Ruashi (Fides Service) - Democratic Congo is known for its political situation, as a country rich in resources not only minerals but also for the many rivers which could quench the thirst of many people. However unfortunately this is the case. Water is a problem even for those who have it in abundance as natural resource, because of privatisation. For the 26,000 people in Ruashi, clean, safe water is a rarity.
Ruashi is only 10 km., from Lubumbashi, the main town of the Shaba region, but it is totally different with its own structure. It is made up of a number of villages which now form a town. The people are simple; many earn a living making ornaments in malachite, which are sold to foreigners. Unfortunately because of the war there are not many tourists and so this honest way of earning a living is very precarious.
Besides this problem life is difficult because water is scarce. Indispensable for life, water is only available in the rainy months. The problem is worse for women and children, who have to walk 3 of 4 km for a little water to drink wash clothes, wash themselves and cook. In Ruashi there are no rivers or streams. Children are often late for school, or do not go at all because they have to fetch water while mother goes to look for some food. Often they return home tired and exhausted.
In Ruashi, as elsewhere in this area, women often come to the missions for help, and if there is a well they are welcome to draw water. These are the only places where water is found. To dig a well is costly and no one can afford it. Today it costs about 8,00 and 10,00 Euro to dig a well in Democratic Congo, See more information on the Salesian missionary Sisters in Ruashi in Italian at www.fides.org AP (Fides Service 21/3/2003 EM lines 22 Words: 298)