Success Story: Capacity Building of Halt Sida

These provinces include Sud-Kivu, Nord-Kivu, Maniema, Province Orientale, and Katanga. In Kinshasa, the organization targets schoolchildren and out-of-school youth in the Masina area. Halt Sida began a partnership with PSI/ASF in April 2012 under the USAID-funded AIDSTAR project, primarily focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention through awareness-raising sessions. In May 2013, Halt Sida was invited to participate in a strategic planning exercise organized by Social Impact and PSI/ASF as part of the project's capacity-building component for local NGOs. Initially, the organization's coordinator, Titi Mulamba, expressed concerns about continuing activities after the AIDSTAR project ended due to financial constraints. However, Anicet Mayira, an SI coach, suggested that by engaging stakeholders to discuss community problems, Halt Sida could access additional resources. Following this suggestion, Halt Sida members conducted a brainstorming session and identified waterborne diseases, including diarrhea, as a significant cause of high infant mortality in their community. They realized that selling and distributing water purifiers, known as Aquatabs, could contribute to reducing diarrhea prevalence and generate income for the organization. In August 2013, Halt Sida purchased a pack of Aquatabs, which they successfully sold, doubling their initial investment. This positive experience encouraged the organization to continue purchasing and selling Aquatabs, eventually buying five cartons a few months later. Halt Sida's efforts to provide purified water to the community have been successful, and the organization is proud to contribute to the health and well-being of children in its community. The activity has also helped address internal operational problems, allowing the organization to envision a bright future. The USAID-funded strategic planning workshop played a crucial role in empowering Halt Sida to become a more effective actor in the community. The organization's capacity has been built to better serve the community, and it has been assisted in developing financial and administrative manuals. Twenty local NGOs from all the DRC's project-targeted provinces benefited from capacity-building activities under the AIDSTAR project. Halt Sida's partnership with PSI/ASF and the USAID-funded AIDSTAR project have been instrumental in the organization's growth and development, enabling it to address community concerns and improve the lives of those it serves.