EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF ADA IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)

ADA is a Non -Governmental Organization (NGO) legally registered in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with authorization document N0 F.92/43636/2021. The founder of this organization is Apostle Dr Paul Muhirwa GITWAZA in 2021. ADA head office was established in Kinshasa, commune of Ngaliema, Quartier Binza-Pigeon, Avenue Kokolo, No 48 and has its branch in Southern Province of DRC in Bukavu City. ADA is rooted in the Authentic Word Ministries (AWM) which serves as its moral and legal authority. The organization is committed to development and recognizes the important role of the Church in the socio-economic transformation, sustainable development as well as unity and social cohesion among people.

ADA’s vision is to Build Peace for Prosperity through the promotion of actions for sustainable integral socio-economic development.

ADA’s mission is to contribute to the promotion and development of agriculture for the fight against hunger in order to ensure food security, the promotion of gender and the environment and to fight against poverty in the DRC.

ADA strategic areas of intervention are the followings:

• Health
• Agriculture
• Education
• Gender
• Environment
• Social and Humanitarian relief (Assist Internal Displaced People on healthcare services)
• Peace building and Reconciliation
• Research, Innovation and Technology

The overall objective of the ADA is to promote the prosperity of the Congolese people in general through integral development with a view to combating poverty and hunger, as well as improving the living conditions of the population by promoting access to health care and education.

Below are the specific objectives of ADA:

• Participate in the implementation of the National Health Policy, in particular to contribute to the improvement of health care for the Congolese population in partnership with the government of the DRC;
•  Promote the development of health for all, the fight against pandemics and epidemics;
• Promote education at all levels (nursery, primary, secondary and university);
• Fight against poverty and hunger inspired by the “Joseph Store House” initiative, through actions to open up rural areas and the promotion of the peasant economy, increase and diversify the incomes of the most vulnerable groups in the population, modernization of agriculture by promoting improved seeds and agricultural inputs and thus improving the living conditions of rural populations;
• Ensure food security by establishing a food storage system (construction of islands) by the same biblical inspiration of “Joseph Store House”;
• Promote scientific research in several fields of agriculture, health, environment, etc. by creating a research center called Authentic Center for Research and Innovation (ACRI), and on new information techniques and communication;
• Promote gender mainstreaming and fight against violence against women (GBV) by setting up a network of women working for development called “Women Arise”; as well as the promotion of the rights of the child and the creation of jobs for women and young people in rural areas;
• Promote environmental protection for sustainable development;
• Promote human development by responding to emergency management initiatives arising from natural disasters, wars, massacres;
• Promote reconciliation and social cohesion between the different communities in the regions of action whose social fabric has been torn apart by the interminable wars in this country;

ACHIEVMENTS

Authentic Development Agency (ADA) in partnership with Zion Temple through its program in charge of health nammed Programme d’Appui au Development Sanitaire (PADS), has achieved the following:

• Since 2016 ZTCC supplied essential medicines and medical consumables at these referral hospitals (Minembwe, Mikenge and Katanga) on monthly basis;
• Provide performance-based financing to hospitals ‘staff on monthly basis,
• Improved attendance: Availability and accessibility of care at health facilities;
• Improvement in the number of assisted births;
• Authentic Development Agency with Zion Temple Celebration Center assist on daily basis with total healthcare services around three hundred fourth nine thousand and Five hundred seventy -five (349,575)
•  Supplied medical equipment /Materials at referral hospitals at quarterly basis,
• Provide solar energy electricity at referral hospitals,
• Since 2015 to 2019, together ADA with ZTCC send an outreach of a multidisciplinary team of (Doctors, Nurses, Midwives, public health officers to Minembwe for delivering health care services) on yearly basis
• Since 2018, ADA with ZTCC assist Internal Displaced people (IDP) in health care services
• ADA with ZTCC, avail resources (Human resources, Financial) to improve quality of services, while complying with norms and standards of Referral hospitals as stipulated by Ministry of Public Health in DRC;
•  Participate in different meeting for finding solutions for hospitals

CHALLENGES

Despite all efforts, existing interventions so far accomplished by both ADA and ZTCC major challenges are still prevailing with regard to health issues.

• Massive Internal Displaced Persons concentrated at some areas due to the wars
• No government assistance
• No Humanitarian assistance in health domain
• No other partners in health domain apart from Zion Temple Celebration Center
• The war increases the vulnerability among people at the extent that they lack even the basic need in health services mostly in remotes areas thus they are most transferred to Bukavu for further management
• Due to insecurity and no accessibility issues, the only way to receive/ benefit any support at health facility requires airplane transportation; which is extremely expensive and not affordable by anyone.

No transfer facilities for patient, Patients who are transferred from the health center to the Referral hospital are transported by community members using traditional way/means (Igipoyo) or caring patients on the back due to lack of access on roads.