Abandoned, But Not Broken
Abandoned and alone, Kabuo faced overwhelming challenges in the village of Maabwe.
A glimmer of hope emerged for Kabuo with a training program through Tearfund's local church partners.
When Kabuo’s husband abandoned her, and her children moved to the city to study, she never thought she’d be able to survive, much less support her family from afar.
Kabuo Nzanzu lives in the village of Maabwe in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the main source of livelihood is farming. Kabuo knows how to farm; she’s done it her whole life, but now things are more complicated.
The introduction of cash crops, plant diseases affecting the main staple crops, and deforestation resulting in landslides, have made farming for Kabuo, literally, an uphill battle. She describes, “Our fields were no longer yielding the kind of harvest they used to.”
Utilizing ineffective farming techniques, Kabuo was never able to grow enough food. Her diet was incomplete and her energy was low.
It was a dark time for Kabuo, until she noticed some of her neighbours whose land had become more and more fertile over the previous months. The results of their harvest were much more plentiful than hers had ever been – how were they doing it?
Kabuo learned they were a part of a training program through Tearfund’s local church partners in the area. The program taught them how to farm vegetables that grow quickly, allowing them to sell their excess at the market. They were also learning how to save some of their earnings in a savings group that meets once a week.
Kabuo knew she had to be a part of this.
Fast forward to 1 year later… Because of donors like you, Kabuo’s life has changed for the better.
By implementing the new farming techniques and saving some of her income in the savings group, Kabuo shares, “Already in 1 year I was able to buy a plot of land. Imagine what it will be like in two years!”
Kabuo is becoming more and more food secure and she is able to provide for her children in the city Bunia where they study. “Because of the way the harvests have improved, I manage to send them food supplies every month, despite the very long distance” Kabuo explains, with pride.
Your generosity helps women like Kabuo, and others in her village, build new lives. She says, “The women of our village are able to support themselves and they no longer depend entirely on their husbands to do everything. Before this project, nothing worked. But now, since my husband left, my family holds firm. “We still survive.”
Kabuo’s goal is to save enough money to rebuild her home. Thanks to donors like you, women like Kabuo see a brighter future for themselves.
