Paul Mpoyi Bulongo in Kinshasa
The district of Dumi, covering an area of 728 km2 in the commune of Maluku, is situated to the east of the city of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It has around 9,000 inhabitants, most of whom are country people.
In order to reduce their vulnerability, the DRC Red Cross has launched an agricultural project, which aims to increase farmers’ production and assist them in marketing their produce. This contributes to improving the supply of produce to the city of Kinshasa at a time when red tape and conflicts in the country restrict the availability of foodstuffs. At the same time, the project improves the living conditions of people in rural areas.
In order to improve the situation, DRC Red Cross approached the community of Dumi through the district authorities, which granted the community arable land free of charge. The purpose of the project is to teach them how to farm the land and become self-sufficient. “This is a great opportunity, because gaining the trust of the community leader is a guarantee of the success of the project,” explains Dr Aita Sarr Cissé, a food security expert with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which supports this initiative.
To date, 900 households in 26 villages in Dumi, organized into three farming associations, are farming 900 hectares of land. Each household has at least one hectare, which it is able to work thanks to the project’s tractor and agricultural materials supplied by the Red Cross. They grow cassava, cowpeas and sweet potatoes. Part of the produce is marketed, and the rest is consumed locally.
Nsele Moba Nkua, who is 32, is a member of the youth association involved in the project. He remarks that he has made CDF 132,000 (around USD 260) from the first harvest. “It is promising,” he says. “Thanks to the Red Cross, we are able to consume and sell the fruits of our land”.
Following a work plan established by each association, the farmers prepare the ground before sowing, undertaking various tasks including ploughing, harrowing and ridging, with the aid of the tractor. The work continues with the weeding of the fields and the final harvesting of the crops.“Our assistance consists of supplying the farmers with the materials they need and providing follow-up and expertise, which involves showing them how to market the produce and training them in modern farming techniques,” explains engineer Mutombo.
In order to ensure the continued commitment of the farmers and maximize the impact of their work, the members of the associations are selected and renewed for the following season. Those who were less successful receive further training to improve their productivity.
The approach adopted to implement the project is also linked to the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross. Beneficiaries are selected on the basis of criteria relating to vulnerability (impartiality) and teamwork (unity). Red Cross workers who belong to the target community also receive the same treatment as other members in terms of benefits. Training volunteers and raising community awareness about farming activities also contribute to strengthening the capacities of the National Society.
In view of these promising initial results, the project leaders now wish to extend these activities, as the needs of the people of Dumi are still great in terms of food security and sanitation facilities.
Food security is one of the priorities of the DRC Red Cross. Implementation of the Dumi project was possible thanks to funding from the European Union through the Spanish Red Cross.