IPHD began its operations in the Republic of Congo in the year 2000.  Since then, it has provided over $91.31 million in aid for projects and related activities.  Between 2002 and 2008, IPHD employed 102 Congolese in its many activities in this country.  With decreased aid  recently, IPHD employs about 52 Congolese.  In the 10 year period (to 2010), IPHD has helped over 1.8 million Congolese in some manner or another.  IPHD has supported a Food For Education Program, provided equipment and funds to improve the operations of 6 vocational training schools, two of which are run by Salesian Fathers, a Catholic religious order and one by Caritas.  IPHD helped to train hundreds of ex-mulitia youth so that they could become productive members of society rather than take up arms.

 Carpentry Training Program

Over 10,000 farmers received grants and loans to improve their agricultural production and increase their income.  Through a small business credit program, IPHD helped several thousand Congolese to set up or to expand their small businesses.  Two good examples are these: (1) a Congolese man in Brazzaville established a pizza parlor with funds provided through this credit program, and later with additional credit from IPHD expanded to two other pizza parlos; (2) credit provided by IPHD helped a small businessman expand and improve his chocolate-making factory in Pointe Noire (this is the only chocolate factory in the country). 

New Generator for the Chocolate Factory

IPHD is also working to rehabilitate cacao plantations in the coastal region of the Congo, and the river fishing industry.  Among its many projects, six food banks for farmers have been developed, over 700,000 people have been provided with materials on prevention and education on HIV/AIDS, including through radio, soap operas and plays, a program to repair schools, malaria prevention activities including distribution of mosquito nets to children, loan fund for women, and many other similar activities.  IPHD has been the largest American non-profit working in the Congo Republic.  

In the Congo Republic, IPHD has fed up to 160,000 school children in a USDA-supported Food for Education Program.  This includes many pygmy children in Lekoumou Province.  Currently, IPHD has reduced this number to about 100,000 children as it begins to transition the program over to local communities and Congolese Government support.  This is often the only full meal these children eat each day.  IPHD provides a meal of rice or beans, cooked with American vegetable oil. This is complemented with local foods purchased by IPHD, such as sugar, fruits, flour, cassava, and similar items. 

Almost all of the country's rice and beans are imported and what is available on the local market is too expensive for the parents of these children.  IPHD bought locally and distributed through school lunches almost 500 tons of local foods, besides over 36,464 tons of US-donated commodities for its school lunch program.

 Besides providing a school lunch daily, eaten on school premises, IPHD has published posters and manuals for schools on malaria prevention, provided deworming medicines, zinc and Vitamin A capsules to 213,480 pre-school and primary school children in 228 schools, distributed over 20,000 mosquito nets through schools, trained over 200 school directors, teachers and school inspectors in malaria prevention, and provided school supplies to 1,629 schools.  IPHD has also constructed 160 school kitchens, purchased cooking utensils, and repaired 100 school buildings.  Four other schools were repaired with the help of US Navy teams.

IPHD began in 2002 to develop community school support groups and parent/teacher associations.  All of the schools in the coastal province will have PTAs or school support groups by the end of 2010.  Discussions are under way with the Congolese Government to transition 60 percent of the school lunch program in 2011 to the Ministry of Education.  The remaining 40 percent will be transitioned by 2013.  This may be one of the first African program to be transitioned by an NGO to local and government support.  Local support to the education program has increased from zero in 2002 to over $150,000 annually.

School attendance has increased from 75 percent in Niari Province to 88.3 percent.  In Bouenza, it rose to 95.5 percent because of the attraction of school lunches.  In Lekoumou Province the enrolment of pygmy children in 14 primary schools went from 35 in 2001/2002 to over 1,000 in 2006.  In the same period,  national enrolment in schools with school lunches increased 10-12 percent.

USDA has also funded a school gardens/scholarship project for IPHD in Lekoumou, and provided funds for over 16,000 scholarships for school materials/supplies.

In 2006-2007, IPHD received 75 tons of dehydrated vegetable soup from USAID for schools in the coastal province, benefitting 24,000 children. 

Medical Assistance:  Through Medical Missionaries in Manassas, Virginia, IPHD received three shipments of medical equipment and drugs valued at over $1.5 million.  In addition, Medical Missionaries sent a team of eight doctore and nurses in 2006 to care for the sick who were too poor to receive other medical attention.  The team worked in Pointe Noire, reaching out to families in slum areas of the city.

Emergency Aid:  With the help of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance of USAID, Texaco, and Chevron, IPHD was able to respond to the needs of flood victims in December 2006 in the Brazzaville area.

Refugee Aid:  Presently (2010), IPHD is planning to provide food and other assistance to refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo who crossed the Ubangui River fleeing tribal warfare in that country.  There are upwards of 100,000 refugess 80 percent of whom are women and children.  These refugees are in desperate need of food, shelter, and medical care.  This will be one of IPHD's challenges for 2010.

Refugee Children

Other:  IPHD has shipped a container of toys and games for school children, a container of canes for the blind, and provides other forms of assistance to the Congolese people.

In summary:  IPHD has provided nearly $44 million in cash and in-kind resources to the Congo Republic since 2000.  Its aid program has benefitted over one million Congolese.