Isabelle is one of millions of people who have been forced to flee from their homes due to violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). When conflict came to her community, she was quick to protect her nine children. They escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Eventually, the family found solace in a settlement for people seeking safety. But finding food and a way to earn an income was still a challenge.
A life-changing harvest
Tearfund’s local partner organisation in the DRC, Mavuno, has been helping people like Isabelle to become more independent through farming. Along with other households in the settlement, Isabelle was offered seeds, tools, training, and a plot of land in a nearby field.
This support enabled Isabelle to grow her own food and become financially independent. She started growing maize and cabbage, and the money she made from her first harvest paid for her children’s school fees.
‘I am so happy, and I thank Mavuno and Tearfund,’ says Isabelle. ‘I had nothing as a displaced person but now I can find food and money.’
From strangers to family
Isabelle lives with a community of people who come from diverse backgrounds but all share similar stories of leaving behind everything they once knew. They support and encourage each other in their new lives, both practically and emotionally.
‘We are strangers in this place, for now, but we will work together as a family on this land that Mavuno has provided,’ says Isabelle.
