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In line with our goal to help rebuild rural African communities through projects that promote health, education and sustainable agricultural practices, Pamoja is currently working with the community of Katebi on three fronts.
We focus on education, agriculture and social enterprises that help women and children thrive. |
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Education
Accessibility of schools and harsh economic conditions are major contributors to high illiteracy in rural Africa. Often children take the role of providers for their family because parents are often ill or cannot make ends meet. Roads are unsafe and the nearest schools are miles away. Hence, most children are deprived of the opportunity to get even basic education. By building and staff a school accessible to children in the villages of Katebi, we are helping children develop language, mathematics and science skills which we hope will improve their quality of life in the long term. Please make a monthly donation to help pay the teachers’ salary. |
Agriculture
De-forestation and run-off from mining operations make agriculture challenging in rural Africa. The biggest threat to Katebi ’s existence at this point is real-estate speculation. The land we have cleared is in constant danger of being handed over to luxury resort developers (see Youtube video below). Illnesses, malnutrition and a difficult economy seriously affect quality of life. Lack of infrastructure, education, and access to clean water are among the many obstacles for better life conditions. 33 percent of the African population suffers from malnutrition. The majority of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. The average life expectancy is 41 years. Poverty is taking its toll! Pamoja’s vision is to build co-operative farms that will be staffed and maintained at the local level. In this spirit, Pamoja has provided resources which have enabled local community members to plant sees and harvest peanuts, sunflowers, soya and vegetables which are serving the needs of the local community. Is this the future of Katebi? |
Social Enterprise
Pamoja is currently engaged in finding a commercial-grade oil press. Parents in Katebi have, on their own initiative, formed a Parents’ Association. They will be working with our new partner, Georges Kalenga, who has extensive experience in establishing rural co-operatives. Their goal is use the oil press Pamoja will be supplying to make their school self-supporting. Using the land given to Pamoja some years ago, women grow peanuts and sunflowers which can be used to make cooking oil for local use with a surplus which can be sold in the nearby city of Kolwezi. This will bring much-needed funds into the village economy and promote self-sufficiency by allowing people in Katebi to pay a small fee for the school. By paying for this service, people can take ownership of it. This is a vastly better means for building strong communities than the outdated model of simply handing over charity donations. Our partners in DRC are very enthusiastic supporters of this project. |
