Africa

Africa is the cradle of humanity and yet, to this day, we possess far less knowledge about it than about the New World or Asia. According to 2011 data from the World Bank, approximately 870 million people live in Sub-Saharan Africa, but the continent still appears to be “too far away”. Africa remains the poorest and least developed region in the world. As a consequence of colonial-era policies and seemingly unending internal conflicts, certain parts of the continent have become deeply impoverished and continue to face challenges such as malnutrition, lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and insufficient infrastructure.

Since 2010, the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta has been engaged in water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) development in urban slums in East Africa. Our objective is to improve the living conditions of individuals and communities facing multiple and overlapping challenges – including housing, employment and educational disadvantages – through solutions that provide the most appropriate and effective responses to their needs.

As a result of our work, we now operate programmes in four major cities, in close cooperation with local civil society organisations, professionals, university lecturers and social workers. We expand infrastructural capacities, strengthen hygiene practices, and facilitate long-term change in individual perspectives and institutional practices.