Marie Tshilomba Mfuamba with her 3-year-old son Kasonga Kayembe Bidef, Kabata (DRC), September 2022 | © HI / V. Nikolic
Marie Tshilomba Mfuamba with her 3-year-old son Kasonga Kayembe Bidef, Kabata (DRC), September 2022 | © HI / V. Nikolic
Marie Tshilomba Mfuamba is a strong, determined woman who lives in Kabata, a village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She lives with her 3-year-old son, Kasonga Kayembe Bidef, and seven other family members.
Marie had been living in Kabata for 10 years and was struggling financially. Unequipped to grow her own vegetables, she had to go to the market to buy her food. That changed when Humanity & Inclusion provided her with farming tools, seeds and financial aid to help her buy food to support her family.
Marie also received training in nutrition and learned better techniques for growing peanuts and vegetables. Today, she grows tomatoes, eggplants and cabbage in her own garden. She is no longer dependent on market produce and has tucked some extra seeds away for next year. This dietary diversity has not only improved her son's health, but it has also given Marie renewed hope and independence.
HI's support for Marie and her family has also helped the rest of the community. The inhabitants of the village of Kabata now have better access to nutritious food.
"When my son suffered from malnutrition, I felt helpless and didn't know what to do. But with HI's help, I was able to give him the food he needed to grow. I am very grateful for HI's support and I am proud to say that my son no longer suffers from malnutrition."
With HI's help, Marie is now a role model among her neighbors. Today, Marie and her son are healthy and thriving. Her determination is an example of what can be achieved with the right support and resources.
HI has helped strengthen food security in four different regions of Dibaya Territory (Tshilela, Bena Kamboke, Fumba and Mupoyi) through the implementatio
n of an agricultural recovery and food assistance project that has improved the living conditions of more than 54,000 households.
This project was supported by the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and implemented in consortium with Action Against Hunger from November 2021 to February 2023. It focused specifically on distributing financial aid and preventive actions to combat malnutrition, including awareness-raising on good nutritional practices.
The results show a clear improvement in food and nutritional security among participants. The project has helped to increase the availability of certain vegetables in local markets at prices that are more affordable, especially for households with the most acute needs
