Build a business for a woman living in war

Since our last report, more people’s livelihoods have been destroyed in DR Congo. Violence in the town of Beni in North Kivu province has seen more than 250 men, women and children killed. Attackers used knives, machetes and hoes to bring terror to the people living in Beni.

As a result, huge numbers of people have fled their homes for fear of their lives. Attackers destroyed and looted livestock and food, leaving many people with their livelihoods devastated. 

With violence escalating, your help is needed now more than ever. With your support, CRC can bring hope and prosperity to people whose livelihoods have been destroyed by violence.

Since our last report where you met Beatrice, 300 women like her have received loans and doubled their income. Beatrice was forced to leave her home to protect herself and her family, after war broke out where she lived. Thanks to you, many more women like Beatrice have been able to rebuild their livelihood. These women no longer have to worry about not being able to pay their children’s school fees, or pay their rent.

You have also helped our partner, CRC to distribute 90,000 cocoa plants, 75,000 coffee plants, and 46 goats, helping hundreds of people to create sustainable livelihoods, and bring stability to their families and communities.

Thank you for your support. With your help CRC can continue to bring financial security and prosperity to more women in DRC, and help bring peace to communities. 

Links:

• Read our most recent blog post about the violence in Beni

Women living in conflict-affected areas struggle everyday to support their families. CRC's delivering of micro-finance to women in the DRC has helped many of them build a business, aquire their independence and strive for a life where they don't have to fear the next day.

This is the story of Beatrice. Beatrice is 25 years old. She is from Mamove, a village about 35 km from Mavivi in Eastern DRC.

In Mamove, Beatrice’s family had to struggle every day to survive. Her husband, Mustafa, did not have a job. Beatrice was the breadwinner: she would grow products on her small plot of land, which she would then sell. Her income was not only restricted, but heavily reliant on weather conditions, crops growing, and the market. At best, she would make two dollars to feed herself, her husband and her three children.

She constantly worried about the the next day and whether she'd make enough to survive.

One day, the militia started fighting in her village, Beatrice, her husband, and her three children had no choice but to leave their home and go to the nearest town, Mavivi.

In Mavivi, she heard from her new friends that women gathered in a home to receive help from a local organisation, CRC. She decided to go and see if they could help her.

She received three loans from CRC; one of $150 and the two of $100. With this money, she started making and selling doughnuts. The business did well and soon she opened her own cafe. Now she makes eight dollars per day. She has bought a mobile, new clothes for her children, and is paying for the older two to go to school, which she could not afford before. 

Thanks to CRC’s micro-finance project, Beatrice was able to build a business and make enough money to survive. 

Beatrice has now got longer term ambitions. She wants to diversify her business and buy land for her husband to work on, and then perhaps buy a motorbike to transport goods to Beni to expand her business.

Thank you for your generous support. It has been essential to Beatrice's success, and helped so many other families survive the conflict in DRC.