Promoting Hygiene in IDP settings through Soap-Making Initiatives

Handwashing with soap remains one of the most effective measures for reducing the incidence of diarrhoeal and respiratory diseases. According to the WHO, good hand hygiene can reduce deaths from diarrhoeal diseases by 21% and from respiratory infections by 30% among children under five.

The Bulengo IDP site in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has faced wide scale displacement around Goma following intensified conflict between the March 23 Movement (M23) and the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC). Between March 2022 and December 2024, almost 1.95 million people were displaced, with over 800,000 seeking refuge in IDP sites in Nyiragongo and Goma. This rapid influx placed significant pressure on sanitation facilities and access to basic hygiene items, including soap.

The prolonged insecurity in North Kivu continues to drive displacement and constrain access to essential services. In response, Concern Worldwide’s WASH programme (August 2024-February 2025), funded by BHA, in and around Goma was focused on improving access to safe water and sanitation infrastructure, alongside hygiene promotion activities. These include support to latrine management committees, distribution of hygiene items, and community‑based behaviour change interventions aimed at reducing the risk of water‑borne diseases.

This learning paper examines how soap-making when integrated with hygiene-focused behaviour promotion, contributed to improved access to soap and reinforced handwashing practices in a highly constrained Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) setting.