What’s happened in 5 years

Something incredible is growing in the communities of Binza, Democratic Republic of the Congo. In these areas, conflict and instability have long challenged everyday life. For more than five years, World Vision programs have been working alongside local families to address the root causes of poverty and malnutrition, especially among girls and boys.  

World Vision, through Childhood Rescue (also known as Raw Hope in Canada) has provided nutritional treatment to over 4,500 children, many of whom were suffering from severe acute malnutrition in the DRC. Beyond emergency care, families in these communities have been supported in forming farming cooperatives, receiving training in agriculture and livestock management, and gaining access to essential resources that build long-term resilience. The program is now called the Nexus Accelerator Fund/Spotlight. With the support of World Vision programs, families have formed farming groups and learned sustainable agricultural practices. Women, in particular, have taken the lead by receiving training in nutrition, cultivating vegetables, and raising livestock with care and purpose. Together, this community is building a future.

Expanding programming

A program that has seen incredible success is the Muungano group in the Nyamilima health zone. What began as a modest initiative has grown beyond what anyone anticipated. With over 150 members, the group now produces around ten tonnes of cabbage and other vegetables each season. This initiative is resulting in meals on tables, income for households, and confidence in the future.

“It all started when my daughter Magnifique fell into malnutrition,” says Ms Odette, 40, a dedicated member of the location group. “I was fortunate to have the support of World Vision, which treated my daughter and brought me into this community. Today, she’s healthy. And the vegetables we grow here, the rabbits I raise at home, these are the things that feed us and keep us going.”

Ms. Odette’s story is echoed across many communities. With support from World Vision, farmers are raising cattle and small livestock, receiving training in animal care and management.

Hope is continuing to spread. In 2024, World Vision extended these same efforts into the Nyabanira, Kasave, Katwiguru and Kiseguro areas.

“Through the Nexus Accelerator Fund/Spotlight.  approach, World Vision hopes to provide an immediate response to the problems of malnutrition in Nyabanira and other targeted areas,” explains Ignace Kavanga, Project Manager. “But it’s also about building something lasting. We want to help create a more just and inclusive society, where children and families not only survive but truly thrive.”

Through the support of donors like you, a sustainable future is being built in communities in the DRC. Children are recovering from malnutrition, women are leading, tables are filled and girls and boys are reclaiming childhood.