DRC: Lifting vulnerable families out of extreme poverty and combating violence against women
Context
Located in Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), despite its wealth of natural resources (notably minerals and forests), remains one of the world's poorest countries. It ranks near the bottom of the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) Human Development Index (HDI - 179th place out of 189 countries assessed).
The province of North Kivu and its capital Goma were made infamous by the rebel groups who sowed terror in the region, forcing thousands of families to take the road to exile. For all these displaced people, Goma, located on the Rwandan border, represented the default destination due to the presence of MONUC, which was supposed to ensure the region's security. Between 2011 and 2012, Goma's population grew from 400,000 to over 1.1 million.
Our work in the DRC
Children on the front line: this massive influx of refugees has added to the misery already suffered by the city's diverse population. Poverty is a daily reality for the majority of the inhabitants, 60% of whom are children. Living conditions in North Kivu are made even more intolerable by poverty, lack of education and lawlessness.
Combating the multidimensional causes of poverty: 3 economic and community development projects VillageFXB
From 2012 to 2014, three VillageFXB economic and community development programs were carried out in Goma's Keshero, Bukama and Ndosho neighborhoods, enabling nearly 2,000 adults and children to escape extreme poverty by acquiring the skills they need to combat life's hazards. More than 6,000 people have benefited from FXB's presence in their communities through various capacity-building training courses.
Malnutrition, conflict, disease, unsanitary housing... Goma's poorest people face a variety of complex challenges. Addressing income alone would be a mistake! Partial aid, addressing only one cause of poverty, is not a sufficient solution to overcome it.
Thus, our VillageFXB poverty reduction model, initiated in 1991, has enabled us to provide a comprehensive response to the fundamental causes of poverty by simultaneously acting on its predominant factors. Fighting poverty in this region also meant combating gender discrimination and balancing relations between men and women, so that the latter, who are more exposed to poverty, could have access to the same economic and social opportunities.
Our work in the DRC would not have been possible without the support of our partners: Swiss Solidarity, the Augusta Foundation, the Marc Foundation, the King Baudoin Foundation and Swim for Life.
Our impact in the DRC
have been able to escape extreme poverty by acquiring the skills they need to cope with the vagaries of life.
had managed to develop an IGA during the three years of support. 80% of income-generating activities (IGA) developed were carried out by women
benefited from FXB's presence in their communities through various capacity-building training courses