Hygiene promotion in Mwange camp

This paper demonstrates the importance of community mobilization and participation in project implementation. It is based on the experience the author gained in the management of more than 19,000 refugees who fled armed conflict in their country, the Democratic Republic of Congo. The success of hygiene promotion in Mwange Refugee Camp largely hinged on convincing the refugees that sanitation was a priority that required their critical consideration. The lesson to be learnt is not so much the choice of technology; rather it is its transfer that could point to the success or failure of a project. With the ‘inside-out’ development approach, the project team served as catalysts thereby stirring the refugee community into action.