Accessing clean water has traditionally been an arduous task in Mogovolas, a district in the northern region of Mozambique.

Villagers often resort to unsafe water sources to meet their basic needs, exposing themselves to a host of diseases.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) recently established eight wells in this district alongside community awareness initiatives to secure sustainable access to clean and safe water. These activities not only address the immediate health concerns associated with waterborne illness, but also lay the groundwork for long-term community response to mitigate infectious diseases. Unsafe water can contain parasitic worms that cause bilharzia, also known as schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that cause abdominal pain, enlarged liver, blood in the stool or urine, and can also cause an increased risk of  liver fibrosis or bladder cancer.

The interconnected nature of water, climate events, and health underscores the importance of comprehensive approaches to addressing these issues. By integrating water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions with broader climate adaptation strategies to mitigate neglected tropical diseases, this project is creating combined solutions that promote health resilience and resource sustainability for communities in Mogovolas.

Wells as a community lifeline

The wells support approximately 350 households and have been designed to ensure reliable year-round access to safe drinking water. 

The well systems are user-friendly, and are accessible to people of all ages and abilities. 

“We use water for everything—from cooking and drinking to bathing and other household needs. Having access to clean water has truly transformed our lives, bringing us a sense of security,” said Rabia Chico, a mother of two who lives in the Muepane community of Mogovolas. With the construction of these protected wells, the burden of water collection has been lifted, allowing community members to engage in income-generating activities such as farming, a common livelihood in Mogovolas.

MUEPANE COMMUNITY RESIDENT Rabia Chico

“I’m incredibly thankful for the gift of this well because we’ve never had access to anything like it before.

“Previously, we endured long and dangerous routes to collect water, which is more or less the same [as what] we did when we needed to reach a hospital. Now these essential resources are right on our doorstep. The illnesses that once infected us are gradually disappearing because we now have access to clean and safe water. This has made a difference, especially for our children, who used to suffer greatly from waterborne diseases. The days of hardship are finally behind us.”

Training local partners

MSF works in close partnership with community leaders as well as health authorities, and the local community water committee played a critical role in ensuring the sustainability of the protected wells. Comprised of dedicated local community members like Fatima Aluano, who have undergone specialized training on safe hygiene practices and well maintenance to address potential malfunctions, the committee serves as the custodian of the wells, overseeing their management and maintenance. 

“I’ve been fortunate to receive training that empowers me to collaborate effectively with my community to ensure the long-term accessibility to close water sources. Through this training, I’ve been able to mobilize my people to actively participate in initiatives aimed at maintaining the wells,” Fatima added.  

Fostering community ownership and collective responsibility

Residents of Mogovolas manage the regular cleaning of the wells, organize the line to fetch water, and conduct routine inspections to identify any potential problems.

The committee also liaises with MSF, identifying resources and support needed to maintain the functionality of the wells. By fostering a sense of ownership and collective responsibility, the committee safeguards these essential water sources to improve their longevity and continued benefits for everyone.

“Before the wells were built, our only option was to rely on river water to meet our basic needs. This often meant exposing ourselves to contaminated water sources, leading to numerous health concerns for our community. However, with the construction of protected wells, we now have access to clean and safe water right within our village. It [brings] peace of mind to feel secured,” Aluano said.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).

The Extraordinary Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea to France, Carmelo Nvono Nká, held a bilateral meeting with the Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Argentina, Raul Comelli. Among other matters, they discussed topics of economic, cultural and socio-political interest.

The meeting, which took place at the Embassy of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea in France, served as a basis for the two diplomats to review the bilateral and multilateral links of cooperation between the two countries.

As members of various international organisations, the representatives of Malabo and Buenos Aires in Paris highlighted the need to strengthen ties and promote regular cooperation in order to achieve the objectives set out in the common agenda of the United Nations and its agencies.

The relationship between Equatorial Guinea and Argentina is based on a shared history that dates back to the colonial era, when the two countries were part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. They maintain excellent relations of cooperation in the cultural, economic and geopolitical fields, and issues in these areas were extensively addressed by Ambassador Nvono Nká and Raúl Comelli.

The two diplomats expressed their desire to work together to strengthen ties of friendship and solidarity, as well as to strengthen cooperation in various areas of their agenda.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equatorial Guinea: Official Web Page of the Government.

Justice ministers from Atlantic African countries shared their experiences in the fight against terrorism, transnational organised crime, maritime piracy and clandestine migration at the first Atlantic African Countries Justice Forum on Monday, which aims to build a secure and stable African Atlantic area.

This first forum seeks to place justice as as a key factor in the construction of a secure, stable African Atlantic area, to promote the culture of human rights, to protect the environment and sustainable development, and to promote an environment conducive to attracting investment and protecting the economy. The Equatoguinean Minister for Justice, Worship and Penitentiary Institutions, Sergio Esono Abeso Tomo, who is taking part in the two-day forum, shared with his counterparts from the African Atlantic region, the country’s extensive experience in the fight against transnational organised crime, highlighting the coup attempts thwarted in the country in 2004 and 2017, respectively.

“The Republic of Equatorial Guinea has a lot of experience to share, as the fight against mercenary activities, terrorism and piracy is one of the key aspects of the Atlantic African Countries Justice Forum. We cannot forget that our country has a vice-president who watches over the security of the State, and thus  you can see that in our country, in 2004 and 2017, we suffered an attempted mercenary invasion that was stopped by the security forces of Equatorial Guinea. Therefore, not only do we have experience at the corps and defence and security level capable of fighting threats and organised crime, but we also have a legislative arsenal that can allow Equatorial Guinea to help with its practical experience on the ground, above all through its legislation and its Ministry for Justice, to develop cooperation within the Atlantic Forum that the Kingdom of Morocco has created,” stated Esono Abeso Tomo, during the opening ceremony.

The Rabat process for Atlantic African countries adopted its first declaration in June 2022, which underlines the political commitment of the Atlantic African States to strengthen ties of cooperation and integration between the countries making up the region, in order to promote peace, security, stability and shared prosperity in the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equatorial Guinea: Official Web Page of the Government.

Three years ago, Miyobo was a village council nestled in one of the most remote areas of Niefang. Within the framework of the social project promoted by the Government, with the creation of just over 50 urban districts to bring the administration closer to the population, it has now become a small urban town.

The President of the Republic, Head of State and of the Government, H. E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and H. E. Constancia Mangue de Obiang, put into operation this new urban district, which officially joins those already established throughout the country.

After words of welcome from the Mayoress and words of thanks from a village elder, the Vice-President, Charged with Defence and State Security, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, was awarded the title of Honorary Mayor of the new Urban District of Miyobo. The insignia and nameplate were received by the Minister for the Interior and Local Corporations, Faustino Ndong Esono. A number of gifts were also presented to the presidential couple.

The work in this new urban district cost the Government just over 6.533 million FCFA and consist of a town hall, a school, a police station, a health centre, a market, 20 social housing units, a doctor’s house, a church, and the development of 1.87 km of asphalted roads.

As in other places, the Head of State began his remarks with a greeting of peace, thanks to which Equatorial Guinea is experiencing the unprecedented development that has led to the creation of more than 50 urban districts.

The Head of State called for vigilance in order to thwart any element seeking to disrupt peace and healthy coexistence. He also praised the massive turnout in the latest presidential elections of 20 November 2022, which gave victory to the PDGE.

In another moment in his guidance, he invited those present to apply a a change in mentality regarding the protection and care of minors, and with respect to the fair distribution and care of the new infrastructures.

With a priest’s blessing and the cutting of the ceremonial ribbon, Miyobo was officially declared an urban district.

In Niefang, three village councils have been upgraded to urban districts, namely Ayene, Miyobo and Andon Bekueñ, with the latter due to be inaugurated in the near future.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equatorial Guinea: Official Web Page of the Government.