Democratic Republic of Congo

This beautiful country has been ravaged by war. Many of its people have been killed and women raped by rebel soldiers. As a result of rebel terrorism, there are many widows, abandoned women and orphans.

CoAid and our partner organizations are working to make a real difference in the communities affected by war and HIV/AIDS.

By supplying the resources needed for adult literacy classes, providing the means to grow vegetables to feed orphans, and donating sewing machines to help women with HIV develop steady incomes, we are working towards improving the lives of entire communities and individuals with special needs. These are examples of just a few projects we are involved with.

A Tale of Two Sewing Machines

Just two sewing machines are making a world of difference in the rural village of Kasika.

Before the arrival of the machines there was only one woman in the area who knew how to sew. As soon as the Kasika Church of the Nazarene received the sewing machines, this woman started teaching 8 other women to sew. After four months of training, the nine women started a sewing workshop to train other women to sew. They also began to repair clothes for which people in the area now pay them.

By late 2008, the women in Kasika had saved $180 from their various sewing activities, enough to buy a plot of ground and start a new church, and have started a child development center to care for the many orphans in the region.

The people in Kasika are slowly rebuilding their community one sewing machine at a time.