Report from BHW DRC Partnership Facilitator 

Key People: Pastor Israel Ngiribabo, Sebastien Cirhakarhula

This report on the farming programmes has been written from communications with Sebastien via email and WhatsApp.

Recent Events

Foundations for Farming

In October 2024 Bright Hope World funded US$11,264 for Alliance Evangelique (AE) to run seven trainings in Foundations for Farming with 25 people in each training. These trainings were completed in Goma where the Alliance has two pilot field plots for completing practical experience.

At that stage, AE managed to secure a loan from the ECO bank of US$9,000 to provide the seed capital for 260 households (120 households in Rutshuru territory and 140 households in Masisi territory).

The project was to support IDP returnees to reintegrate into social and economic life after they lost everything as a result of the war. The training covered techniques to increase agricultural productivity and ensure they had help with their challenges. Thanks to the harvests from their fields, they can respond to all their needs and easily restart life after being out from their homeland and losing all their property due to the war. 

After practicing the techniques they were taught, household income has improved significantly, by 250% for corn and 130% for potatoes. Although, we cannot quantify the financial data with accuracy since each of them was using the harvest at his own place; eating, selling and other needs. The people were free to use this income for any need they had like purchasing new items to replace what they lost during the war and displacement. They did also however keep some seeds for the new season in their fields.

After harvesting, the 260 households manage to repay the ECO bank loan and then have some income for their families. The current issue is that with the M23 rebels having control of the area the banks are no longer working. 

New Profiles

Sébastien Cirhakarhula Namugurwa is a human rights activist, a freelance translator, interpreter and communication specialist living in Goma, North Kivu in DRC. He completed a master's in journalism for social changes with the California Berkeley University in 2015, and a Master's in Conflict resolution and Advocacy, a Bachelor +5 in English, African cultures in social sciences at ISP BUKAVU in 2008. He is a community mobilizer and human rights defender invested in creating peaceful communities and environments. He spends time working in advocacy and communication, reporting and drafting, translation and interpretation, with a plus in broadcasts and filmmaking. He is also a member of Translators without Borders (TWB), a worldwide community of translators and interpreters through which he supports humanitarian and nonprofit activities. 

Sébastien brings support in the areas of communication and advocacy with the Alliance of Evangelicals in DRC.  

He was born into a Christian family where his father emphasized to grow under the church. From his childhood he used to go to the Sunday school programs and when he was 14 years old, he got baptised. He represented the youth of his church when he was 21 years old until 25 when he got married. 

Sébastien is married to Claudine Umutesi with whom he has five children, two boys and three girls. Odette, their first daughter is married but the other four are all still living at home.  

Personal Stories

Joseph Habagutuma

Joseph grew potatoes from the seed that was provided. He was displaced because of the war and spent time in the Bulengo IDP camp in Goma. When he returned home, he had nothing to start with. From the first harvest he managed to have enough income to buy essentials such as food and cooking equipment, clothes and to pay for children’s school fees.

His request is that seeing his other neighbours who still have nothing is really hurting them, so please continue the programme and help to fund them as well.

Asina

Asina spent two years in an IDP camp because of the war. When she returned home, she found that everything she had was stolen and she had to rely on the training and seed she was given to provide for her family. She planted carrots, and from the first harvest managed to buy food and pay for school fees for her children.

Partnership's Influence within the Community

The community is grateful for the step up that these farmers had in re-establishing themselves in their homes. There are many more families that also need a step up to help them start to life again in these areas.

Plans for the Future

The next phase intends to integrate 90 households in Rutshuru and 120 households in Masisi, a total of 210 households added on to the 260 households of the first phase. That makes a total of 470 households. Each of the 210 persons will get 20kg of corn seed and 30kg potato seed to cultivate 1 hectare land. 

The team agreed that from this season, we will integrate a policy so that each of the beneficiaries has to give back to our backup store 5 kgs of potatoes and 10 kgs of corn each harvest. These seeds will be used to distribute to new beneficiaries after their training so they can integrate into the system without challenges or without AE needing to request external financial support. From the 470 farmers in total that gives 2,350 kgs corn seed and 4,700 kgs of potato seed.

Thus, for this season each of the beneficiaries of the first group (260) will use seeds they kept during their first harvest. However, when this second phase starts the new beneficiaries will need to be provided with seeds for startup by us. Then, when the harvest arrives in July for corn or maize and September for potatoes, these beneficiaries and those of the first group will have to leave us some 5 kilograms potatoes and 10 kilograms corn each to constitute our backup store.

Current Issues and Challenges

Banks being closed in the M23 controlled area.

Comments

Given the circumstances of these people, coming home to nothing, I can understand why the funds produced from the farming were used to pay for many household and living items. It is great to see that the farmers in the first round have managed to continue on with another round of planting.

To help another 210 families to become re-established I recommend we give a one-off grant of US$7,855 to enable them to provide seed for this next lot of farmers.