A lot has happened in the past month in our project to increase access to water in Cunene, part of the Strengthening of Resilience and Food and Nutritional Security in Angola (FRESAN) programme.

Training local Water and Sanitation Groups, as above, promotes local ownership and future sustainability of the project. Members of Water and Sanitation Groups also received kits to help them in their work.

Well-building and youth employment go hand in hand at the project. The Water Brigades, composed of young people from the participatoing communities, help construct wells, water tanks and water systems, as here in Canuno in Oncocua.

Refurbished wells save lives. They also save precious time and effort. Four trucks brought material to improve a total of 12 wells, two going to Naulila and two to Ombala-yo-Mungu. 12 communities will soon have safe drinking water and shorter distances to fetch it.

Integrated Community Development works with whole communities to addresses a wide variety of the issues that affect them. The basis of ADPP’s project in Huíla and Namibe is drought and poverty among vulnerable populations, which is being tackled through the drilling of wells, the installation of solar energy and training in conservation agriculture, but with an end goal of self-sustainability, these populations require solid organization and many more tools, more knowledge and more skills to maintain development.

Community led total sanitation is one such component, and very much in focus in September. Reducing the incidence of illness caused by a lack of basic sanitation is being achieved through the construction of latrines that is helping eliminate open air defecation. Age is no limit, nor is gender, as demonstrated by a senior lady in the village of Kacu-1, in Gambos Municipality (PHOTOS) who is preparing to build a latrine for herself and her family. Complementing the latrines, and a key measure for preventing the spread of disease, are simple hand washing systems known as tippy taps. They are low cost, simple to use, more hygienic than sharing the same basin, and require little water. Even the most recent villages to join the project learn about community led total sanitation from the very start, as in the case of Kahila where a ceremony on 23 September to celebrate the event included demonstrations on sanitation.

Elsewhere at the project, September is proving to be a very busy month with harvesting from vegetable gardens, construction of firewood-saving stoves, actions against Covid-19 at schools, Covid-19 vaccinations for the community health agents, major cleaning actions in villages and at town markets, maintenance of and improvements to solar energy systems, campaigns to register births, agricultural training including practical lessons on organic compost, special attention to families most affected by drought.

September is also an auspicious month, with the celebration of World Literacy Day at the project in Gambos, combined with the official launch of the Women’s Economic Empowerment programme that is benefiting female farmers at all ADPP Angola’s agricultural projects.

Community led total sanitation in Kacu-1, Gambos.

After the initial training session on the dangers of open air defecation, this lady decided to build her own latrine.

Creating the hand-washing habit.

A monthly meeting with a presentation of plans for the coming period for Farmers Field School members in Caco, Gambos.

Tables set up ready to inform community members about how to register births and how to get a national ID card.

Opening of the school year at School nr. 707, Rio de Area in Tchibemba, Gambos. The Department of Education counts on ADPP's support in the fight agains Covid-19 and other diseases.

The projecto working with the local administration on a community cleaning campaign.

New batteries mounted at the Ndongue health post by the firm Green América

Fishing communities in Bengo, Luanda, Cuanza Norte and Malanje are receiving assistance to improve their production and income. As always, this is only half the story in the effort to enhance living conditions.

Education, health, nutrition and sanitation are elements of the equally important social component of the project, where health and nutrition mean both knowing how to prevent disease or illness as well as having the means to stay healthy. One of those means is the fresh, nutritious produce that participants are harvesting this month from model vegetable gardens, where a sea of green promises an abundance of beans, lettuce, cabbage and carrots.

Literacy learners in Malanje received their diplomas at the beginning of September at an event organised by the Provincial Education Department to mark World Literacy Day. 48 participants passed Module 1, eight passed Module 2 and 20 passed Module 3. World Literacy Day celebrations in Cuanza Norte took place at the community jango in Cazanga. Massangango Administration, Cambambe Adult Education, directors of two schools in Cazanga, traditional authorities and literacy learners enjoyed the spacious shade of the hut, which is one of several built by community members in the project implementation area. Also well under way is the construction and use of community and household latrines that are contributing to improved sanitation and a reduction in disease in the villages.

AFAP Bengo realizou o encontro de planificação com os representantes da fiscalização do Zenza do Gulungo para definir o programa de trabalho para os próximos dias.

Pedreiro a trabalhar na armação para colocar o tampo na latrina modelo no Caxiri e Cazanga sede.

2 latrinas modelos já foram colocados os tampos nos buracos.

Latrina modelo de Caxiri, a entrada a direita já está concluída e a esquerda ainda em processo.

Dentro da latrina modelo já em Cazanga sede.

Processo de transporte de área para os trabalhos das obras (latrinas e jangos)

O projeto AFAP Malanje recebeu a visita da PCA da ADPP Angola. Fizeram uma visita guiada pela directora Municipal da Agricultura e Pescas de Malanje

Defumadores e tarimbas já estão a ser plantadas na comunidade na Cazanga sede e Porto Pesqueiro).

Manutenção do Jango do porto pesqueiro.

Pavimento do Jango de Caxiri já na reta final.

Em pleno dia mundial da alfabetização numa cerimonia organizada pela direção provincial da Educação em Malanje a ADPP Angola no ambito do Projeto AFAP, aproveitou a ocacião para fazer a gradução de alfabetizandos que terminaram os modulos 1, 2 e 3 respectivamente

Foi comemorado o Dia Internacional da Alfabetização, com a participação da coordenação do ensino de adultos de Cambambe, Administração de Massangano e as direções de 2 escolas do ensino geral, Cazanga.

A cerimonia foi realizada no jango comunitário de Cazanga sede com as autoridades tradicionais e os alfabetizados dos 3 módulos.

De forma fasiada uma parte da equipe do projeto AFAP/ADPP Malanje apanhou a 1 dose sa vacina contra Covid-19

Já arrancou a colheita de feijão na horta modelo de Caxiri e Porto Pesqueiro

Drought in Cunene has caused thousands of people to cross the border into Namibia. Tons of relief supplies from the governemnt and the allocation of land by the River Cunene in Curoca are some of the emergency measures being taken to alleviate the situation. Longer term solutions are major infrastructures including large dams and lengthy pipelines.

ADPP is working on immediate solutions as part of the FRESAN proejct in the south of Angola, constructing concrete water tanks, improving existing wells, installing solar panels to pump water from boreholes and involving community members in the building, running and maintenance of the installations. Despite the severity of the situation, the picture at communities within the implementation area was more optimistic in September.  Prefabricated concrete rings made it easier to renovate and reinforce existing wells, new water tanks came into use, and drip irrigation systems were being extended. On an equally positive note, when the project team came together for a planning meeting this month, they made the most of the occasion by getting their second doses of the Covid-19 vaccination.

Access to water for agriculture: a field installed with the drip irrigation system in Oncocua in the Warú community

3000L tank in Warú filled with water in 4h and 25min.

The number of solar panels in Warú has been increased from 2 to 6, the water pump was changed and it currently pumps 8000L/h of water

Fine gravel being collected in the municipality of Cahama for the construction of concrete tank covers

Concrete rings for the improved wells are being unloaded in Naulila communities along the river

During the planning, the project team took the opportunity to get their 2nd dose of the vaccine against covid-19

Community of Warú in Oncocua had a presentation of the quarterly plan

“Thank you so much to ADPP for the excellent welcome!”

Provincial meeting organized by ADPP with all NGOs working in the FRESAN project in Cunene

Visits made to Chitado commune: contact with GAS members in the community of Table

On the 17th of September, the Municipal Administration of Curoca made several visits to the water sources in the village of Chipa. The Municipal Administrator expressed solidarity with the community that has suffered a lot from the drought, and along with the project, actions were identified that could mitigate the situation.

Concrete tank cover in Xangongo

Promotion of Efficient Charcoal Stoves and Utilisation of Charcoal Residues for Briquette Production is a project involving ADPP Polytechnics in Luanda, Bengo and Huambo. The students gain practical skills as they learn to make the stoves and entrepreneurial skills as they promote their sale and use. Local workshops benefit as craftsmen also learn to produce the stoves, while the population as a whole benefits from an affordable stove that requires less fuel than traditional stoves and has lower emissions of noxious fumes. A key outcome is that fewer trees are needed to make charcoal for these stoves. 

In august, students at ADPP Polytechnic Huambo have been collecting charcoal residue at Alemanha Market in Quissala and learning how to convert the residue into briquettes.