D9700 Congo Global Grant is underway
The District 9700 Global Grant to assist widows and orphans in the Democratic Republic of Congo is finally underway.
This joint initiative of all Wagga Rotary Clubs and sponsored by Wollundry Rotary will benefit so many lives by providing funds to Mission in Health Care and Development. MHDC, an NGO operated by Dr Luc Mulimbalimba Masururu, will administer the Fish Farming and Pig Raising enterprises in South Kivu District.
The Rotary Club of Bukavu President Theo Kasi and his club members, will provide the conduit for the US$35,775 grant.
District 9700 contributed $US15,000, Combined Wagga Clubs contributed US$4,042 and Rotary Foundation the balance.
The initiative for the grant came from Dr. Elaine Dietsch, a former Lecturer at Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga who, together with her husband John, worked with Dr Luc in DRC. So moved was she by the conditions of women and orphans in this war torn country, she made an impassioned plea to Rotarians in Wagga to assist.
PDG Gary Robert’s wife Marilyn made it her special project for the year to try and assist especially as the project would benefit women and orphans.
At the request of PDG Gary, Wollundry Rotary volunteered to be the sponsor club and Doug Sutton from that club co-ordinated the Grant Application.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most violent places to be if you are a woman and widowed with children. Even worse for those who became pregnant through rape by marauding militia. Dr. Luc’s organisation provides education, relocation and now, through our grant, a source of livelihood for potentially hundreds of women and their children.
Those women selected by Dr. Luc’s foundation will be given pigs to raise and sell. Others will be involved in fish farming. From the litters, two pigs will be returned to MHDC for further donations to other women. Through this means the program will be self-sustaining and will also expand. The fish farms will be the property of a co-operative of women. Pigs and fish will be sold in the local markets of approximately 12 villages in South Kivu.
In a country where people earn less than a dollar a day, a pig worth about $150 at market, is a very valuable commodity. In such an economy, pig raising and fish farming will be transformative. Women will be able to afford housing, health care and education for their children. It will be exciting to see the outcomes from this global grant.
Chair Doug Sutton