ITURI FOREST PEOPLES FUND

FUND ACTIVITIES

Goals of the fund

The Ituri Forest Peoples Fund exists to help the Efe and Lese of northeastern DRC to provide themselves with basic health care and education. Over 20% of Efe and Lese children die before the age of five. With our help the Efe and Lese can help save them. Since 1990, DRC has been without a unified and effective government. The economy has collapsed and the inflation is about 70% per month. The three dirt roads in the Ituri forest are in such bad shape that trucks often take 3-4 weeks to travel 60 miles. The state stopped supporting local primary schools over 15 years ago, and until recently the nearest primary health care was a 35 mile walk away. In 1987, the Efe and Lese decided that the state might never be in a position to provide them with social services, so they asked a group of U.S.-based researchers who were working in the area to help them organize a health clinic and a primary school. The Fund was established in 1987 and, in 1992, was adopted as a special project of Cultural Survival - a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the rights of indigenous peoples around the world. The primary school (est. 1989) and the health care clinic (est. 1992) are the result of the needs, foresight, and hard work of Efe and Lese families. The primary school started with one leaf-roof mud-walled classroom with 18 pupils and has grown to 9 classrooms with over 200 pupils. Teachers focus on literacy skills in Swahili and French and practical mathematics, as well as geography, history and environmental sciences. Moreover, traditional knowledge is an integral and valued component of the classroom.

The Primary School

The Fund helps support the salaries of nine teachers, who run the central primary school in Andisengi with grades 1 to 6, and the satellite school 9km kilometers north with grades 1 to 3. In 1999, 210 children attended school, and 4 graduated from 6th grade. Sadly Gabriel Nezongoma the 3rd grade teacher at the satellite school died suddenly on July 25th, 1997.  His pupils are presently being taught in the 2nd grade class run by Kando Samba. [EDIT] Head master Lots Tsubba is looking for a new teach for the 3rd grade. The Fund also purchases books and other teaching materials in Swahili and French.

Access to primary education helps the Efe and Lese deal effectively with outsiders who might otherwise take advantage of them.

The Health Clinic

The health clinic is run by a local nurse whose training was supported by the Fund. Last year he treated over 1200 people -- primarily for life-threatening malaria, intestinal parasites, infections and wounds. A locally trained midwife assists when needed. Every patient contributes something to cover the costs of clinic services and medical supplies, but as poor subsistence foragers and farmers they are unable, at present, to pay the true costs.

The Fund supports the salary of the clinic health worker Kuli Ngote, covers 50% of the cost of medical supplies, and pays for Kuli's food and lodging when he travels to Mungbere to continue his training at the nearest hospital.