Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is both one of the poorest nations in the world (with the second lowest GDP) and one of the richest (with mineral deposits worth $24 trillion). Its population of 70 million live in an area about four times the size of France. DRC has the world's second largest rainforest, second longest river, savannas, glaciated mountains, and few good roads. DRC is also remembered for "Africa's World War," which involved nine countries and killed 5.4 million people. Yaya Drabo is Chief of Party for the C-CHANGE project in the DRC. He invites you to learn why this country is so challenging to a social and behavior change program, and why it is so exciting.

1. C-CHANGE DRC
Yaya Drabo
Washington DC, 3rd , JANUARY 2012

2. Speakers
• Neil McKee (Introduction) • Yaya Drabo (Presenter)

3. Here is the DRC
Located in in
Central Africa

4. • Size: 2,345,410 sq km
– 80 times Belgium
– 4 times France
– 10 times my native country: BF
• 11 Provinces including Kinshasa
the capitol that is the 1/3 of the
country: equivalent of Mali or
BF population!
• Shares borders with 9 countries
Angola, Congo, Central African
Republic, Uganda, Rwanda, Buru
ndi, Tanzania, Zambia and
Sudan)

5. A DIFFICULT COUNTRY…
• Mainly because of its size DRC is a very
difficult country to work in
• Transportation is frustrating
• Terrible roads: flying is the best way to reach
any town; no safety regulations
• Everything is expensive: e.g., housing as well
as air plane tickets

6. …But a Fascinating One!
• DRC is like a God’s gift.
The second largest rainforest in the world
The second largest river in the world
Each of the 10 Provinces has an unique
richness (cobalt, diamond, copper)
Creatures found nowhere else in the world
DRC is Africa’s most biologically rich country

7. C-Change assigment in DRC
GOAL :
Increase positive behaviors and norms related
to family planning (FP), HIV and
AIDS, malaria, maternal and child
health(MCH) tuberculosis(TB) and water and
sanitation (WATSAN) through evidence-based
SBCC programs.

8. C-Change assigment in DRC (2)
• OBJECTIF 1: Support National Level Coordination:
increase coordination, participation, and ownership
by the MOH, NGOs, and other stakeholders in
national health programs
• OBJECTIF 2: Build SBCC Skills:
Develop SBCC skills and competencies of the MOH,
NGOs and partners to design, implement and
evaluate SBCC programs with the aim of changing a
range of health behaviors that will improve health
status.

9. C-Change assigment in DRC (3)
• OBJECTIF 3: Develop Evidence-Based Interventions
and Materials: Improve the quality and effectiveness
of SBCC programs and materials by employing
evidence-based process that addresses individual
factors, community and gender norms ,
environmental influences in their design, and
implementation.

10. EXISTING PROGRAMS
Family planning
Malaria
HIV/AIDS

11. EXISTING PROGRAMS
Water and Sanitation
Maternal and Child Health
GBV/School
Tubercolis ( TB)

12. NEW PROGRAMS
Sexual and Gender-based
violence/HIV/AIDS
Nutrition/HIV/AIDS
Prevention Mother-To-Child Transmission

13. C-CHANGE PARTNERS
National Partners ( MOH) Sub-Contractors USAID’s Project Partners
PNSR (Reproductive CARE/DRC PROVIC
health)
PNLP ( Malaria) SFCG (Search for Common PROSANI (USAID Bilateral
Ground) project in the country)
Direction de l’Hygiene IDI ( Initiatives pour le
publique ( Villages et Developpement Integral)
Assainis)[WATSAN]
PNLS (HIV/AIDS) Kinshasa’ School of Public
Health
No formal agreement Contract Memorandum of
signed Understanding

14. BUDGET [Field support] 2009-2011
Malaria HIV MCH WATSAN GBV TB TOTAL
Fiscal FP/RH AIDS HIV
years
FY 09 250,000 250,000 - 250,000 450,000 100,000 1,300,00
FY 10 600,000 1,847,000 500,000 250,000 500,000 - 3,697,000
FY 11 600,000 135,000 500,000 150,000 - 250,000 1,664,320
Total (1) 1,450,000 2,232,00 1,000,00 650,000 950,000 350,000 6,632,000
FY 12 340,900 314,650 113,400 130,900 46.970 717,500 -
Funding
Total (2) 8,296,320

15. OBJECTIVE 1:
SUPPORT NATIONAL LEVEL
COORDINATION
• We work mainly at the national level in supporting 3 national
programs:
– PNLP ( National Malaria Control Program)
– PNSR( National Reproductive Health Program )
– PNLS ( National HIV/AIDS Program)
• Advocacy (PNSR and PNLP)
• Coordination (support national and provincial working group PNLP)
• Support the development and implementation of SBCC programs supported by
USAID related to FP, Malaria, HIV and AIDS, MCH and Water and Sanitation

16. OBJECTIVE 2 :
BUILD SBCC SKILLS
• National Programs' staff
• USAID’s project’s staff
• NGO
– SBCC Training ( 70 people trained from the 4
main national supported, NGO and USAID
partners )
– SBCC Strategy development
• National Malaria SBCC Strategy developed
• National FP SBCC Strategy
• 2 Provincial SBCC Strategy developed

17. What is SBCC?
Social and Behavior
Change
Communication
(SBCC)…
• Systematic and
evidenced-based

18. What is SBCC?
• Addresses social
context, not just
individual
behavior
- Use in analysis
and design

19. What is SBCC?
• Employs various
strategies for
levels of
intervention

20. PNLP staff
SBCC Training
in Katanga

21. Pretest
training in
Kinshasa

22. Pretest Briefing in the fields
Mbuji-Mayi

23. PNLP staff
SBCC training
in South Kivu

24. PNLP STAFF
SBCC training
in Katanga

25. Some Products
Katanga
Province’s SBCC
Strategy

26. Some Products
South Kivu
Province’s
SBCC Strategy

27. OBJECTIVE 3:
DEVELOP EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS AND
MATERIALS
• The 2nd year we focused on developing new
materials related to each key programs we are
working on
• Here are the materials we developed during
the second year of the project ( See Table)
• Each of the materials were pretested through
our subcontractor, CARE

28. PRINT MATERIALS DEVELOPED BY C-CHANGE DRC
Programs Flipcharts Counse Job aids Brochures Leaflets Comic Message Posters
ling books guide
cards
FP x
Malaria X X
( 8)
Watsan X X X X
(10) (3)
MCH X
HIV X
(10)
GBV X
School (2)

29. AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS DEVELOPPED BY C-CHANGE
DRC
AUDIO TV
Radio spots Interactive Radio drama TV show TV series
programs
X X X X X*
HIV/AIDS (8) (8) ( 4 episodes) (2) (1)
5 languages French
GBV/School X
(3)
Swahili
Total 43 8 4 2 1*

30. Pretesting is key before producing the materials

31. PRETESTS OF MATERIALS
GBV/School Malaria
Lubumbashi ( Katanga) comics books in school Radio spots in Mbuji-Mayi (Eastern Kasai)

32. SPECIAL EVENTS
• Given our responsiveness USAID/DRC asked us to
organize 3 big events. We did it successfully.
• PEPFAR technical meeting and stakeholder meeting
• PMI launch in DRC in a province far from Kinshasa
where we have no presence
• C-Change presence at the Kinshasa International Fair
(USAID 50th Anniversary)

33. PMI Launch in Mbuji-Mayi
Amiral Zimmer, US Ambassador in DRC and the
DRC MOH Secretary general

34. PMI LAUNCH
Amiral Zimmer after
giving a bednet to a
household member

35. Amiral Zimmer, US
Ambassador in DRC
and the DRC MOH
Secretary general
distributing bednet
at a Health Center

36. OTHER SPECIAL ACTIVITIES FOR USAID
• Facilitation of the communication component of the
Malaria course held by the University of Kinshasa
(Medical Faculty)
• Facilitation of the communication component of the
MPH program of Kinshasa School of Public Health

37. HOW DID WE MAKE ALL THIS HAPPEN?
• Focus on quality SBCC
• More technical staff recruited in a competitive
environment (6 new staff)
• Personal factors based on confidence and
professionalism (I was fortunate to know the
country and to have trained MOH staff in DRC
and outside)
• Responsiveness to USAID requests
• Committed staff

38. WHERE DID WE COME FROM?
• C-Change has started in March 2009 with only
• Two technical persons ( one permanent and one
consultant)
• The former COP resigned after one year
• 2 days after my arrival he left
• C-Change visibility as a SBCC project was low
• Staff were not as much motivated ( no technical feed
back no staff meeting )
• Difficult relationships with the Mission

39. CHALLENGING THE CHALLENGES!
• Working in DRC is a matter of challenging the
challenges!
• In fact, our program is growing and we will need:
– More space (Our Office that was seen as to big at
the beginning of the project is now too small!)
– More staff
– Effective ways to scale up. That is the next
“episode” with the upcoming Associated Award:
10 programs to run!

40. Discussion

41. THANK YOU!!!