Jocelyn Fillion-Nicollet, delegated works coordinator at Veolia Eau Ile-de-France, was trained as a Veoliaforce volunteer in June 2023. Just over a year later, he left on a mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to train Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) personnel in the deployment of Aquaforces 2000.
You spent two weeks in North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), training MSF staff in water treatment using Aquaforces 2000, the Veolia Foundation's mobile water purification units. How did the training go?
Jocelyn Fillion-Nicollet: It went very well. Nathalie and I made a good team. What's more, in my early professional life, when I was doing commissioning work all over the world, I did quite a lot of training. So I knew the mechanics. What pleasantly surprised me, given my long-standing experience of the subject, was the learners' ability to help each other. Very often, they would rephrase explanations among themselves, in French or Swahili, to make sure they had understood correctly.
Was this your first experience in the DRC?
JFN: Yes, but the international scene didn't scare me a priori. After that, it's always quite surprising when you arrive in a country with a strong military presence. Besides, I'd never seen camps for displaced people like those around Goma. All the tents and barracks side by side, it's a sea of white plastic... With people living in them. It's overwhelming.
Were safety regulations very strict on site?
JFN: It's a particular rhythm: you have to pack up your equipment and be ready to leave by 3:30 pm to join the convoy that takes you back to your living quarters and offices at 4:30 pm. It's demanding, but reassuring! And it also gives you time to talk to the Médecins Sans Frontières teams and discover their world.
Overall, would you say that a Veoliaforce assignment is...
JFN: A mission is a test of your ability to adapt: the departure date changes, the program is rearranged according to the situation on the ground. But Médecins Sans Frontières is always ready to listen, as is the Foundation from a distance, so that's very reassuring. I think contingencies - and how to manage them - are part and parcel of every Veoliaforce mission!