Since 2007 the HEINEKEN Africa Foundation (HAF) aimed to improve the health of needy communities in the Sub-Saharan African countries where HEINEKEN operates by supporting local health and water related projects.

The Foundation worked on a project in Kingabwa, Democratic Republic of Congo, to bring better healthcare and access to clean drinking water to the local people of that region. Located next to the N’djili River and Congo River, Kingabwa is an agricultural region that frequently suffered from flooding. As a result, the community was exposed to unsanitary situations and was susceptible to an increase in diseases such as cholera, malaria and typhoid fever.

The first phase of the project was completed in November 2016 when the Mayamba Health Center re-opened its doors after renovation, providing healthcare to a population of 50,000 people. The second phase of the project was focused on the construction of clean drinking water points and creation of latrines.

In May 2017, the keys for the latrines and clean drink water points were handed over to APRKING (Kingabwa’s rice farmers association).

The initiative helped improve the hygiene conditions for 5,000 farmers, fishermen and agricultural traders in the area, as well as Mayamba Health Center patients.