Where we work

CRDI headquarters’ office is based in Woodbridge, Virginia but most of the field level activities are planned and carried out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRCongo), and in partnership with the local churches and the development partners (Ministry of Health, USAID through a few international NGOs, and local communities).

The Congo Health Center project is the first field level activity that has been initiated with donations of medical equipment and supplies from CrossLink International (a faith-based US-based PVO).

The Congo Health Center Project

The purpose the Congo Health Center (CHC) project is to increase access to facility and community-based high impact primary health care activities that can reduce morbidity and mortality among infants, children, and mothers who live in the catchment areas of the health center. The first CRDI-assisted Health Center is located in Binza-Ozone Health Zone of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Screening of Malaria infection in children

The direct and indirect beneficiaries of the requested Grant are the estimated 30,000 people (men, mothers, children, and the elderly population) who live in the catchments areas of the Health Center. This includes the estimated 6,600 women of reproductive age and the estimated 6,300 children less than five years of age.

The major project interventions include:

malaria control and prevention
diarrheal diseases control,
immunization against childhood communicable diseases and the related Maternal and Child Health services;
provision of prenatal and post-natal care including family planning;
assisted delivery;
school health/hygiene education;
training and promotion of nutrition including exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate weaning practices;
screening and treatment of confirmed cases of pneumonia and tuberculosis,
screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs); and
prevention and case management of opportunistic infections in people living with HIV/AIDS.

WASH Project

Low cost & locally made rope pump,

maintained and repaired by the communities

Available WASH statistics from DRC indicate that less than 30% of the rural population in the Congo has access to potable water sanitation and hygiene. Because of this, CRDI plans to work with its local and international partners to develop and establish community –supported Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program activities in target provinces and the related health zones (HZ). Based on the local needs confirmed by the communities and the hydro-geological studies, CRDI will support and promote the introduction of the locally made Rope Pumps. Under the predecessor projects funded by USAID and UNICEF, this experience has already been tested with success and can be sustained and expanded in rural areas. The drilling component of the Water project will be assisted by the use of motorized drilling rigs that can be contracted locally through implementing partners (World Vision, SNHR, etc.) that are available at provincial levels of the target provinces (Kasai central and Sankuru). The problem associated with imported water pumps is that once the pump has been equipped to a deep or shallow well, maintenance and repair of those pumps has presented many problems that include: the lack of spare parts on the local market, and the relative high cost for the replacement of those pumps from India or France (with estimated delivery cost is $950.00 each).

Based on the above, CRDI and its partners plan to introduce the innovative approach to train local manufacturers using a professional trainer and expert from a third country (Mali/Niger) to ensure quality production of needed rope pumps and the related spare parts that will be available locally at low cost to ensure the regular maintenance, repairs, and replacement of rope pumps when needed by the Water Development Committees in target rural communities.