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DRC / HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT

The soon to be launched Human Development Report says that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of three countries in the world that has suffered setbacks in development since 1970. Plagued by corrupt governance, life threatening diseases and two decades of brutal civil war, the country's average income has plunged by two-thirds over the last four decades. UNDP
U101103d
Video Length
00:03:17
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MAMS Id
U101103d
Description

STORY: DRC / HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT
TRT: 3:17
SOURCE: UNDP
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / LINGALA / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: RECENT, KAMBAMULUMA DISTRICT, KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

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Shotlist

1. Wide shot, Kambamuluma
2. Various shots, women carrying water
3. Various shots, Kitela Alexi working in vegetable garden
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Kitela Alexi, Resident of Kambamuluma:
“I was in Kisangani town and I ran away due to rebellions. (Questions: Can you go back?) No, as you know when you run away from war tone, there is no way you can go back. We came to reestablish ourselves here.”
5. Various shots, Alexi’s wife Zonga Elisa washing clothes
6. SOUNDBITE (Lingala) Zonga Elisa, Alexi’s wife:
“We just live, we don’t know anything, we don’t know where our help will one day come from, we thought that because we cast our votes, things will be better, our husbands will get jobs and our kids will go back to school but unfortunately nothing has changed. No hope for us.”
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeni Klugman, Director and Lead Author, Human Development Report:
“The Democratic Republic of Congo, I think exemplifies many of the challenges that we see in countries where human development has the subtle deterioration over time. It's been affected by conflict clearly over time. It's been affected by problems around the government. It's been affected by the HIV Aids epidemic, as well. All of which have taken a toll on the people of DRC.”
8. Med shot, Alexi’s family
9. SOUNDBITE (French) Kitela Alexi, Resident of Kambamuluma:
“No my kids are not in school because I can’t afford their school fees.”
10. Various shots, Alexi’s children
11. SOUNDBITE (French) Sarah, Alexi’s doughter:
“I am a pupil but it is very difficult because when we can't pay for school fees I can't go to school.”
12. Various shot, daugthers fetching water
13. SOUNDBITE (French) Nzalakanda Itela, Alexi’s Eldest Daughter:
“First, life is difficult because of water. We fetch water with a lot of difficulties. We have to go there, fetch water. It is really difficult.”
14. Med shot, daughters carrying water

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Storyline

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of three countries in the world that has suffered setbacks in development since 1970 according to latest figures in the soon to be launched Human Development Report.

Plagued by a long history of corrupt governance, AIDS and other diseases and most notably two decades of brutal civil war, the country’s average income has plunged by two-thirds over the last four decades.

Alexis and Elisa, who live with their children near Kinshasa, the capital of DRC are survivors of their country’s long turmoil. Their parents died during the civil war in the 1990s. Today, the couple who fled their homes in 1997 due to the conflict still live without regular access to electricity or safe drinking water.

SOUNDBITE (French) Kitela Alexi, Resident of Kambamuluma:
“I was in Kisangani town and I ran away due to rebellions. (Questions: Can you go back?) No, as you know when you run away from war tone, there is no way you can go back. We came to reestablish ourselves here.”

Before 1997, Alexis worked as a civil servant in Kisangani. Today his wife sells bread to sustain the family. None of their children go to school.

SOUNDBITE (Lingala) Zonga Elisa, Alexi’s wife:
“We just live, we don’t know anything, we don’t know where our help will one day come from, we thought that because we cast our votes, things will be better, our husbands will get jobs and our kids will go back to school but unfortunately nothing has changed. No hope for us.”

The United Nations (UN) Development Porgramme (UNDP), which publishes the yearly Human Development Reports, says that the living standards in the country has begun to improve since UN peacekeepers helped end the warfare in most of the country over the past decade, but the DRC still remains one of Africa’s and the world’s greatest development challenges.

SOUNDBITE (French) Nzalakanda Itela, Alexi’s Eldest Daughter:
“First, life is difficult because of water. We fetch water with a lot of difficulties. We have to go there, fetch water. It is really difficult.”

The report, set to be launched on Thursday (4 November) in New York, highlights the progress that countries have made in recent decades. The progress, measured by the Human Development Index, shows that many sub-Saharan African nations are registering major gains in education, life expectancy and overall living standards. Countries such as the DRC, Zambia and Zimbabwe in the region, however, show a lower HDI today than in 1970.

SOUNDBITE (English) Jeni Klugman, Director and Lead Author, Human Development Report:
“The Democratic Republic of Congo, I think exemplifies many of the challenges that we see in countries where human development has the subtle deterioration over time. It's been affected by conflict clearly over time. It's been affected by problems around the government. It's been affected by the HIV Aids epidemic, as well. All of which have taken a toll on the people of DRC.”

The 20th Anniversary edition of the report features introductory reflections by the Nobel Prize winning economist Amartya Sen, who worked with series founder Mahbub ul Haq on the conception of the first report in 1990.

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