Raise HOPE for Women in Eastern DRC (Congo)

Sauti ya Congo (Voices of Congo) Written by Danielle Allyn

Uhuru is the Swahili word for freedom, and it is also often used to mean independence. When talking with our women artisans here at MamAfrica, the word uhuru resurfaced many times, both as a point of pride and as a long-term goal for each woman. MamAfrica artisan Nyassa reflects on her life before enrolling in MamAfrica’s sowing program, explaining that she was once dependent on friends and relatives. When Nyassa was younger, she and her family sustained a livelihood like many in eastern Congo: through farming. When the war prompted Nyassa to move to Bukavu for safety reasons, she began to adapt to town life, where cultivating crops was no longer a realistic option for subsistence. “Before MamAfrica, I was unskilled,” Nyassa says. “But now I am proud of the skills I learn at MamAfrica and the income that enables me to support my family.” Nyassa intends to continue improving her sewing skills. Uhuru is now not only a dream for Nyassa, but a reality, as she supports not only her own children but also a grandchild. “I want my children to have a better life,” Nyassa adds. “That is why I work hard to send them to school.”

The word uhuru also weighs heavily in the life of MamAfrica artisan Deodate. “I am proud that I am able to support my children through my own efforts. They are able to eat and to study through my work at MamAfrica, and they have a good life even though I do not have a husband.” Deodate hopes that her children will follow her example and become hardworking, productive members of society. “I think it is important to teach my children the value of hard work,” Deodate says. The older boys and girls in the family practice these values every day, as each spends time selling items in the market after school to earn some extra income. Deodate’s dream is to purchase her own home one day, so that the children she cherishes can have a place to call their own.

Colonized first by King Leopold II in the late 19^th century and then by the Belgian state until the 1960s,uhuru is a term that is not lost on Congolese. The Congolese people are survivors of decades of brutal colonization and poor governance, and yet most still cling to the ideal of true independence. Surrounded by many messages that seem to denounce uhuru for women, MamAfrica artisans like Nyassa and Deodate are charting a new course for the future- and they are doing so with joy. “I thank God every day that I am alive, because many perished in the war,” Deodate says. “My favorite song is called ‘I Am Joyful’,” Nyassa offers cheerfully when I ask whether she likes to sing. Perhaps to emphasize her point, she breaks into song in the midst of our conversation. Uhuru and furaha (freedom and joy) to you from all of us here at MamAfrica!