visit to the villages in waku kungu in angola

Visit to the villages in Waku Kungu in Angola! We visited today 3 villages near Waku Kungo. We worked here in 2003 and helped with the reinstallation of the internal refugees or IDP (internal displaced persons). In September 2014 I came back to see how the situation was. Now again and specially therefore we called our visit a “Walalepo” visit. That means in Umbundu “how are you?”. The general situation was worse than it was in 2014. The economic crisis did also impact the villages because all prices went up such as oil, sugar, soap, medicines etc. When we left in 2014 we promised to take care for a school. I was happy to see that there was now a school built. Thank you minister of education Dr. Pinda Simao! I asked all the villagers what their priorities of needs were. In all the villages we heard: education, health and food production. ACM can do a lot of work but they have to find the funding! I also asked whether they get often visits like our visit. Never was the answer. A lot to do! These people needs help! To start the work ACM has to start to do a baseline study concentrating on livelihoods and food and nutrition security. Also the care for health, WASH and education must be included. Special attention has to be paid to the household approach such as has been developed in the HEA. In 2004 we trained a group of ACM workers and also experienced a special baseline study in the same villages. What wonders me is the presence of the many commercial farms around in the area. These owners have funds to invest while the villages did not have access to any funding. Why? What can ACM do? I think a lot. Their name is well known in the villages. There is confidence in them and that is a positive point. ACM developed a good project in Pambangala with financial support of Bread for the World a German faith based organization. Using the Pambangala experience and add a special household and gender approach must be feasible. Start with a good baseline study in order to detect the real problems and based on the results develop a programme. Call it “We shall overcome”. Aart van der Heide Waku Kungo The 20 th of August 2016!

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Visit to the villages in Waku Kungu in Angola!

We visited today 3 villages near Waku Kungo. We worked here in 2003 and helped with the reinstall -ation of the internal refugees or IDP (internal displaced persons). In September 2014 I came back to see how the situation was. Now again and specially therefore we called our visit a “Walalepo” visit. That means in Umbundu “how are you?”. The general situation was worse than it was in 2014. The economic crisis did also impact the villages because all prices went up such as oil, sugar, soap, medi -cines etc. When we left in 2014 we promised to take care for a school. I was happy to see that there was now a school built. Thank you minister of education Dr. Pinda Simao! I asked all the villagers what their priorities of needs were. In all the villages we heard: education, health and food produc -tion. ACM can do a lot of work but they have to find the funding! I also asked whether they get often visits like our visit. Never was the answer. A lot to do! These people needs help!

To start the work ACM has to start to do a baseline study concentrating on livelihoods and food and nutrition security. Also the care for health, WASH and education must be included. Special attention has to be paid to the household approach such as has been developed in the HEA. In 2004 we trained a group of ACM workers and also experienced a special baseline study in the same villages.

What wonders me is the presence of the many commercial farms around in the area. These owners have funds to invest while the villages did not have access to any funding. Why?

What can ACM do? I think a lot. Their name is well known in the villages. There is confidence in them and that is a positive point. ACM developed a good project in Pambangala with financial support of Bread for the World a German faith based organization. Using the Pambangala experience and add a special household and gender approach must be feasible. Start with a good baseline study in order to detect the real problems and based on the results develop a programme. Call it “We shall over -come”.

Aart van der Heide

Waku Kungo

The 20th of August 2016!