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Democratic Republic of Congo July 2010
Stephen O'Brien, International Development Minister.
We've travelled about 20 miles from Kissangani, which is on the bend of the river Congo,
and on that tremendous 20 mile journey we've then moved off to a country lane.
I am visiting with Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Foreign Office, my colleague, Henry Bellingham.
We're here in a village where they've been
part of a water source programme and we've been able to see down in the valley, where
they have got the spring water coming straight of the hill.
It has been captured and put into some pipes
with a good solid concrete surround. This is part of a programme which UNICEF has
been carrying out with DFID money, so UK taxpayers have been able to make a real difference to
the quality of life of these villagers, where at last they have not only a secure water source,
one which is not in a swamp, not giving rise to problems with malaria and the diseases
that accompany marshland. Now they have a secure water source which
is going to improve the quality of their lives and above all their health because it is saving
huge amounts of money in the ongoing health problems from bad waters sources, such as
diarrhoea and sickness, and that lack of confidence which a village carries when it isn't able
to secure the basic needs in life. So it's a tremendous opportunity for us to
witness really good development in action, which is part of the relationship that we
have with the Democratic Republic of Congo, and here we have been able to see things happen
locally which makes a difference to lives.
Henry Bellingham, Foreign & Commonwealth Minister.
And it's a small amount of money, $1200, that
has really made a very, very big impact indeed. It's a classic example of how a relatively
small amount of money can actually transform a village.
Stephen O'Brien: Absolutely Henry.
To find out more about how the UK governmentis helping in the Democratic Republic of Congo visit: www.dfid.gov.uk