Here, in this meeting we have engineers from DRC, Burundi, Rwanda and Belgium, exchanging ideas, good practices and recommendations on issues like protecting the environment, strengthening the management of the water sources and systems, and hygiene promotion.  The hottest topic is the Regie Communal and public/private management, which puzzles and challenges all of us.  In the last 5 years the partners have built systems and handed them over to trained committees and seen the management, the money and eventually the infrastructure wane. Often the reason being that nearing the end of funding for a programme, the management of the Regie Communal is handed over by the NGO, to the government (Districts), who lack time and resources to manage them properly. Godefroid, Laurent and Nestor present the Regie Communal system from Burundi.  The theory of this system is good, but due to the post conflict poverty, only about 30% of the population can afford to contribute for recurring repair costs.  As a result there is little money in the bank account to make the repairs and buy a new motorcycle to monitor the work of the water point committees.  Norbert presents the Regie Communal system of Rwanda.  In Rwanda, on average, 60% of the population can afford to contribute, so repairs are possible and they can also pay themselves a small monthly salary.  He also presents the public/private system which is currently being introduced by the government of Rwanda for all new water systems.  The management of these systems is tendered to private contractors.  The reaction of the Burundians is uproar.  They feel strongly that in a private system, if someone cannot afford to pay, they will not get water.  In contrast, the Regie Communal system, being community based, allows free water for the very poor.  The Congolese are particularly interested in these discussions as in South Kivu no management system is in place.  The debate runs long and heated with 40 opinionated people in the room, there are many views, comments and frustrations.  

We have also all seen, the amount of water in the taps diminish to a trickle, due to the climate changes and poor protection of water catchment areas.  A professor from the University of Bukavu speaks on the environment and the importance of taking a holistic approach to our work – if we want water to flow for future generations.  Food for thought… it’s lunch time of fresh fried fish and barbecued bananas.

Day Two is the field visit – not easy to organise 40 people staying in 5 different hotels all over town, but an hour and a half late we set off in what looks like an old school bus from the USA.  It rattles and bumps along the potholed road, circling the lake and then winding up into the mountains.  A rich tourist would pay a lot to ‘off road’ in this spectacular countryside, it’s beauty is indescribable.  We visit CAB’s project who have been working on spring protections, a latrine programme, and an anti erosion tree planting programme.  Another of their activities is a small micro credit project with distribution of rabbits, goats and even guinea pigs, 50 of them squeaking and all running in different directions around my feet.  CAB give single headed households a pair of guinea pigs or rabbits, which breed quickly and can be sold for meat.  With this money the women then buy the more expensive goats, and continue their breeding programme.  With the profits, one women, in 3 years has made enough to buy cows (the most profitable animal in this region)  By 3pm we have walked and talked until we can no more and so we settle down in a forest to eat a lunch of bread, spicy sausage, cheese and a coke.  Spirits are high, if tired, over flowing with ideas which we can use back home.

The symposium has brought people together who are so close technically, but so far by distance and politics, to meet, to debate to understand another’s view.  It has been open but not critical, intense but not charged, broadened friendships and partnerships that will last long into the future, after we have gone.  With that much experience in the region, the most important thing we do is to create an environment such as this where one person to another can find their solutions and build their future.