In the DRC and South Kivu, the lack of a pension system plunges rural elders into extreme poverty. In Kabare, more than 80% of the elderly live without any social protection. Having become dependent, they are unjustly perceived as an economic burden by their families. This environment of poverty breaks down traditional solidarity, exposing the elderly to abandonment, severe malnutrition, and profound marginalization within their communities.
In Ciragabwa, aging is synonymous with critical vulnerability. Without income, the elderly suffer total economic dependence that destroys their dignity. This isolation creates tensions: excluded, some are subjected to false accusations or stigmatization that shatters their social lives. No longer able to maintain livestock due to local crises, they face immediate nutritional and health insecurity, without any family support.
This project creates a productive livestock herd through a revolving solidarity loan. Each elderly beneficiary receives a pair of goats (one male and one female). After the birth, OGDH takes the first kid born and gives it to another beneficiary in the village. This sustainable mechanism generates independent income, provides manure for vegetable gardens, and empowers the community. By becoming productive again, the elderly beneficiaries break their isolation and restore their dignity.
The long-term impact of this project rests on the autonomy and sustainability of the revolving credit system. By passing on the first kid born to other elders, the chain of solidarity naturally extends throughout the village. Economically stable and nourished by their fertile vegetable gardens, the elderly are no longer perceived as burdens, but as key players. This project creates a sustainable community model that definitively protects the rights and dignity of the elderly.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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