“Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.” What they don’t say is, “And it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.”
Trevor Noah
Although the DRC has a tremendous potential for economic success, challenges persist in the rural areas due to a lack of entrepreneurial acumen and daily struggles around necessities. This leads to the inability to invest in developing sources of income.
We are paving the way to develop sustainable economies in the DRC. This includes imparting training related to sustainable agriculture methods to the farmers of the Lupoto, Kimin, and Kimpe regions.
The foundation also offers generous donations in the form of materials (seeds, agricultural equipment) to ensure successful yields without the burden of investment for farmers. With expert help, farmers are focused on improving their yields by using the knowledge gained through training programs that stay with them for life. Vinmart foundation works with different groups of farmers to empower larger groups of people to be independent in their approach with a future focused on farming methods. This reduces dependency on the foundation turning them into self-sufficient and knowledgeable entrepreneurs who strike the right balance with nature. Our team also nurtures local entrepreneurs through active support in diverse ways and has successfully run several mentorship programs. We also focus on multiple activities such as reforestation drives, lending support towards rehabilitation of wildlife as well as working towards striking a balance between industrialization and conservation of nature.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Seeds, fertilizers and agriculture equipment distribution to 124+ farmers in Kimin (20 hectares), 80 farmers in Kimpe (15 hectares), and 168+ farmers in Lupoto (35 hectares) as a part of the Maize and Vegetable Campaign in 2019-2020.
- 100 tons of Maize harvested in 2020 in the Lupoto region as a result of the 2019 Maize campaign. Donation of fertilizers forwarded towards the Inaki Luba group as a part of the same campaign.
- Livestock Donation in 8 villages near Lupoto (125+ chickens and 96 goats).
- Donation of 10 electrical sewing machines to military widows + training program.
- Construction of 4 artisanal bread ovens for the benefit of over 35+ women. Training on bread-making process.
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
As per research, agriculture in the DRC supports two-thirds of the population. With a focused lens on environmental issues and an objective of socio-economic sustainability, Vinmart Foundation is tackling various agricultural problems faced by the rural community. Our foundation has been consistently running programs for the distribution of quality seeds, fertilizers and equipment to farmers who are facing a continuous struggle due to rising costs and increasing poverty.
We have also been actively involved in the donation of livestock every year to initiate breeding programs. One of the major highlights was the 2019 “Congo’s Maize Campaign” wherein a large quantity of the seeds and fertilizers were donated to the farmers of Lupoto, Kimpe and Kisanfu areas.
Our team also monitors programs held in 3 regions (Lupoto, Kimpe, Kisanfu) with the support of three full-time agronomists, offering guidance on sustainable farming methods to add to the existing skills of farmers.
View Program statistics
| Year | Site | Number of Farmers in the Program | Number of Hectares Covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Lupoto | Kimpe | Kimin | 200 Housing | 29 Housing | 80 Housing | 13 hectares | 3 hectares | 5 hectares |
| 2020 | Lupoto | Kimpe | Kimin | 200 Housing | 29 Housing | 80 Housing | 10 hectares | 4 hectares | 7 hectares |
| 2021 (Completed and Projected) | Lupoto – NA | Kimpe-NA | Kimin – NA | Lupoto-NA | Kimpe NA | 470 housing | Lupoto-NA | Kimpe NA | 50 hectares |
Maize Farming
| Year | Site | Number of Farmers in the Program | Number of Hectares Covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Lupoto | Kimpe | Kimin | 800 Housing | 120 Housing | 95 Housing | 35 hectares | 10 hectares | 20 hectares |
| 2020 | Lupoto | Kimpe | Kimin | 800 Housing | 120 Housing | 120 Housing | 40 hectares | 9 hectares | 20 hectares |
| 2021 (Completed and Projected) | Lupoto | Kimpe | Kimin | 750 Housing | 170 housing | 290 housing | 150 hectares | 25 hectares | 40 hectares |
EMPOWERING WOMEN
Lack of opportunities and mentorship along with daily hardships create new sets of problems for the women in rural Congo. Vinmart Foundation has been actively involved to devise programs that generate employment while raising levels of independence in women. As a part of this initiative, the foundation trained 35 women in the bread-making process. Artisanal ovens were constructed, and training was imparted to kick-start the Baking Oven project and support women towards an empowered life. Military widows were also supplied with 10 electrical machines and a training program to impart additional skills in sewing.
GOING LOCAL
Vinmart Foundation strongly focuses on the growth of its communities. We nurture local entrepreneurs through active support in diverse ways, ensuring a certain flow of business that may support the stabilization of local economy. The activities include the provision of contracts to local construction businesses, welding contracts to local entrepreneurs, uniform stitching contracts to local tailors, buying seeds and fertilizers from local vendors and more.
Vinmart Foundation thus believes in raising the power of local workers through various growth initiatives.