Progetto Hinda in Congo

Hinda Integrated Project: the development of rural centres in Congo

Healthcare, education, access to water and agriculture are the priority sectors of the project launched for the Hinda district community.

A contribution to promoting competences in local communities

The project, designed for the residents of the rural towns near the M’Boundi, Kouakouala, Zingali and Loufika oilfields, includes several infrastructural interventions, such as the creation and renovation of schools, healthcare facilities, drinking water wells and the CATREP (Centre d’Appui Technique et des Ressources Professionnelles), a professional training centre for farmers. The project was structured in four phases:

  • Phase 1: from 2012 to 2016
  • Phase 2: from 2017 to 2021
  • Transitory maintenance phase: 2022 
  • Phase 3: after 2023 

In the first phase, we built and renovated infrastructures and activated local basic services to provide medical care, primary education and courses. In the second phase, we involved local associations, groups, authorities and institutions involved in local development, to enhance young entrepreneurship and start-ups, and strengthen the community’s management skills. Moreover, we launched awareness-raising, and health, environmental and pedagogical education campaigns.  For instance, in December 2020, we opened three new drinking water wells in Tchitondi, Dionga and Bondi. With them, the number of drinking water wells powered by photovoltaic energy rises to 31, for the benefit of approximately 20 thousand people.  The tanks have a capacity between 10 and 12 cubic meters, and they are equipped with 1250, 1980 and 3500 W pumps. To this day, 22 public facilities that had no access to water are connected to these wells. The CATREP project started in 2012, with the construction and renovation of farming and husbandry infrastructures. In 2017, we started organic farming activities, farm animal husbandry (poultry, goats, sheep and pigs) and provided technical support.  In 2021, the activities of the second phase of the Hinda Integrated Project and the CATREP program continued, by applying innovative agronomic techniques to support the agri-biofeedstock Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2021. In 2021, within Eni Congo’s biofuel project, we started castor oil cultivation tests, which produced considerable results.

In the coming years, CATREP will sign Memorandums of Understanding with agricultural high schools in many parts of the Country, with the aim of welcoming students from different regions. Eni Congo wishes to support this vision, by building student hostels.

Lastly, in October 2022, during the official ceremony when the first stone was symbolically laid down to celebrate the beginning of the works, we began renovating the CATREP, the 11 schools (primary schools, preschools and school cafeterias) and the 12 healthcare centres, and we delivered two farming machines to help operators in the field.

Waste management circularity initiatives

Moreover, we implemented some circular economy projects on the territory to create value from waste:

  • The Landfarming Project consists in the biodegradation of contaminated crops and oil-based cuttings, developed through the landfarming technique which, in 2019, allowed us to recover 1,700 tons of contaminated material with a pilot project developed in the Tandour - Mbouma organic farming centre. If compared with previous methods (solidification and thermal treatment), this technology should be considered sustainable, as it allows reusing the materials treated in several applications. Furthermore, this activity helped to reduce contaminated material recovery times from 6-10 months to 3-4 months.
  • The composting project concerns waste from company canteens and, through the installation of two industrial composters, it allowed the biodegradation of 120 tons of organic waste per year. In 2020, the compost produced was sent to an organic farming company that uses it as fertilizer. The project was further expanded to other categories of domestic waste, to improve the collection and sorting of the organic fraction from other types of waste, such as plastic waste. The extensive involvement of employees on site has promoted a high level of awareness regarding this project.
  • The plastic (PET and HDPE) enhancement project is carried out by a local provider, with Versalis’ support. Through this initiative, plastic is recovered and reintroduced into the production cycle, instead of being managed as waste. After adding it to a portion of new plastic, it is transformed into consumables and textile fibre, and redistributed in other forms in the local market.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an action programme with 17 goals aimed at the social and economic development of countries, regions and communities. As part of the Hinda project, our aims are to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture (Goal 2), ensure the health and wellbeing of the population (Goal 3), provide professional training and lifelong learning for the community (Goal 4) and ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all (Goal 6). Through the project we also are contributing to the fulfilment of goals that aim the eradication of all forms of poverty (Goal 1), to achieve gender equality (Goal 5) and to access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy (Goal 7). Lastly, our aims are to incentivise an inclusive and sustainable economic growth that will last over time (Goal 8), to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns (Goal 12) and strengthen the means of implementation and renewal of the global partnership for sustainable development (Goal 17). 

The project has been a really interesting and powerful experience for me. I have been able to apply what I had learnt at a theoretical level in a hands-on way. Connecting with such a different culture has resulted in interesting networks, whether with colleagues or the local authorities and beneficiary communities.

Elena Bosoni - Project Manager at the Eni Hinda Integrated Project (phase 1, from 2012 to 2014)

Impact on the environment and communities

Community water wells are easing the burden of women and children who travel long distances every day to collect water and are helping to improve the health of local people. Responsibility for managing the wells has been handed over to Local Committees for Water Management, who have been tasked with supervising access to the wells, managing routine maintenance and ensuring the education of local people (in collaboration with NGOs) on the use of water, the importance of hygiene (with a focus on measures against Covid-19) and the conservation of local biodiversity. In particular, management committees were tasked with ensuring compliance with Covid-19 protection measures. 

Partnership

Thanks to Hinda, we have strengthened our co-operation and partnerships with local and national authorities, the local people, and local and international NGOs. The CATREP project – included in the National Development Plan 2018-2021 – has been recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and has the support of the World Food Programme (WFP). Several of the project’s initiatives have also been supported by NGOs such as Médecins d’Afrique and AVSI.

Safety first

Safety in the workplace is an imperative value we want to share with our employees, contractors and local stakeholders. We are committed to eliminate accidents and protect the integrity of our assets. We consolidate a culture of safety through management and organization models, digital tools and communication initiatives. Our goal is strengthening the awareness of our people and their sense of responsibility toward themselves and others, by expanding HSE tools and digitalization to make corporate processes safer, more efficient and faster.