Farm for forcibly displaced people in Congo with street children Care
A group of young people have founded a cooperative there to set up a farm, just the right thing to bring the Dolsys experience to bear.
The cooperative mainly consists of traumatized refugees from the war zones who have to live on the streets in Lubumbashi.
Currently, 45 people have the opportunity to earn a living there. The members of the cooperative (mostly women) do the farm work and receive 60% of the income from the farm yields as wages, so they virtually share in the profit. 40% remains in the cooperative for running costs and operating the farm.
So far, the cooperative has been working on rented land without a water connection. This leads to major risks due to the usual lack of rain. Dolsys helped to buy the first seeds and fertilizer and then had to help so that water could be brought to the field. Dolsys has now pledged its support so that the local organization can acquire 10 hectares of land. The special thing about this land is that there is a small stream that permanently supplies water. This means that crops can be harvested 3 times a year, which is a blessing and an improvement.
As a special feature, each member of the cooperative must undertake to take in a street child who can live with the member’s family. Several times a week, the cooperative organizes training sessions and communal meals for all the children taken in.
The cost of caring for one street child is around 35 euros per month, but more children could be taken in if regular sponsorships were provided
The Farm for Forcibly Displaced Persons project offers every opportunity for further modular expansion
– Purchase of a tractor with trailer for field work and transportation
– Completion of the school
– Purchase of a corn mill
– Livestock farming (chickens, cows etc.)
– Sponsorships for further street children