PROJECTS > DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)
At 2.3 million square kilometers, the Democratic Republic of Congo is the 12th largest country in the world by geographic area, the fourth most populated country in Africa, and the 18th most populated country in the world [population of 60,764,000]. Life expectancy in the DRC is 48 years and the literacy rate is 66%. An estimated 5 million people have died as a result of the ongoing conflict continuing to wreak havoc. Lack of basic services and infrastructure in eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, is exacerbated by the conflicts causing enormous humanitarian needs. 40+ armed groups continue to operate in the eastern provinces, including North Kivu. An estimated 6.5 million people are at crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity and UNICEF estimates that 2.5 million children under the age of 5 are acutely malnourished. Cholera and measles outbreaks are repeatedly reported and malaria is endemic. There was a recent two-year Ebola outbreak in North Kivu and now the area is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cathy Cleary visited the city of Goma in the province of North Kivu in the DRCongo with well-known Canadian artist, Heather Haynes, in February of 2014. After interviewing ten women, Cathy felt she must do something to support the women whose lives were consumed by poverty and violence. Over the next few months, Cathy worked with Kizungu, a local leader and connector to the women. Land was found, buildings repaired, and staff, including a teacher and a security guard, were hired. This was the beginning of the Tchukudu Women’s Training Centre (TWTC). In May 2014, sixteen women began their seamstress training over a two-year period. The goal is for the women to become seamstresses and generate income in their individual or cooperative sewing businesses. The Tchukudu Women’s Training Centre is a partnership project between the DRCongo non-governmental organization, Volunteers for Mission in Child Care (VMC) and the Canada Africa Community Health Alliance The project was initiated through World’s Collide Africa now under the umbrella of The Art of Courage
The TWTC land and building were purchased in May 2015, with many thanks to Salute Financial Entrepreneurs, and are registered in the name of VMC. This provides stability and continuity for the women and the project. It also provides the opportunity to expand the training centre. In September of 2015, through the generosity of Pure Ingenuity Inc., a security wall was erected around the training centre, ensuring the safety and security of the women as well as protecting the valuable equipment and supplies housed at the centre.
As of January 2021, 65 women have graduated and began their cooperative sewing businesses. Each cooperative consists of 3-4 seamstresses working in a group.
CURRENT PROJECTS
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Reusable Sanitary Pad project
Menstruation remains a taboo subject in many countries making it difficult for girls and women to access sanitary products. Add to that extreme poverty and living in a conflict zone, and the need for support in Democratic Republic of Congo to allows girls to attend school and women to work is huge. Kizungu, our local DRC project manager, Clarisse, our local Tchukudu Women’s Training Centre coordinator, and Cathy applied and were accepted to enter a partnership with Days for Girls International to develop a reusable sanitary pad project in the city of Goma. The first group of women completed their training and achieved the highest status of a Gold Certified Days for Girls enterprise called Tchukudu Women’s Enterprise in June of 2023. Since that time the women have been working hard to find partnerships through which to provide young women with sanitary pads to help them in continuing their education. Living on very low incomes creates an often insurmountable obstacle for girls and women to access sanitary products. Partnerships with local and international NGOs provides much needed support.
Each kits provides a young woman with health information, reusable sanitary pads, soap, and carrying case. You will see from the smiles these kits are a wonderful gift indeed.
For more information please contact Cathy Cleary cathy@bridgingpost.com
PAST PROJECTS
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Basket Weaving
The women’s advisory committee of the TWTC determined that a minimum level of education was necessary for a woman to join the training centre. Many women in DRCongo have not had an opportunity to attend school or if they have they have had to leave early due to family poverty, early marriage or violent conflict. Cathy asked the women what they would like to earn and they said Basket Weaving. A group of 11 women have completed basket weaving training. Unfortunately, we learned late that with the cost of materials, the sale of baskets earns very little for the women. We continue to search for other income generating options.
Tie Dye Training
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When asked what they would like to learn after graduation all the women declared that tie dyeing would be a good skill to have. Thirty-six women completed tie dye training, and use it in their income generating businesses.
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Micro-finance Training
In the summer of 2019, a representative from each of our 15 sewing cooperatives completed micro-finance training. The representative then took that learning back to the other seamstresses in her sewing cooperative. This provided the women with some basic financial training, helpful in running a business.
COVID-19 Mask Making
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With the world wide threat of COVID-19 in the spring, Cathy sent funds to the women to purchase materials to make masks to help keep everyone safe. The seamstresses made masks for all of the women. Children and men associated with the Tchukudu projects. The hope was that they could then sell some to make a small profit. The women looked around their neighbourhoods and saw many people in need and they felt compelled to make and give masks to those who could not afford to buy them. Living lives of need themselves they are touched by the poverty and vulnerability of others.
FUTURE PROJECTS
Working Shop
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The women hope that we can build a working shop, where they can sew and work together. This would provide the women a place to create new ideas and new income earning projects. This building will be furnished to provide a home for our reusable sanitary pad project and other income generating projects including possibly jewelry making.
For more information please visit http://www.cacha.ca/projects/tchukudu-sponsorship-project OR https://couragecongo.com/
