the three territories in DRC where Delivering Healthy Futures is based. We are determined to be proactive and have integrated messaging about Ebola through our WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) outreach, thus raising awareness about the threat of the disease, how it is transmitted, and how to prevent its spread. We continue to closely monitor the regions we work in to ensure the health and safety of our staff and beneficiaries.