Democratic Republic of Congo

ActionAid began working in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1987, when we provided emergency relief to Burundian refugees.

We are working to make quality education accessible to more children, by providing basic facilities in schools and renovating toilets.

We provide psychological support to survivors of sexual violence, and run workshops with the police and military to find ways to ensure that laws against sexual violence are understood and enforced.

We also build the resilience of communities affected by conflict by providing agricultural tools, seeds and training to help them become self-sufficient.

Why we work in the DRC

The DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world. Over 87% of the population live below the poverty line, and ongoing conflicts have driven millions of people from their homes.

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Over seven million children are missing out on primary education.
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2.7 million people are internally displaced due to conflict.
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Nearly 40% of girls are married before the age of 18.

The majority of the country’s poorest people live in rural areas, where limited access to clean water and sanitation cause outbreaks of deadly diseases like cholera.

Women and girls in rural areas are very vulnerable to sexual violence – millions of women have been raped and abused over years of conflict. Half of all women aged 15-24 are illiterate.

How we’re changing lives for good in the DRC

We have a long-term programme working with local partner organisations in 15 areas across the North and South Kivu Provinces – home to an estimated 12 million people.

Kate Holt/ActionAid

Going to school

Ten-year-old Ça Depend lives in Idjwi Sud, in the very northern part of DRC. His parents died when he was a baby so he lives with his elderly grandparents, who also take care of his brother and two sisters. With support from ActionAid, he is now going to school.

He says, "Before being at school I didn’t know how to count, how to learn, but now I am improving. I like going to school. I need to go to school because after getting the diploma I will be able to look for a job and help my family."

Education

ActionAid

Land rights for women

Laws recognizing women’s right to inherit land are often not enforced by communities. Leoni Maniraguh, 40, lost her parents in 2000. Her stepbrothers grabbed their land, leaving Leoni and her sisters without shelter or any way of feeding their families.

Leoni fought for 11 years to claim her land. She and her sisters joined an ActionAid group, where they learnt about inheritance rights and how to claim them. She finally won back her land, and her success means that now she is a champion of women’s land issues in Nyirangongo.

She says, 'Every time any woman has a case with her husband or a family member in this area, she comes and consults me. The community refers to me as an example to follow.'

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