DRC

How SOFDI’s Soap Making Cooperative is Revitalizing a Village

Women's Solidarity for the Integral Development (SOFDI) based in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been a Rockflower partner for a number of years. Most recently they have been working to create sustainable livelihoods and improve hygiene in the village of Kazimia through teaching women how to make soap and operate a business. The organization aims to increase the active participation of women in decision making, politics and the governance system of all community structures. Creating opportunities for economic independence while providing education around human rights and financial literacy is a key pillar in achieving this goal. 

The province of South Kivu, located in the eastern part of the DRC, has been dominated by armed conflicts for more than two decades. Officially the war in the eastern provinces, which began in 1996, has been declared over. Several peace agreements have been signed, however in reality the war still continues, especially in the poorest parts of the nation. The unemployment rate in urban areas is 22% and school enrollment remains low which is one of the main reasons that new armed groups continue to form.This has led to increases in sexual violence and poverty.

Women in this area hold a great deal of responsibility and very little power to influence change. They care for the children, as well as the medical care of all family members and are responsible for fetching water, cooking on wood fires and preparing meals. With such a high unemployment rate, many women are in a position where they must support their families financially in addition to all of their other duties. 

The main source of income in the region is agriculture, although crop yields are highly variable and often do not provide enough food to carry families from one season to the next. Most of the farmers have poor quality seeds and equipment as well. In the village of Kazimia, the nearest town to purchase supplies is nearly 50 kilometers away, and for those who make the journey, the supplies they need are often not in stock.

SOFDI identified an opportunity to improve the local economy in Kazimia by revitalizing the soap making industry. Soap is one of the items that villagers must travel far to purchase and is often out of stock. It was clear that soap would sell in the area, and that it could be made in all seasons for a decent price. This led SOFDI to create the Umoja Ni Nguvu (Unity is Strength) Cooperative to support women in the area and create economic opportunities. They decided to train 15 women in soap making as well as how to manage income and expenses and provided some literacy classes so that the women were well positioned to operate a business. These 15 women are the direct beneficiaries, however the impact on the local economy and hygiene will benefit the whole village.

The first round of training has been highly successful. Throughout the training around 500 bars of palm oil soaps in 3 different shapes were produced. After the training, they produced over 1,500 bars of soap and their first sales allowed the cooperative to purchase more raw materials and continue growing the business. In total they earned the equivalent of $273.15 USD in their first round of sales. More recent sales have been more challenging as the price of raw materials has greatly increased. However, they are still committed to producing soap, even with a lower profit margin and the women who received the training are now ready to train others in soap making.

As the cooperative has gained recognition, their demand has increased significantly, especially because their product dissolves more slowly than factory made soaps. The quality is much higher. Currently production varies from 150 to 300 bars of soap per week and the women work three days each week. They have created a management team to weigh the materials and ensure the business’ success. This new availability of soap has led to a real improvement in the hygiene of families as well. Previously they had to stock up on soap since they needed to travel so far, and many families couldn’t afford to do so. Now they can purchase soap as needed.

The potential for the growth of this business is huge. The members of the cooperative want to work to meet local demand first before expanding into surrounding areas. An unexpected benefit is that many women and young people are coming to the factory to stock up on soap to resell. This is great for the local economy, and the cooperative welcomes it. 

SOFDI’s Executive Director, Dr. Alice Lukumbu, who was one of the featured speakers for the recent Rockflower workshop on Peace and Security, said, “The creation of this unit has benefited the women and the whole village in many ways. Before the start of this activity, obtaining soap required great effort because we had to go to Baraka and Uvira to buy it. Not only is the journey tiring for so little, but also the stocks were often limited and one could move around and get nothing in the end. The finalization of the artisanal soap factory cooperative has overcome their last doubts and allows them to dare to believe that their life will no longer be quite as it was before. I think that in addition to the material benefits, such an attitude is beneficial for the advancement of the village.”

Updates on SOFDI's COVID-19 Mini-Project

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic many of Rockflower’s partners have been forced to suspend their projects for a period of time. Some organizations completely pivoted their planned projects and others created new projects to address the challenges faced by their communities as they battled the pandemic, more specifically, lack of resources and lack of education around COVID-19. 

The DRC is currently designated by the CDC as a Level 4 COVID-19 Zone, meaning that they have a very high level of transmission currently. To date, the nation has reported more than 50,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The pandemic has thrown fuel on an already blazing fire of devastation in a country in the midst of battling rampant terrorism, violence and further displacement of its citizens. 

The humanitarian situation in the DRC is catastrophic. Terrorist groups including the ADF, which the United States has deemed a terrorist group, are considered the deadliest of scores of armed militias that roam the country. Since 2013, the ADF has killed over 6,000 civilians. Terrorism and attempts at ethnic cleansing have lead to the current situation in which 4.5 million people are internally displaced, and more than 890,000 people from Congo are registered as refugees and asylum seekers. Recently, U.S. special forces were authorized to intervene to help the Congolese army fight the Allied Democratic Forces, an armed rebel group.

Rockflower partner, Solidarité des Femmes pour le Développement Intégral (SOFDI), a community-based, not-for-profit organization based in the Fizi Territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), launched a project in February to empower and educate women in the face of the pandemic. Rockflower funded this six-month micro-project that aimed to address these needs. This project has since been completed, and SOFDI has shared an update on the overall impact.

The COVID-19 Response Micro Project was mutli-faceted and addressed issues affecting women and children in the Fizi Territory. The team at SOFDI installed a number of hand-washing stations in public spaces and schools, educated teachers and community members about the virus, on how to prevent it and in addition distributed much needed food. 

One of SOFEDI’s public hand-washing stations.

One of SOFEDI’s public hand-washing stations.

They also provided 60 women with professional training in order to gain economic independence. The team was able to additionally include education on gender-based violence during the group gatherings. SOFDI raised awareness by creating a public campaign promoting COVID-19 preventative measures and the newly installed hand washing stations through radio broadcasts, megaphone announcements, pamphlets and banners throughout the community. The goal of the project was to directly work with 60 women to improve their education of public health, women’s health, and economic opportunities. In addition this indirectly affected thousands of people by providing hygiene materials and education around COVID-19.

Throughout the duration of the project, SOFDI conducted a number of interviews and field studies to better understand how effective the program was, and how they could continue to educate and empower the community moving forward. They found that there was a significant increase in the understanding of COVID-19 and its effects. Before the program, 37% of those interviewed were aware of the effects COVID-19, as compared to 86% at the end of this project, a nearly 50% increase. They also saw a 15% increase in community members who were practicing at least two preventative barrier measures. These include social distancing, mask wearing, restraining from physical contact, washing hands often and limiting indoor gatherings.

Additionally, 60 disadvantaged women were chosen to participate in the program, where they were divided into four groups, or cooperatives, and met weekly to discuss issues relating to the pandemic and to learn valuable job skills. Five women in each group were selected to pursue vocational training, in entrepreneurship and agricultural business. They focused on tailoring, soap making and information technology. The group leaders were then able to share what they had learned with the rest of their cooperatives. These women received valuable employment skills, as well as important information about COVID-19 that they could then share with other community members.

Addressing the community’s knowledge around COVID-19 was the primary goal of this project, however the organization was able to take advantage of these educational gatherings to address issues related to the promotion and defense of women’s rights each week. In these sessions, the women discussed issues of gender-based violence, human rights and sexual and reproductive health. The organization found significant improvement in the group’s knowledge of female empowerment and safety.

Looking forward, SOFDI aims to continue educating the community about COVID-19 and work toward stopping the spread of the virus. They are also hoping to set up a number of vocational centers for women and girls, where they can learn valuable job skills, as well as gain knowledge on women’s rights. The COVID-19 Mini-Project has had a significant positive impact on this community, for which the pandemic has added yet another layer of struggle to an already dire humanitarian situation affecting the DRC. Rockflower looks forward to continuing to support SOFDI as they consistently work to improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls.

Solidarité des Femmes pour le Développement Intégral

Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 1,000 coronavirus cases yesterday. The state of health emergency was extended for a second time last week.

Challenges and Concerns

The current state of health emergency has increased food prices in the retail market leading to starvation.

Adaptation Measures and Emergency Fund

IMG-20200419-WA0009.jpg

Through the financial support of our Emergency Fund, Solidarité des Femmes pour le Développement Intégral (SOFEDI) was able to arrange a group meeting with 30 vulnerable women, girls and boys. The goal was to provide information on preventative measures against COVID-19 and domestic violence. In addition to the education session, food parcels of millie, rice and washing powder were distributed.

SOFEDI has expanded their existing Food Security Program due to the uncertainty of the coronavirus. The program was created to address the growing challenge of food insecurity in emergency situations. Vulnerable families are identified, including elderly grandmothers with grandchildren, the sick, and sudden deaths. A total of 40 families are chosen every three months and are provided with food parcels. This lessens a worrisome burden while employment and new ways of sustaining livelihoods are sought. After three months has elapsed, families are reassessed.

Rockflower’s belief in us has contributed to SOFEDI being the “heroines of hope” to whoever knocks on our doors for assistance.
— Dr. Alice Lukumbu Rose, Executive Director of SOFEDI

Update from July 2020

SOFEDI has been witnessing the increasing challenges occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of a civil war in the Fizi and Uvira districts. These districts are already high risk for rural women and girls because of current living conditions.

While the government has called for a State of Health Emergency, SOFEDI has continued to support the women and girls in the South Kivu Province through advocacy and programming, such as their “Peace First” program.

Rockflower Partners with Jimbere Fund to Train Women Entrepreneurs in the DRC

Jimbere2.JPG

Rockflower is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Jimbere Fund. They provide women from some of the poorest households in Congo’s rural communities with training and grants to launch businesses.

Rockflower will provide funding for a year-long training and seed grants to 30 women to become entrepreneurs and start small businesses.

Find out more about the Minembwe Women Entrepreneurs Project.