DR CONGO: Medical dispensary expands to meet growing needs
Funding from ‘The Heart of Elisa in the Heart of Africa’ project honors memory of Elisa Claps
(MissionNewswire) Salesian International Volunteering for Development (VIS) is strengthening the medical dispensary at Don Bosco Ngangi Center in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo*. The medical dispensary provides essential medical care to thousands of people every day. Due to recent escalation of conflict in the country, emergency and medical needs have multiplied, including increased malnutrition of youth under age 5 and care for pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding.
Through “The Heart of Elisa in the Heart of Africa” project, VIS is supporting the expansion to meet growing demands of the dispensary. The project honors Elisa Claps, a teenager from Italy who was murdered in 1993. Her parents set up the project to honor Claps, who wanted to become a doctor and work in Africa.
Through the project, the Claps family sent the funding for a dedicated nutrition program for boys and girls under the age of 5, which was launched in October 2023. The project is also funding a new waiting room and new medical machinery to strengthen the kinds of care offered.
A Salesian said, “The waiting room where patients wait to be treated every day will be renovated and equipped, and will bear the name of Elisa. Thanks to the project, those facing malnutrition will also be able to receive enriched protein food as well as basic medicines and milk, if necessary.”
Michela Vallarino, president of the VIS, said, “We are honored and grateful that our organization can be a tool through which to bring some light to the story of Elisa Claps, more than 30 years after her death. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the poorest and most unstable countries in the world, where VIS has been operating since 2002, her memory will support the health and wellness of youth and their families in Goma.”
Two events, one in Potenza, Italy, and the other in Goma, were held on Sept. 12 to honor the donation. Elisa’s brother, Gildo Claps, said, “I really wanted to be there in person, but what matters is that Elisa’s dream finally comes to life. Her memory and her desire to help others is being kept alive through this donation. In Goma, Elisa’s heart beats again after silence for 30 years.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the largest countries in Africa with a population of more than 102 million people. Nearly 70% of the population live in conditions of extreme poverty with limited access to health services. There are armed militias engaged in conflict exacerbating already challenging conditions.
In Goma, the capital of North Kivu, there are clashes between the regular army and militias. Don Bosco Ngangi Center is located nearby and has set up a camp for people displaced by this conflict. It is overcrowded and conditions are difficult. Cholera and hunger are the most troubling with 90% of young children suffering from malnutrition.
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Sources:
ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)
Salesian Missions – Democratic Republic of the Congo
UNHCR – Democratic Republic of the Congo
*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in these countries were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.