Support small busness to 250 refugee women in DRC

Engaging the last stage for these three groups of refugee women in Goma who have benefited from this project. With what we have done together, let us finish it during this year by pulling out these refugee women in the circle of poverty by ncreasing their capital.

Josephine (not her real name) is one among the beneficiaries of our projects she said recently " trully speaking I'm here in the IDPs Camp but I'm far different from other IDPs and refugee women here, at least me I have an extra source of income through this project, and other women here do envy me, I'm lacky I do not have to move everywhere looking for ways to survive like other women, I'm not exposed to risks anymore because my business here in the camp is bringing money, just look at me, you will also see that I'm physically much better than othner refugee women here, thank you for your support, but also work hard to help others".

Background information

We estimate that North Kivu Province could host more than 1,500,000 refugees mainly from Rwanda and Burundi, among them only less than 27,000 are recognized by the Government and UNHCR, among them only 4,000 have accurate refugee documents, and less than 200 have access to some form of humanitarian relief aid from UNHCR and her implementing partners, and this aid is generally limited to school fees to children at primary schools, and basic medical treatment.

Shortly as we embarked on this project which aims are showing clearly that it is possible to increase the protection space of refugee women in North Kivu, and actually also to demonstrate with concrete evidence that refugees can also contribute to the economy of the country, under our convictions “ refugees are not a problem but they have problems”. We first of all engaged on the reduction of poverty among refuges through supporting refugee with capital for small income generating activities. Just because North Kivu has plenty of opportunities for refugees to be produce and live on their own efforts through income generating activities.  

Three groups are in place which include: Refugee women Business Group, Refugee Craft Group and Refugee Shopping Bags Group. We also intended to put in place, the refugee tailoring group but we stopped it because the area where we want to put it is more dominated by the army.

The refugee women business group is composed of 20 people among them 16 are refugees both from Rwanda and Burundi, and the four are Congolese women, this is in line with the promotion of pacific cohabitation, the same the refugee women Craft Group is also composed of 20 people among them 4 Congolese women and the Refugee Shopping Bags Groups has also 20 people among the 4 Congolese women.

Most of these women were selected based on their vulnerability and especially those who have victims of rape and other forms of sexual and gender based violence.

Each group continues to work normally, producing things and selling them to the local market, and this has earned them money which helps them to survive and solve their problems.

Opportunities that are connected to this project for refugee women,

Because of this project which puts refugee women together, they have now been connected to the African Refugee Women Network, these in DRC are now the Congolese Chapter, and also they have been connected to the Global Rotary Club for Refugees, and these women are now the focal points in DRC.

We observe more interactions between these women and more actions of solidarity among themselves when there is a problem affecting one person.

As per now they have developed more dreams and ideas in order to move forward, they are no longer limited to their daily bread, some among them are now thinking about big businesses and expanding their ideas,

Threats

Among the big problems we have faced is that North Kivu Province is at war cause by M23 rebels backed by Rwanda, and this war has caused the displacement of more than 4million people who living around Goma in IDP Camps among them we have also refugees, this war has reduced the movement of people towards many parts for business and generally most of these refugees are only limited to operate from Goma, this war also has increased security restrictions to refugees and asylum seekers, many do not feel safe to move far away from Goma, and also this war has made the cost of living more expensive because rebels control most of the areas where food comes from and also has limited the opportunities for people to access some borders especially with Uganda in order to operate businesses.

This affected also these refugee women and in most cases most of their work is to solve their daily bread, and life has become expensive in Goma.

However on a positive note, we have observed the presence of SADC Forces which intended to finish with the rebels once for all in order to restore the situation to normal.

Key challenges

Every day we are receiving demands from other refugee women requesting to support them with starting capital,

We are also facing the challenges from men who argue that we have discriminated them especially men who are in almost in the same situation like that of the women,

Other urgent needs which need our attention such as Adults Literacy Programme, Access to information and technology, trainings in Businesses, training in Leadership and acquiring necessary documents which can favor them to travel,

The need to advocate on behalf of refugee asylum seekers who do not have documents yet because this limits their opportunities to work and generate money for their survival,

Way forward

This year 2024 seems to bring hope than last year, because the DRC Army has promised to crush out the rebels, which will offer people more opportunities for businesses and these refugee women will be able to move in various parts,

This year 2024, we intend to increase their capital so that they can be more resilient to the challenges,

This year 2024 the creation of employment and the empowerment of people are among the key pillars of the DRC President which he made public during his swearing ceremony on January 20^th, 2024,

This year 2024 we intend also to extend the grant of capital to more other refugee women especially those who are marginalized among them those affected by HIV/AIDs, those who have been victims of rape and are stigmatized, single mothers and then those who are just too poor,