Projects

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite the availability of arable land and the dynamism of the population, the rural agricultural sector faces many challenges, including the absence of agricultural sectors, the failure of farmers to form cooperatives, and market access. In the east of the DRC, political instability and insecurity also keep many families in a precarious situation.

Despite the country’s wealth, many families live in poverty and do not have sufficient means to provide for their children’s primary needs such as health and schooling. The framework law n°14/004 of February 11, 2014 guarantees free and compulsory primary education for all in public schools. However, many obstacles, both technical and financial, remain to be overcome. Currently, despite recent presidential announcements on free education, its implementation is far from being effective.

The present project is initiated by two member organizations of IDAY-RDC/Kivu: GHOVODI in North Kivu and AVEVENA in South Kivu, which have actively participated in the projects of the Alliance Réseau Artemisia) and have acquired a certain mastery of the culture. These two organizations are the focal points for the supervision of the project in each of the two regions of Kivu where it will be implemented.

Through this social entrepreneurship project of creating cooperatives based on the community cultivation and sale of Artemisia annua tea, these two organizations wish to respond to the growing demand for this plant in local communities, the supply of which is currently extremely limited, and by this means reinforce access to education for vulnerable and disadvantaged children. Indeed, a system of withholding the profits of the sales necessary to cover the school fees of the children of the cooperants will be set up by the cooperative which will be responsible for paying the school fees of the children concerned.

General

To contribute to the improvement of the health and education of children in North and South Kivu (DRC) through the use of the plant Artemisia annua, which is effective against malaria and other tropical diseases, the main causes of school absenteeism in Africa.

Specific

> Integrate the consumption of Artemisia annua tea into daily life in schools and households;

> Improving access to quality education by reducing student and teacher absenteeism

> To improve access to education for children in these regions by improving the living conditions of parents involved in the cooperatives.

> 10 partner schools, 10 parent-teacher committees and other community members are identified and trained in growing the plant;

> 10 school gardens and 2 community fields of 1 hectare of cultivation space for the promotion of Artemisia annua are made available to the community involved;

> 2 agricultural cooperatives are created and regroup the members of the community who cultivate Artemisia annua ;

> 320 jobs are created for parents and other community members;

> 3,000 students, 80 teachers, 3,000 parents and 12,000 community members are educated about the cultivation of Artemisia annua ;

> The schooling of 1,000 children of the members of the cooperative is ensured by the implementation of a system of withholding a part of the profits of the cooperative which is responsible for paying the school fees of the children of the members concerned;

> Local people in the project areas have easy access to Artemisia tea and are protected from malaria and other tropical diseases;

> The local populations have improved their socio-economic and health conditions and have integrated the consumption of Artemisia into their eating habits;

> Parents of students regularly pay their children’s school fees;

> The rate of school absenteeism is gradually reduced.

IDAY-DRC/Kivu requests an interest free loan of 18.381 € repayable at the end of the first year of the project.

The two cultivation periods are from February to June and from September to January. The final product will be ready for sale twice a year, in January and June.
The repayment plan is staggered to take into account the bi-annual harvest periods and the revenues generated by the sale of Artemisia.
The budget foresees paying the salaries of the permanent and seasonal employees as soon as the first sales allow it (approximately 6 months after the beginning of the project).
In addition, the budget takes into account the schooling of half of the students from the beginning of the project, which has an impact on the amount to be borrowed. This way, employees are assured that their children’s school fees are taken care of from the beginning of the project.