Economic Growth Congo, Democratic Republic of the Project #57652

Refugee Handcraft Economic Empowerment in DRCongo

by Collective of Youth Organizations for Solidarity in DRCongo (COJESKI/DRC, Coordination of North Kivu

Summary

Over the years since 1996 when the war started in DRCongo, the international community abandoned refugees for reasons which we do not know yet up to now. Rwandan refugees who left Rwanda during the Genocide in 1994 and others in DRC do not enjoy International Protection, forgotten by DRC Government and highly facing hostilities from local hosting communities. Women and young girls have paid a heavy price over the years, and many are living in dire situation. The only hope is from us now.

$75,000
total goal

$55,000
remaining

1
donor

0
monthly donors

9
months

Challenge

Refugee women and young girls are most vulnerable people in communities as they do not have livelihood opportunities, cannot access to land, and they are highly excluded and discriminated. Because also language barrier and limited in terms of running away during wars, many were victims of all forms of sexual abuses, others in order to survive resorted to commercial sex while others are just sexual slaves. They continue to be victims of all kinds of sexual transmitted diseases and forgotten.

Solution

We have developed a Refugee Women Economic Model which aims at empowering them. It is about putting them in a group of 20 and discover what they can do together as a group, we give the necessary to start and then make them responsible. The money they get is divided into two 50% is managed by themselves in order to solve their problems while the other 50% is managed by the organization in order to support others and for the continuity of the project. So far at least women have now money.

Long-Term Impact

In long-term this project seeks to develop and empower refugee women economically in order to make them able to respond positively to all their basic needs, when that is done then they can also focus on other community issues through strong leadership roles, In long-term this project will provide education opportunities to refugee women and also ensure that their children are protected and have access to education in their communities. It will change the attitude of the communities about them.