From dusty|muddy roads to successful small business: Looking for a micro-loan partner in Congo!

When Action Kivu's team visited Congo, these roads were muddy, rutted, and dangerous. During the dry season, they're dusty and dangerous.  Women walk them from Mumosho to Bukavu, their backs bearing loads of up to 50 kilograms of charcoal or wood, with the hopes but no guarantees of selling the goods in city's markets.  Walking alongside trucks and often in the dark of dusk, they are constantly at risk.

Action Kivu's partner ABFEK wants to keep them in their own villages, working in their own small businesses with the help of micro-loans.With the loans, the women could grown and sell fruits and vegetables, sell banana beer, woven baskets, fish, bread, palm oil, and more, at the Mumosho Peace Market.A pilot micro-loan program ABFEK conducted with 50 women was a great success, and we want to find a long-term partnership to provide more micro-loans to the over 130 women who are interested in starting a business. From our partner:Women in these villages are often the primary source of income for their families, and are the most affected by the ongoing conflict in the region, subjected to rape by gunmen and domestic violence. There are many widows, and many men have left the community for mining areas located far from the Mumosho district. Women have been confronting the legacy of rape for their entire lives in eastern Congo.The women are extremely poor, with no sources of income. Many are war widows and many others suffer from domestic violence for no other reason than their gender.  They have children but cannot afford to send them to school, to feed them, clothe them, or give them a home, and in that context, there is no hope to save any money while trying to meet basic needs.The women who will receive the micro-loans are already trained by ABFEK on micro-finance and worked previously with Resolve Network; they already know how to choose and manage an income generating activity, design a business plan and manage a loan. ABFEK organized a micro-loan pilot project in 2011 - 2012 in which 50 women received micro-loans after a two week training on general micro-finance basics. Their loans ranged between $30USD and $250USD based on their business plans and experience.After 12 months, 99% of the women participants successfully repaid their loans, working in cooperatives of 10 women. A weekly meeting was held for the group members to share successes and failures in their businesses.At the end of the pilot project, the women were able to make remarkable changes in their everyday lives which motivated so many others to join the program.

• Some women were able to fix roofs of their homes, from grass roofs to tin roofs.
• Some succeeded in providing a morning meal for their kids before sending them to school, which was never possible before the program.
• Others bought domestic animals to raise, others learned to live together in peace, bridging the divide between the neighboring Rwandans and Congolese. There is a Rwandan woman living in Mumosho who joined the program and had the opportunity for integration, and felt accepted by the group members.
• Other program participants gained value and respect in their daily family and community lives, as they could now contribute economically, and were able to take care of themselves, their kids, families and community.  Women were able to contribute whenever a community member needed help during social activities such as weddings, funerals, and baptisms.
• After being abandoned by her husband, one participant was hopeless, as even her parents were about to stop supporting her on her and her four children. When she joined the program and started contributing, she was accepted and fully reintegrated into her family.  There are many more examples like this, and the women are eagerly waiting to begin again.

Do you have connections to a micro-loan program?  Please let us know how we might partner by emailing us at actionkivu@gmail.com.   And know that your donations go directly to the work on the ground, supporting women like those featured here in entrepreneurial trainings to prepare them to contribute to the community, creating a sustainable cycle of education and work!Read more about the people with whom you partner through Action Kivu:

• Sewing students: Ernata, Safi, Amie, Bienvenie, Evelyn
• the women and girls in the literacy program,
• the women learning agriculture lessons on the shared farm,
• the community conversation (women AND men!) on the importance of family planning and contraception
• the animal husbandry / goat program
• the women who weave beautiful baskets
• the school kids: girls at the top of their classes
• & meet Amani, community builder, leader, and visionary!  Watch the video to experience his corner of Congo here.

Be Creative: Action Kivu Annual Fundraiser with Great Giveaways!

Have you ever looked at a tote, a skirt, a shirt and thought, "I could make that. I think I could make that. ... I should learn to sew."We're excited to announce that part of Handmade by Alissa's annual Action Kivu fundraiser includes a giveaway of a sewing machine.   Now's your time.  Donate $75 and you'll be eligible to win it ... AND you'll partner with the women in eastern Congo learning to stitch a new life through creative work!  What could be better?The fundraiser supports the work of Action Kivu.  Your financial partnership directly affects the lives of the women and children we work with through our Congolese partner, ABFEK.  Read more about the people you're partnering with:

• Sewing students: Ernata, Safi, Amie, Bienvenie, Evelyn
• the women and girls in the literacy program,
• the women learning agriculture lessons on the shared farm,
• the community conversation (women AND men!) on the importance of family planning and contraception
• the animal husbandry / goat program
• the women who weave beautiful baskets
• the school kids: girls at the top of their classes
• & meet Amani, community builder, leader, and visionary!  Watch the video to experience his corner of Congo here.

Even if you're not feeling creatively inclined, these giveaways make great gifts!  There are so many levels of donations: what will you give today?Donate $15 and you are eligible to win three quilting books: Block Party, Modern Minimal, &We Love Color.  Donate $20 and  you're eligible to win a gorgeous 5 half meter bundle of amazing Echino fabrics.  Donate $30 for the chance to pick up Sew Modern's beautiful Robert Kaufman Kona fat quarter bundle and a $25 give certificate to their shop.

And for the aforementioned sewing machine to kick-start your creativity, donate $75 for the chance to take home this beauty.  It would also be a great gift for a crafty soul in your life.And for $100, you have the shot at receiving this gorgeous quilt - a cozy throw for when the nights get cold this fall.

All donations are tax deductible in the U.S. and go directly to the work on the ground in Congo.  Please consider giving today!  Check out all the giveaways at Handmade by Alissa, donate, and tell your friends and communities to help us reach our goal!If you'd like to connect further with the women and kids of Congo, leave a note in our comment section, and we'll pass them along for Amani to share!(Photos: Top left - HomegrownHospitality, Sew Modern, Sewing Machine, and Quilt via Handmade by Alissa, and mother & child in Congo by Emma O'Brien.)

Family Planning in Congo: Babies on backs, children in tow, women arrived eager to listen, learn, and ask their questions

Visiting eastern Congo, we were thrilled to meet some of the 115 students Action Kivu sends to school through your partnership. In the midst of good news of girls earning higher grades and learning the games they play, we were always aware of the children for whom we do not have the funds to send to school. Often they are siblings of the kids who are in our education assistance program are left at home, helping parents farm or haul heavy loads of stone or brick for $1 / day. Families with six, 10, or 12 kids can barely afford to feed them, let alone pay the monthly school fees in Congo. How can we help? In a country where the Catholic church is against family planning, where the women have few to no rights, how does one educate couples as to the use of contraceptives?

• Every day, approximately 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.
• 99% of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries.
• The high number of maternal deaths in some areas of the world reflects inequities in access to health services, and highlights the gap between rich and poor. Almost all maternal deaths (99%) occur in developing countries. More than half of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and almost one third occur in South Asia.

In the face of staggering statistics, Amani has long wanted to convene a family planning seminar.  When he learned that Shatreen, a graduate student at Yale in African Studies with a background in women's health, was going to spend the summer in eastern Congo as an intern for Action Kivu / ABFEK, Amani started planning how to host the conversation. Together with Annie, a Congolese woman educated in health and nutrition, Amani and Shatreen prepared to lead the discussion in Mumosho, where they were surprised when three times as many women arrived to discuss family planning. The women came with babies on their backs, children in tow, eager to listen, learn, and ask their questions in the safe space of the Mumosho Women's Center.Shatreen wrote that Amani had emphasized that he didn't want the presentation on family planning to be a lecture, but a conversation.  "When we arrived in Mumosho, we had estimated that the discussion would take approximately 45 minutes. However, upon  arrival at the Mumosho Sewing Center, we saw that over 100 women had arrived, many carrying babies, we realized the presentation had resonated deeply in the community. The discussion lasted for 3 hours. Women were seated in the  sewing center, but because of the large turnout, many women stood or sat along the side.

"The women were excited and  eager to listen to the presentation, and from the way they listened to Amani, you could tell they deeply respected him."The presentation involved defining family planning as a concept, describing its importance, and then explaining  different methods available for women in both Congo and Rwanda -- the latter country relevant since the village was located so close to the border, and people often crossed over. After I explained each method, the questions would begin, and Anny handled them beautifully. Women wanted to know costs of each method, as well as posing questions about how each kind of contraceptive worked. For example, women were curious about birth control pills - did you have to take them everyday? Did they last 24 hours? Or would you need to take them each time you had intercourse?"Although there are different options available for women in Eastern Congo, such as condoms, injections, and birth control pills, certain long-term methods, such as Norplant or the IUD, are available in Rwanda. However, when we talked to doctors at local Nyantende Hospital, one of the major barriers to accessing birth control is religion."Many people in Mumosho and in eastern Congo are Catholic, and because of the Church's stance against family planning, they are reluctant to use contraceptives. Another barrier we noted, after our discussion with the women of Mumosho, was reluctance on behalf of husbands. Although all of the women who attended were eager to use some  form of family planning, we repeatedly heard that we needed to talk to the men in Mumosho about the importance of family planning. Because of our experiences this week, we are planning a conversation with husbands in Mumosho about family planning. This will definitely be a challenging step, but Amani will help lead the conversation. I have more confidence in this next step because of Amani's leadership," Shatreen wrote.Days later, Amani emailed more exciting news:"Shatreen, Annie and I have just arrived from Mumosho for another Family Planning day with the men, husbands of the women we worked with last week. It was an exciting day and 100% of the participants expressed high need of contraception. At the end of the day they said all they want now is practice and not theory. We want to organize another day with both wives and husbands, and we are also planning a day talking Domestic Violence"Your partnership makes these programs possible!  While the education regarding family planning continues, allowing families to give better care to the kids they have, we do not have the funds to purchase the contraceptives for the couples.  Please share this story of encouragement and the needs the community has to fund healthcare, and consider a monthly donation or one-time gift toward the work we are doing in eastern Congo!Read more, from the Guttmacher Institute: More Investment in Contraceptive Technologies Needed to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy Rates Among Developing Country Women

A Welcoming Dance: Jewish World Watch Visits Mumosho Women's Center (Photos)

The women of the Mumosho Women's Center danced, welcoming the Jewish World Watch team to their community.  JWW met with some of the students they support via ABFEK's Education Assistance programs, and watched the women weave baskets and sew in the center.Read more about the power of education here, and learn how just $10 / month will help change the future: Back to School Stories - Hope and Thanks from Congo.

Students as Teachers: Jewish World Watch & Lessons from Congo Kids

We are so thankful for Jewish World Watch, their work, and their partnership with Amani and ABFEK's educational assistance program!  Read an excerpt from JWW's recent visit by Diane Kabat to learn about how funding education is changing these kids lives, giving hope, and shaping the future of a peaceful Congo.  The kids in the education assistance program speak with confidence about their goals, teaching us never to give up hope.

"As we leave Bukavu, we must say 'au revoir' to our dear friend, guide and translator, Amani.  He has been with us every day and has managed every detail on the ground with Naama in the JWW office. Amani makes things happen here in Bukavu, not only for his JWW partners, but for the people in the South Kivu region.

"...One of the successful projects that Jewish World Watch sponsors with ABFEK is the Educational Assistance Program.  Yesterday, for over an hour, we once again maneuvered the difficult hillside roads of Bukavu to Amani’s village of Mumosho (comprised of 6 districts) to see ABFEK. JWW has sponsored 52 secondary students (50% girls, 50% boys) during the last school year (2012-2013) by paying school fees. In addition, we supported 113 younger primary school students with school supplies and uniforms.

"After another celebratory greeting, we gather in the community room to meet the older students, many of whom are 'double orphans,' a phrase used to describe the loss of both parents to the war.  All of us are eager to share our stories.  The first student to speak is Bamanye, a dynamic 16 year old girl who says (translated from French), 'I finished the last school year without difficulty (fees paid).  I was able to concentrate on my studies and work hard.  I want to be useful for society.'

"We are all very surprised when she continues to speak in English, 'My mother has to care for everyone by herself and work very hard.  But, she does not see much improvement for her family.  She prefers the ABFEK action for her children.  She knows that it will improve the well-being of women and children in Kivu.'  Bamanye thanks us for sponsoring her this school year, and hopes we will continue.  After hearing from about 20 students, we are left with the feeling that these teenagers, all wanting to be lawyers, teachers, doctors and engineers, will be able to make societal improvements for their generation and the generations to follow."

If you'd like to support the education assistance program, consider a monthly donation! Just $10 / month sends a secondary student to school, giving kids, and especially girls, previously denied an education, the opportunity to change their lives and impact their communities. 

The Jewish World Watch team with students and Amani, and our new Action Kivu intern Shatreen.

Read more from our blog:

Top of the Class: Girls Sent to School by Action Kivu Supporters
Back to School Stories: Hope and Thanks from Congo

Mi Casa Su Casa ... My Goat is Your Goat

50 women gathered at the Mumosho Women's Center to meet their goats. Given to each through Action Kivu's partner ABFEK, the goal is to breed these lovely lady goats with a billy goat, to improve the milking productivity, and to grow the goat family.

When a baby goat is born, the family caring for the goat will return the baby to ABFEK to pass it on to another neighbor who is waiting.  Paying forward the good in their lives, providing more milk to drink and sell, the community will grow stronger, Amani explains.  Which is why the project is called, "My goat is your goat." 

Creating community is crucial in our work.  But sometimes, in the midst of life, it can be easy to forget the basics:  "When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together." ~ Robert Fulghum (All I Really Needed to Know I Learned from Kindergarten)

To hold hands with the women in eastern Congo, help grow the community and the goat families, please consider a donation to Action Kivu!  All funds donated are tax deductible in the U.S., and go directly to the programs on the ground in the Congo.

Connect with Congo: Women who Weave

Walking out the door to the local market to fill up your cupboard with locally grown fruits and vegetables  – don’t you wish you could pick up one of these beautiful, hand-made baskets for your market day?

The women at the Mumosho Women’s Center have begun to learn basket weaving.  Depending on the size, they can sell these for 3, 5, 6, or 8 dollars.  A bundle of the colorful cords that are woven into the patterns costs between $50 and $70, used to create approximately 12 large and 2 medium baskets, that sell at $8.00 USD and $5.00 USD, respectively. 

Connect with the women in Congo — post a comment or tweet @ActionKivu with your words of support for the women in eastern Congo, weaving their way to empowerment through earning regular income, sending their children to school, and being the change we all want to see in Congo!  We'll send your thoughts forward, where your words will be printed out and translated, posted in the women's center to encourage the women on their journeys.

To support the weaving women, consider a monthly donation! Every dollar makes a difference in the lives of the women learning to read & write, to sew, to weave, to farm.

Planting Seeds in Congo: Hope Seen Through a Photographer's Lens

“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”― Robert Louis StevensonThis spring, photographer Emma O'Brien traveled from South Africa to DR Congo. As part of of her Faces of Courage project, she visited Amani to document the work he's doing through ABFEK / Action Kivu for a beautiful book of stories and photos that will raise awareness, hope, and funds for the communities of eastern Congo.Emma reflects on the experience: "Being at the ABFEK Women's Centre in Mumosho to photograph the distribution of seeds to these ladies was an amazing experience.  The seeds they were given not only represent a means to feed themselves and their families, they represent hope and give the women something to look forward to.  It was also a very humbling experience to talk to the ladies and find out about their lives, many of them are caring for upwards of five children (one lady looks after 15!), so their lives really are tough, however they were so happy to have received their bundle of seeds and chatted excitedly the whole time we were there."It made me realise how easy it is to be able to reach out and help someone else and what an impact something as simple as a gift of some seeds can make.  The ladies had quite a giggle at us, we asked them how to plant the seeds and one of the ladies looked quite quizzically at me and said, 'everyone should know how to farm.'  I wonder what they would make of the world of convenience I live in."Amani is doing brilliant work at the women's centre to help empower these ladies by giving them purpose and financial independence, I am so proud to be able to use my skills as a photographer to support his work."

Seed Distribution day.  Photos by Emma O'Brien - www.emmaobrien.com

Read more:Celebrating Fall Harvest: Women Hold Up Far More Than Half the Agriculture in AfricaSowing Seeds of Presence & Partnership: Shared Farm

Gift Hope This Mother's Day: Sewing Kits for Graduates to Start a Business in Congo

"Happy Mother's Day!" a man said to me as I passed his gate. Before thinking, I replied in instinctive, cultural politeness, "Happy Mother's Day to you, too!" Similar to when someone at an airline desk tells me to have a safe flight and I reply without thinking, "You too!" They nod, stuck behind the desk where they watch planes alight into the air, used to the auto-response. That Mother's Day, flustered, I apologized, then explained, "But I'm not a mother, either." "That's okay," he said, more thoughtful than I.  "Aren't we all mothering someone, or something, in some way?"

"Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to ‘jump at de sun.’ We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground." ~ Zora Neale Hurston

The concept of mother crosses cultures, languages, religions, eras. Mothers who, day in, day out, give encouragement, who hope for the best for those they love. Who give birth to creative ideas and see them through to completion.

This Mother's Day, we have disturbing news that the worst place in the world to be a mother is the Democratic Republic of Congo. Through Action Kivu's work with the local Congolese organization ABFEK, we're working to empower those mothers to make changes in their lives, in their communities. 

The sewing workshops of Mumosho and Bukavu do just that; training young women in a marketable skill, the graduates of the programs go on earn income to support their families with food and education. When a mother is able to send her child to school, she helps break the cycle of poverty and gives hope, not only to her own daughter or son, but to a new generation, who sees an example of a mother making her own dreams come true.

This Mother's Day, give that gift of hope!  We will give sewing kits to each of the 42 students graduating the sewing workshops this May, each costing $195 USD, including a pedal-powered Singer sewing machine ($150), and a tool box ($45) to start their own businesses: scissors, tape measure, oil, buttons, needle, thread, machine belts, fabric, lining, and more.  When you donate on behalf of a mother in your life, we will send you a PDF to give to her/him, sharing a story of a recent graduate whose life has been transformed by the sewing education. 

Visit our donation page, and be sure to denote "sewing kit" in the PayPal notes section when you donate. Any amount helps us start these women on the road to living their dream of supporting their families and inspiring a new generation through education!

Mumosho Women's Center

 
Last year's sewing workshop graduation here.

Sewing students' stories:  Ernata, Safi, Aime, Evelyn

Threads of Education: Meet Sewing Trainer Rosine

Rosine meets with the sewing students at the Mumosho Women's Center, leaning over a shoulder to check one woman's work, eyeing the stiching of another's, offering encouragement and tips on creating gorgeous garments from a bolt of fabric, needles, thread, and a simple Singer sewing machine.

At 22, Rosine is as young as many of her students, teaching a marketable skill to teen mothers and other young women who could not afford school. Rosine had to drop out of elementary school in the sixth grade, her mother unable to pay for further education. Four years ago, desperate for a way to help her family, she found a job on a farm, growing beans for a small wage. Selling her harvest was just enough to pay someone to teach her to sew. Her hard work led to a position as a teacher at ABFEK's sewing workshop in the Mumosho Women's Center, supported by Action Kivu, which offers free classes to train women in eastern Congo to start their own businesses.

"By training the other women," Rosine says, "I am always thinking that the women and
rest of the community will become able to take care of themselves, their
families and why not the community."

Rosine learned about ABFEK's work from her brother, a student who is sent to school through Action Kivu/ABFEK's sponsorship. "I also know that ABFEK built the Mumosho Peace Market," a safe place for the community to gather to sell their fruits, vegetables, fish, and goods.  After she attended last year's sewing graduation ceremony, she was interested in teaching at the workshop.

"Being a sewing trainer makes me happy," she says, taking a break from work. Rosine has seen the benefits of what she teaches directly, through her ability to help her family with her income, especially after her father passed away a year ago. "I help my mom to take care of the rest of my family. Whenever my mom is unable to buy food and I have some money out of my savings from sewing, I jump in and fix the issue. If one of my brothers needs to pay school fees, I am able to help from time to time."

When asked what their greatest needs are, and how the partners of Action Kivu might help, Rosine reminded us that they need support to make sure they have all they need to continue training the women, to ensure the sustainability of all the programs hosted by Action Kivu through ABFEK. 

Rosine's story is just beginning, as she plans for her upcoming marriage, and worries about how to continue helping her mother and brothers, while she starts her own family.  We work to surround Rosine, and all the women working and learning and living in the communities of eastern Congo, with support.

You can partner with the women and children of Congo by donating here!  To start their business, sewing graduates are each given a sewing kit, including a pedal-powered machine, fabric, scissors, thread, and more, totaling $195 USD. (Action Kivu is a U.S. 501c3, and 100% of the funds go to the programs on the ground, minus nominal banking fees.)