Successful farming through expert guidance

Our agronomist Innocent MUKUNDA provides participants with the specialist knowledge they need for successful farming: how are plant growth, soil nutrition and plant protection linked – and what specifically is needed for good yields? With practical explanations and valuable tips, Innocent helps participants understand the natural interrelationships in the field.

The participants‘ interest is palpably high – and that is precisely the basis for sustainable success. Only those who understand the interrelationships can farm responsibly and profitably in the long term. This knowledge not only strengthens the individual farmer, but also the entire project – today and for future generations.

Our project team is on its way

Today marks the start of the training week in Itula. Our project team, consisting of our project manager Pacifique, agronomist Innocent, Hansen, the TreeForHope manager in Congo, and veterinarian Canabley (from left to right), has set off. The training is taking place in Itula, where all participants from the other project locations are also invited to pool resources and exchange ideas.

Our new project series has begun

The new agriculture and goat project was launched today in Itula, a village in the Shabunda region, about 270 km from the provincial capital Bukavu. The plan is to launch the same project in several locations. We are starting in three villages: Itula, Kiziba (both in the Shabunda region) and Basimbi in the Mwenga region. Around 40 people took part in our introductory event in Itula, which was led by Hansen himself. The idea behind our projects is to support people in restarting their self-sufficiency, as the effects of the war can be felt everywhere. Many have been displaced and have lost their livelihoods and possessions. Food has become scarce due to looting and roadblocks, and prices have risen sharply as a result. Many can no longer afford an adequate and balanced diet – malnutrition is widespread, especially among children. We were therefore welcomed with gratitude and the participants are highly committed to the cause.

War is coming into the house

The war has been spreading for months. The provincial capital Bukavu, where Hansen lives with his family, has been under siege for a few weeks. Last night was particularly bad. Here is the text message from Hansen:

„Hello Patrick, I hope you are well. The night was a nightmare for us. The soldiers (of the M23 rebels) sealed off everything and said they were looking for Congolese soldiers. They looted everything they could see and demanded money. If you don’t have any, they beat you and looted all your valuables.

In our case, it was the money I had kept here that saved our lives in the end and my computer was taken. They threatened the children and then they left. Then they came back and shouted at me. Then they threw my computer on the floor, which broke the screen. But luckily the family is safe.“

Evaluating old projects and launching new ones

Summer workshop for the board members and treasurer of TreeForHope Germany in Munich: Outside, it was (almost) as hot as it was in the Congo, while inside we tried to keep a cool head as we did our calculations and organised our work. Together, we looked back and evaluated past projects and discussed new projects for the future with input from our colleagues in the Congo: The priority is to initiate further agricultural projects in the Kitutu region. We also want to see if we can help the Nyamibungu hospital repair its photovoltaic system. The husband of Esther, who heads one of our projects (see article ‘Women’s Power’), is the chief physician there and told Patrick about the defective system during his last project visit. The challenge will be to obtain the spare parts locally, as the system was donated many years ago by a Norwegian aid organisation. In addition, the financing of our school classes is firmly on the agenda again this year. We will keep you posted!

Kamituga threatened by cholera and Mpox

The city of Kamituga, with 260,000 inhabitants, together with the neighbouring territories of Mwenga and Shabunda, has a population of 1.5 million and, like most cities in the world, is dependent on trade and exchange with other cities. Road connections are the main supply lines, as they are everywhere. However, ‘National Road 2’, which connects Kamituga with the provincial capital Bukavu, is in a desolate state (see the other articles on this topic). As a result, humanitarian aid has difficulty reaching the town. Since the departure of the German aid organisation ‘Cap Anamur’ over ten years ago, the public hospital in Kamituga has been dependent on state support and privately run health centres run by local doctors are left to fend for themselves. As a result, diseases such as cholera and mpox, which have broken out in the region, continue to spread and claim more and more lives.

The cholera and mpox patients admitted to the hospitals often cannot be adequately treated as there is no access to medication due to the poor road conditions. The hospitals in Kamituga are therefore trying to fight these epidemics as best they can with the resources available. As is so often the case, it is the poor and the weak who suffer, having to shoulder the exorbitant bills for the treatment they receive due to the shortage. Very few are in a position to do so.

The second round begins

Following the start of the vaccination campaign late last year, we have continued the campaign. Hansen again travelled to the places where we have the goat projects. In some places, we had to start a second round if the treatment of the goats from the first round was not sufficient. Esther’s project with the women from Nyamibungu was also on the list of projects we visited. Esther was very pleased with the visit and the progress made in healing. She reports that almost all the goats in her project are healthy again. We have instructed the vet once again to treat those animals that still show symptoms so that all the goats are healthy again and, above all, so that the disease cannot spread again.

Finally our goats can be treated!

From the diagnosis of the diseases of the goats in the sometimes remote villages, to the preparation of the prescription for the medication, to the ordering of the same in a veterinary pharmacy in Bukavu 180km away (see the corresponding report), the collection there, the onward transport by lorry to our depot in Kamituga, the coordination of the treatment appointments in the individual projects, the renewed transport of the medicine by motorbike to our colleague René in Kitutu, 45km away, and from there to the individual project villages, a total of over four weeks have passed. All this is tedious – but rewarding!

The vet also took the opportunity to provide information about infection routes, prevention and treatment.

As you can see, not every goat likes injections… 😄 (see video below)

We picked up the medication for the goat project in town

It added up to quite a lot: The purchase at the veterinary pharmacy cost almost $1000. Injection solutions, syringes, antibiotics – a bit of everything, according to the prescription the vet had written for René. We packed everything into a large cardboard box and then took it to a dispatch depot, from where the goods were transported to our warehouse in Kamituga on the next lorry (truck). From there, the medicines are then distributed to the individual projects and the vet appointments are coordinated. Hansen will then take the medicines by motorbike to our colleague René in Kitutu in the hinterland and he will accompany the vet to the individual villages and projects. It’s all time-consuming and tedious – but we’re glad that it’s possible at all, because when the conflicts here were even more drastic, many roads were impassable due to the risk of kidnapping. The region is more peaceful today – even though it still hasn’t completely calmed down.

Our project in Nyamibungu is exclusively in the hands of women – with great success!

This morning we visited one of our oldest projects. What makes this project special is that it is exclusively in the hands of women. In my studies of ‘Sustainable Development Cooperation’, I learnt that women are statistically much more sustainable than men and I have the impression that this study result is also confirmed here! This project is one of the most successful we have. No other meeting was anywhere near as well prepared and structured as today’s! The project manager Esther did an excellent job of preparing and organising everything! Really great! 👍🏿👍🏼 She reported a lot on the successes of the project work, but also clearly identified the problems and associated concerns of the women in the project. Hansen wrote everything down so that we can continue to support them effectively. The aim will be to effectively bundle the individual measures for the various projects, as many problems do not only affect this group but are also reported from other projects, such as the infections of the goats.
The reception was amazing! ‘Karibu karibu! -Welcome, welcome!’ Click here to watch the video
The women thanked us warmly and presented us with a chicken and a banana plant 😊 This means something like ‘you have been accepted into our community, you are one of us!’ and is a really great sign of recognition.

Esther says that the big international organisations all drive past to the big cities and concentrate their projects there. We were the first to stop, listen and provide pragmatic support.

But we have to give the thanks back to you, women from Nyamibungu! Because you did most of the work!