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French FIMI (International Indigenous Women's Forum), enabled five women’s groups to access resources for processing their agricultural products.
Posted on 14/03/2025 - Category: Générale
In its mission to break the cycle of vulnerability for Indigenous and rural women, in the year 2024, the activities of Maharifa ya Wamama Vijijini have focused on promoting local traditional knowledge and practices for the economic empowerment of Indigenous and rural women in the Bunyakiri area, Kalehe territory, South Kivu province, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This activity was made possible through the support of FIMI (International Indigenous Women's Forum), which enabled five women’s groups to access resources for processing their agricultural products. This provided them with an opportunity to overcome some of the challenges they previously faced, by increasing the income from their harvests, which had until then been sold in their raw form. This situation had resulted in minimal profits and savings, discouraging women from investing in agriculture, as the prospects seemed less favorable compared to the efforts they put into it.
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Following the training in agroecological techniques, the women acquired technical knowledge and farming practices that allowed them to improve their production while safeguarding biodiversity.
Indigenous and rural women are responsible for implementing the initiative's activities and developing production and value-addition strategies. For example, they harvested six hectares of cassava tubers, which they then processed and sold, thereby increasing their income.
The means and techniques of production, which are still very rudimentary and not very sustainable, lead to low agricultural output, characterized by low local consumption. This situation requires communities to fully commit to the principles and techniques of agroecology and to respect the related disciplines. Capitalizing on all available knowledge is essential to promoting increased production. Low production and low consumption can lead to the abandonment of certain seeds in favor of a monopoly of others, which is also a danger to the protection of biodiversity because it profoundly affects traditional habits and lifestyles.
Food autonomy and sovereignty are fundamental bases for the self-determination of communities within their conservation areas and territories. While these communities make significant efforts to protect their traditional lands, with a considerable impact on maintaining biodiversity, these efforts can only be sustainable through the improvement and enhancement of their livelihoods, which are based on the local use of natural resources and agricultural production.
Under the guidance of the ANAPAC consultant and the agronomist from MAHARIFA YA WAMAMA VIJIJINI, the focus was placed on related disciplines connected to agroecological principles, which are crucial for improving production. A training session was organized to remind the communities about the choices to be made regarding seeds and the areas to be farmed. Disregarding seed selection criteria and a lack of proper management of the farming sites can lead to insufficient production.
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