Mission to Mwenga: Day 7

3 décembre 2009

On the long return journey today, we had a reality check on how aid agencies are seen from the outside.

As we waited at one of the numerous roadblocks, a woman approached us and said she needed to be transported immediately to hospital, as she had been raped the day before (it is important to receive medical treatment within 72 hours).

We asked her some more questions, and it turned out that this was not the case, but that she knew that if she said she had been raped, that a medical NGO would straight away take her to the town.

One of the things you always have to consider when doing an assessment, and when starting up a new project, is also the negative impact that your assistance can have. It is easier to see the needs, sometimes glaringly obvious, but it is harder to see the longer term effect that your presence or your aid can have.

In a place like Kitutu, which has received very little external assistance, we have to be careful that if we provide a medical response, it will not only help the most vulnerable population in the short term (like the displaced population) but also that we don’t weaken the health care system in the long term.

As we put together our project proposal back in the office in Bukavu next week, we will have to do a good analysis of how are assistance can be as effective and beneficial as possible.

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