AREAS OF ACTIVITIES
AREAS OF ACTIVITIES
D.R.Congo I Economic Integration & Livelihood Support for Women & Youth
RAF Global’s programme on economic integration and livelihood support to the communes of Kimbanseke, Nsele, Mont Ngafula, and Selembao in the province of Kinshasa envisions four key outcomes namely,
- Skilled and trained women and youth,
- Increased access to easy, affordable and relevant financial products
- Growth of a robust Social Enterprise Fund that promotes low-cost loans and also builds financial discipline in clients and,
- Micro Enterprise Promotion that are self-employment initiatives, also creating employment opportunities for many others in disadvantaged rural and urban settings.
Skill Building
Skilling for livelihoods has been a focus area of RAF Global since the early years of the foundation and was delivered through its vocational training centres in the project areas. By the end of the year 2022, centre-based training was delivered in altogether six trades namely, electrical works, carpentry, bike mechanic, tailoring, beautician, and arts and crafts. The expansion into electrical works, carpentry, and bike mechanics is helping us evolve into a more balanced programme, addressing the skilling and employment needs of both men and women in the local community.
The courses run for different duration, based on the hands-on intensive nature of requirements to gain the competency. A total of 5,047 trainees have graduated from various centre-based courses. These courses run at extremely low costs, through funds and in-kind donations raised from individuals and business entities. The cost of these courses per trainee ranges between USD 10 to USD 35. Remarkably, a person’s income earning ability is being transformed for a lifetime, with such low investment. The course centres exist in the vicinity of or at a manageable travel distance for course aspirants and are widely accessible. All trainees who complete the course are felicitated in a graduation ceremony. The initiative has opened avenues for wage employment as well as, self-employment for the graduates.
During a humanitarian crisis such as Covid 19, RAF Global also employed 95 women graduates of tailoring and involved them in serving communities through the production of face masks. In another initiative at Pediatrics De Mama Koko orphanage, Kimbondo in Mont Ngafula commune, RAF Global trains and employs resident youth in bakery skills and everyday production of fresh bread, to feed children residing at the orphanage for the entire year. A batch of 4 youths trained in bakery has been employed every year, since the year 2018. In a resource-strapped setting, such a strategy of training, employing, and assisting youth in weaning from institutional care living has addressed financial independence and employment, as well as better targeting of resources for minor and vulnerable orphaned children.
The vocational training programme is implemented in partnership with Association Chretienne pour le development des Femmes et Enfants (ACEDEFE), Foyer Pere Monti, Soeur de Saint Joseph de Turin, Centre Social Saint Matthieu, Centre Nutritionnel Soeur Veronique Natival, Orphelinat Mama Koko and Monastere Benediction de Mambre.
Financial Inclusion
In the year 2022, with the kind material support of Fourways SARL to 5 enterprising youth of Orphelinat Mama Koko, Kimbondo, RAF Global initiated one group-based income generation activity. The youth were earlier trained in the bakery and now, they are provided with one-time seed capital in the form of raw materials for baking bread as well as, making use of the orphanage’s bakery unit and equipment, during the hours when the kitchen is not operating.
Growth of a robust Social Enterprise Fund
Social enterprise funds have been set up in D.R.Congo, to aid low-cost loaning to individuals and groups and micro businesses for promoting women and youth-centric economic enterprises. A total of 274 beneficiaries have received seed capital support from RAF Global such as sewing machines, raw materials, tools etc to enable them to start commercial activities. Normally, this support is provided to graduates of various trades who are trained at RAF Global’s vocational centres. The strategy to make recipients accountable for part repayment of the support attaches value to the seed capital support as it is perceived as hard-earned and not free. It is observed that there is greater seriousness to establish one’s enterprise.
Micro Enterprise Promotion
RAF Global encourages its graduates towards securing an income, enhancing existing income, and even diversifying their livelihoods portfolio. The seed capital support for a commercial enterprise is one component of RAF Global’s micro-enterprise promotion ecosystem. Monitoring reports tell us that in the year 2022, at least 421 training students/ graduates availed the vocational centre space and machines freely, to complete the work orders they received through self-initiative and earned an income. RAF Global also gives preference in work orders to its graduates of various trades, in school infrastructure development work etc. For the last one year, RAF Global has nurtured a collective of Youths who are employed at the bakery establishment of Pediatrics De Mama Koko orphanage, Kimbondo in Mont Ngafula commune. The youths have received seed capital to establish a bread production and sale chain, using the orphanage’s bakery space and equipment. The entire network of producers and sellers in this system has been earning a reasonable income in this young micro-enterprise.
Donors like Ste Fourways SARL, Ste Spanco, ACOKIN SARL, Ste Shayna, Kamlesh Shukla, Mehboob Jindani, Unique Pharma, Galaxy, and KINPLAST make our work on strengthening livelihoods in the Kinshasa province possible.
D.R.CONGO I Climate Smart Agriculture
RAF Global implements agriculture-focused projects in the city province of Kinshasa, with a focus on 4 communes namely, Kimbanseke, Nsele, Mont Ngafula, and Selembao.
It promotes farming practices and systems that adapt to climate change to ensure sustainable income and food security for smallholder farm families. Through information dissemination, training, and celebrating environment-related observance days, RAF Global has been building the trust of the local community in CSA technologies.
In the face of rampant food insecurity and malnutrition in D.R.Congo, the kitchen garden and backyard farming initiatives with women are extremely relevant initiatives to improve the intake of nutritious food at the household level.
This is the second year that kitchen gardens are thriving at the Centre Nutritionnel Soeur Veronique Natival (Mpasa, in Nsele commune) because girls and women from impoverished homes congregate now not only for two meals a day but also to learn skills in organic crop production and backyard farming.
Through training complemented with the distribution of seeds, saplings, farming tools, and access to fertile land within the nutrition centre campus, 31 beneficiaries are actively involved in vegetable production which they take home for household consumption as well as, for sale in the local market. Every week, the harvest provides nutritious meal to undernourished children and pregnant and lactating women who visit the centre.
Over 200 people across 4 communes have also gained enhanced levels of farming skills in horticulture that can help them improve their income and take care of the nutritional needs of their families.
D.R.CONGO I Education And Technology (ETP)
RAF Global carries out a range of initiatives to reinforce and improve the country-specific education system, with a clear view of addressing equitable and universal access to quality education.
School Improvement Programme
The ETP sub-theme, ‘School Improvement Programme’ involves infrastructure improvement by equipping schools with child-friendly, durable benches for classrooms, donating educational books for school libraries and sports equipment for joyful engagement, and physical training as well as for building sportsmanship among school students. By supporting schools in ICT education, RAF Global is bridging the digital divide among children living and studying in low-income poverty pockets and encourages girls to understand and engage with information technology systems.
In a context where 3.5 million children of primary school age are out of school and only 67% who enter first grade will complete sixth grade, RAF Global supports the most vulnerable children who are enrolled in a school, to regularly attend school and not to fall off the public education system. At the start of every academic year, RAF Global coordinates the ‘Back to School Campaign’ involving distribution of school kits as well as, facilitates sponsorship and waiver of school fees of the most vulnerable school children, thus advancing the cause of free education. Nearly 6000 students have benefited directly, from these twin efforts.
RAF Global periodically organises teachers’ training programme for public school teachers in rural areas, to complement the Government’s efforts. Besides pedagogical training to improve the delivery of lessons for engaging students in a better manner, such a forum encourages cross-learning and peer support among the teachers. Over 200 youth in institutional care in Mont Ngafula have also received training on leadership development, physiotherapy training, and exposure to entrepreneurship to help them gain livelihood-promoting skills and wean off institutional care.
These initiatives are focused on selected schools and orphanages in the communes of Selembao, Kimbanseke, Nsele, Mont Ngafula, Lemba, and Masina.
Early Childhood Development
A stimulating environment in early childhood years is most important for the brain development of a child and assures better competencies and foundational personality development that are critical in later years. Since 2022, RAF Global has been working in the area of early years education by setting up Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres that enrol3-6 years old children for a few hours of care-guided engagement for fine motor skills, cognitive development and building social skills in a safe environment. A total of 150 preschool children are enrolled in three well-equipped ECD centres and also eat one nutritious meal at these centres located in the communes of Kimbanseke, Nsele, and Mont Ngafula.
Our work is powered by benevolent donors namely, Sofia/Afriglobe, KINPLAST, International Women’s Club, ETS Bonhear/ ETS Somvira and several individual donors.
School Improvement
The school, Ecole Mere Marie Augustine is located in the commune of Nsele and provides formal education to 400 children. The institution has been in dire need of outdoor sports equipment. PostCovid-19, most schools around the world face an insurmountable challenge to fill the learning gap of students, keep them interested in school and ensure their physical training that also contributes to mental alertness and enhanced attention span. At Ecole Mere Marie Augustine, it was clear that the broken swings, lack of sports equipment, and quality of playtime could not keep the children happy and learning at the school.
Committed to human development goals, RAF Global in D.R.Congo responded to the need and supported the school in revamping the playground infrastructure.
Through its periodic assessment of public schools in Kimbanseke, Nsele, Selembao of sports equipment, RAF Global became aware of the deficits and has assisted in repairing them, along with meeting additional requirements of the playground in schools. Besides Ecole Mere Marie Augustine, the foundation has also supported Sr.de St Josephde Turin, Espoir Congo- SABEC, Orphelinat Maison Famille, E.P.Misani, E.P.Pasteur Mayele, and E.P.Mbego.
D.R.CONGO I Health And Nutrition Initiatives
Good health is critical to fight poverty at the individual, family, and community levels and is a precondition for progress on several of the sustainable development goals. D.R.Congo faces the key challenge of having the third largest population of the global poor. Cataract is cited as a key reason for blindness among the local population, despite the low complication rate of surgeries. 90 percent of the rural population is dependent on freshwater springs for water. Chronic malnutrition affects 43 percent of its child population in the age group 0 to 5 years of age. Malaria remains one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the country and carried the global burden of 22 percent of all malaria-related deaths in 2018. Addressing these challenges, RAF Global complements the Government of D.R.Congo’s health services and promotes the health of vulnerable groups- elderly, children, girls, and women among the primary project communes of Selembao, Mont Ngafula, Kimbanseke, and Nsele in Kinshasa province.
CONSTRUCTION OF WATER TANKS
The HNI programmes are broadly focused on Water and Sanitation and Health Outreach (on a range of issues for the prevention of infections and diseases through behaviour modification, health screening, availing diagnostic services, and appropriate, timely medical treatment including surgeries).
RAF Global constructs low-cost water tanks at the sites of freshwater springs and ensures free access to safe water for both drinking and domestic use purposes of underserved rural population. These 116 community assets serve a population of 337,584 and contribute towards improved sanitation practices, checking the spread of waterborne diseases and thereby addressing the underlying issue of malnutrition among children.
Eye Care Support
RAF Global spearheads an eye care initiative that covers all communes in the Kinshasa province. Through regular outreach in the community and schools, RAF Global educates on the restoration of vision through cataract surgeries and the prevention of blindness. It identifies the poor, high-risk patients who cannot afford minimum medical expenses and assists local hospitals in their health campaigns promoting general health, including eye care and cataract surgeries. RAF Global has thus sponsored and facilitated over 5000 cataract surgeries in partnership with 7 hospitals in Masina, Lisanga, Lemba, Libikisi, Bandalungwa, and Etonga/Nsele.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT TO VULNERABLE GROUPS
RAF Global’s social safety net initiative in D.R.Congo is a sustained effort since 2017 that significantly contributes towards the survival and improved health of vulnerable populations such as orphaned children living in institutional care and the elderly in community settings. Besides, regular nutrition aid to a Nutrition centre at Nsele is effectively addressing malnutrition among children and meeting the dietary needs of expecting and lactating women in the neighbourhood. Around 13,641 child beneficiaries, vulnerable women, and the elderly in the communes of Nsele, Mont Ngafula, and Limete have received regular, nutritious meals and/or food baskets through RAF Global’s partnership with 7 institutions.
PUBLIC HEALTH AWARENESS
Through regular health education and sensitisation sessions in schools, orphanages, community settings, and vocational training centres, RAF Global helps rural residents build defences against infections, vector-borne diseases, reproductive health complications, and health emergencies. Our efforts in promoting good hand washing and sanitation practices, oral health, management of menstrual hygiene, prevention of malaria and HIV/AIDS, and accessing medical treatment have reached at least 20,000 vulnerable social groups directly in 4 communes, apart from the communes of Makala, Limete, and Lemba.
Our work is powered by benevolent donors such as Dhrolia Family Foundation, DEVIMCO, Biso na Biso, Ste Icon Media, International Women’s Club, Patel Family, Foundation Fomushukla, Ste Fourways SARL, Zarina Foundation and several others.
D.R.CONGO I Humanitarian Response
Humanitarian Response is an emerging programme of RAF Global in D.R.Congo that is effectively implemented by bringing together resources and knowledge and investing in the affected population within a time frame. During the first phase of Covid 19 in the year 2020, like the rest of the global development community, we too struggled to grasp the magnitude of the epidemic but were quick to utilise our vocational training centres to employ 95 tailoring graduates for the production of 76,000 cloth masks. Of these, 16,000 were distributed at schools, orphanages, and the community hubs in Kimbanseke, Nsele, and Mont Ngafula.
Sharing of information about Covid-19 related safeguards, following safe distancing norms and hand washing hygiene practices have been critical components of our humanitarian response, along with the free distribution of quality cloth masks to encourage the practice of wearing masks in public places. Despite the public health crisis during the two phases of the Covid-19 pandemic, RAF Global also ensured non-stop nutrition aid supplies to children and women with infants thus assuring freshly prepared nutritious food to build immunity and ward off diseases.
Periodically, we have reached out to the elderly population with food support, and warm jackets for winters and responded to other emergencies.