#MondayTestimony Today, we are pleased to share a testimony from our partner NPCYP, a Congolese organization working to strengthen community engagement and support the Ebola response in Ituri province. In this video, Kipasa Rosine Hangi and Erasme-Eraste Serume share their experience and express their gratitude to Eastern Congo Initiative for supporting their work in Bunia and Tchomia. Through this partnership, young medical students and peacebuilders are helping address rumors, build trust and engage communities in the response. Thank you, NPCYP, for your partnership and commitment to protecting communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ow.ly/18z250ZUIbs #EasternCongoInitiative #NPCYP #LocalLeadership #CommunityEngagement #EbolaResponse #EasternCongo #DRC

#MondayTestimony This Monday, we are pleased to share a testimony from Fédération des Entreprises du Congo (FEC). In this video, Mrs Epérance, FEC’s Provincial Executive Director highlights a program designed to support women and young entrepreneurs, including those working in the informal sector. Through its exhibition center, the initiative provides a space where entrepreneurs can showcase locally made products, gain visibility, and grow their businesses. With ECI’s support, FEC is strengthening this program and expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs across North Kivu. At ECI, we believe that supporting local entrepreneurship creates jobs, strengthens communities, and contributes to a more resilient economy. Thank you to FEC North Kivu for this important initiative and for its commitment to women and young entrepreneurs. #EasternCongoInitiative #FEC #NorthKivu #WomenEntrepreneurs #YoungEntrepreneurs #LocalEntrepreneurship #EconomicEmpowerment #MadeInNorthKivu #EasternCongo #DRC

#MondayTestimony This Monday, we are pleased to share a testimony from our partner Action Jeunesse et Paix (AJP), a community-based organization promoting peace and food security through agricultural production and access to markets. In this video, AJP’s coordinator highlights the impact of ECI’s partnership and support. Through this collaboration, 30 women came together to grow onions, strengthen their household livelihoods, and foster peaceful coexistence within their community. At ECI, we believe sustainable progress begins with locally led solutions. By supporting organizations such as AJP, we help create economic opportunities for women, strengthen social cohesion, and improve food security for vulnerable households. Thank you, AJP, for your partnership and dedicated work. We look forward to continuing this collaboration and expanding its impact across eastern Congo. #EasternCongoInitiative #AJP #ActionJeunesseEtPaix #LocalLeadership #WomenEmpowerment #FoodSecurity #Peacebuilding #EasternCongo #DRC

Today, we are pleased to share a testimony from our partner Kano Food, a Congolese enterprise working to strengthen local supply chains and improve the organization and distribution of food products. In this video, Samuel Mathe shares Kano Food’s journey and expresses his gratitude to Eastern Congo Initiative for believing in their vision and supporting their growth. Through this partnership, Kano Food has been able to strengthen its operations, improve product distribution and contribute to a more stable supply of food products while creating new economic opportunities. Thank you, Kano Food, for your partnership and commitment to building stronger local supply chains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. #EasternCongoInitiative #KanoFood #MondayTestimony #LocalLeadership #LocalSupplyChains #Entrepreneurship #EasternCongo #DRC

Humanitarian action begins by standing with people - not speaking for them. In eastern DRC, communities are not merely receiving aid; they are leading recovery. Today, ECI honors their courage and everyone serving beside them. Let’s back local solutions. #WorldHumanitarianDay #EasternCongo #ECI

#MondayTestimony This Monday, we are pleased to share a testimony from our partner COMUS – Colibri Multiservices, a consulting firm and incubator supporting young entrepreneurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In this video, the COMUS team shares their experience and expresses their gratitude to Eastern Congo Initiative for its trust and support. At ECI, we believe in the leadership, creativity and potential of locally led organizations. By investing in Congolese initiatives, we help strengthen sustainable solutions and create opportunities for communities across eastern Congo. Thank you, COMUS, for your partnership and for the important work you continue to do. Together, we are building a stronger and more resilient future. #EasternCongoInitiative #COMUS #ColibriMultiservices #LocalLeadership #Entrepreneurship #EasternCongo #DRC

What an incredible moment for Eastern Congo Initiative and the communities we serve. Congratulations 🎉 and thanks to our co-founder, Ben Affleck, on winning $1 million prize on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire @MillionaireTV Ben said it best “For the past 17 years, Eastern Congo Initiative has funded more than 100 Congolese organizations helping local leaders build lasting solutions. It has been a privilege to watch them create a more peaceful, prosperous, and hopeful future for eastern Congo.” ECI is dedicating 100% of the funds to trusted local organizations strengthen community awareness, prevention, and emergency response where it is needed most, including during this most recent Ebola outbreak. On behalf of the people and communities of eastern Congo, our local partners, our Board, and the entire ECI team, thank you, Ben. Your compassion and unwavering commitment continue to bring hope where it is needed most and demonstrate the extraordinary impact of investing in local leadership. Thanks to our Board, Whitney Williams, Nima Taghavi, Maura O’Neill, Mvemba Dizolele and Ricardo Michel. We’re also grateful to Jamie Ding!

Talent needs opportunity — and the right tools to grow. Moza Ramazani is one of the young women trained in fashion and African tailoring through Kezah-Vogue, with financial support from Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI). After her training, she received a pedal sewing machine to start her work. But instead of stopping at its limits, Moza made a bold decision: she sold it, added her own savings from early tailoring orders, and bought a stronger electric JUKI sewing machine. Today, she has already made 15 pieces and serves 4 loyal customers. That is what support can unlock: not dependency, but confidence, skill, income, and dignity. Now Moza needs a few essential tools to take her work further: - $25 can support cutting and finishing tools - $30 can help purchase mannequins to display her creations - $50 can provide sewing busts for better custom work and fittings Your support does not only help Moza. It helps ECI continue investing in people, skills, and real opportunities across Eastern Congo. Support Moza. Support ECI. Help turn training into lasting independence.

A mushroom harvest can carry more than food. It can carry a woman’s next step toward independence. In Rutshuru and Lubero, women supported by COOCENKI are turning home-based mushroom houses into a growing source of income for their families. In May, 64 women produced 106.8 kg of edible mushrooms. In June, 86 women reached 154 kg. The pilot mushroom houses are also progressing strongly, moving from 11.5 kg in February to 85.23 kg in June. Behind these numbers are women learning, adjusting, producing, selling locally, and building something with their own hands. With support from Eastern Congo Initiative, this work is helping strengthen household income, local food security, and women’s economic autonomy. What starts small can become powerful when women are given the tools to grow. #WomenEmpowerment #FoodSecurity #EasternCongo #LocalEconomy

One harvest. Nearly twice the expected result. 🌱 From 2,520 Kinigi potato vitroplants, COOPABU expected 10,080 mini-tubers. Instead, the cooperative harvested 19,095 mini-tubers: 294 kg of healthy seed potatoes. Supported by Eastern Congo Initiative, this second successful production shows what local farmers can achieve with the right tools and technical support. Producing quality seeds locally means less dependence on imports and more opportunities for farmers in Buhanga, Kabare. What could stronger investment in local seed production unlock for South Kivu? #SouthKivu #SustainableAgriculture #LocalProduction #FoodSecurity

Bukavu is not just collecting plastic waste. It is building a cleaner future. From January to June 2026, SOCECO collected 600.4 tons of plastic waste in Kadutu and at the floating barrier, averaging nearly 100 tons per month. With modern equipment supported by Eastern Congo Initiative, the work is now faster, safer, and more efficient. But this is not only about waste. It is about cleaner streets, healthier communities, protected waters, and 94 green jobs created and sustained, including 43 women and 51 men. Real change is not always loud. Sometimes, it looks like a city slowly learning to breathe again. What would Bukavu look like if every sector treated waste as a shared responsibility? #CleanBukavu #EcoFriendly #GreenJobs #CommunityHealth #EasternCongo #WasteReduction

🇨🇩 🇨🇩 🇨🇩 🇨🇩 🇨🇩 En ce 30 juin, nous célébrons le 66ᵉ anniversaire de l'indépendance de la République démocratique du Congo et surtout le courage, la créativité et le leadership des Congolaises et des Congolais. Chez Eastern Congo Initiative, nous accompagnons depuis 2010 des organisations locales qui transforment leurs idées en solutions durables, au service des communautés à travers la RDC. À nos partenaires sur le terrain : votre engagement quotidien renforce, jour après jour, la résilience des communautés. Nous vous rendons hommage et restons fiers de marcher à vos côtés. Bonne fête de l'indépendance ! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🇨🇩 🇨🇩 🇨🇩 🇨🇩 🇨🇩 On June 30, we celebrate the 66th anniversary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s independence—and, above all, the courage, creativity, and leadership of the Congolese people. Since 2010, Eastern Congo Initiative has supported local organizations in turning their ideas into sustainable solutions that serve communities across the DRC. To our partners on the ground: Your dedication strengthens the resilience of communities every day. We honor your work and remain proud to stand alongside you. Happy Independence Day!

A seed is small, but for a rural family, it can become income, food, and dignity. In Kabare, Tumaini Coffee Cooperative is helping women, young people, and coffee producers build stronger livelihoods. With support from Eastern Congo Initiative, TCC distributed bean and soybean seeds to 519 beneficiaries and provided financial support to 4 Village Savings and Loan Associations. This support is helping families access credit, grow their income-generating activities, and strengthen their place in the local economy. TCC is also investing in coffee, beans, soybeans, farmer support, community mills, and more sustainable farming practices. Last quarter, the cooperative purchased 35,728 kg of coffee cherries from 519 member producers — a strong sign of what coffee can do for rural households when producers have access to the right market. But the work is not finished. Farmers still need quality inputs. The cooperative needs more working capital to buy more coffee from its members. Processing units still need better equipment to improve product quality and value. A small contribution can help move this work forward: 👉 $15 can support access to quality agricultural inputs. 👉 $75 can strengthen the coffee purchasing fund. 👉 $100 can help equip processing units with essential tools. How far can a community go when farmers are not left to carry the whole burden alone?

More fish in the water can mean more hope on land Since 2024, with support from Eastern Congo Initiative, the Union for the Development of Tilapia Fishers in Kivu is strengthening fish production in Kashusha, South Kivu. A second greenhouse has now been installed, with 6 breeding ponds of 24.3 m³ each. This is helping increase tilapia production while introducing a promising new species: Clarias catfish. This progress is not only about fish farming. It is about income, food, and opportunity for local communities. The impact already reaches 321 women fish sellers, 90 UDPTK fishers, and many aquaculture and fish farming actors across the value chain. In the first quarter, UDPTK began stocking 5,000 young broodstock in the breeding ponds. This has already led to the delivery of 104,700 fingerlings, including 100,000 tilapia fingerlings to KIVU BIO in Goma and 4,700 Clarias fingerlings to DIOBASS in Bukavu. This is how local production becomes local resilience 🐟 What would change if more communities had the tools to produce, transform, and sell locally? #FishFarming #Aquaculture #Tilapia #ClariasCatfish #LocalProduction #SouthKivu #FishGrowth #EasternCongo #CommunityDevelopment

A fruit harvest can do more than feed a family. It can reopen a future. In Lubero, North Kivu, TOUT EN EST Sarl is helping farming families bring fruit production back to life. With support from Eastern Congo Initiative, the company is working with 1,000 households — including 700 women and 300 men — by providing vegetable and fruit seeds, agricultural tools, and training in composting and modern fruit production techniques. Between January and May 2026, the results were clear: 18.4 tons of local produce were purchased from farmers, including 14,532 kg of fruit and 3,869.2 kg of vegetables. From these harvests, 2,216 liters of fruit syrup were produced, showing how local agriculture can become local value. This is what progress looks like when farmers are not only producing, but also selling, transforming, and earning from their work. More income. Better food security. Stronger local markets. More confidence for families. What would rural communities look like if more local harvests were transformed locally? #LocalAgriculture #NorthKivu #FruitHarvest #FoodSecurity #SustainableFarming #EasternCongoInitiative

Behind every bag of coffee, there is a woman rebuilding her future. On Idjwi Island and in Kavumu, South Kivu, Rebuild Women’s Hope is proving what happens when women are given the tools to lead. This women-led coffee cooperative supports 3,076 Arabica coffee producers, including 2,026 women, helping them access agricultural credit, strengthen cooperative skills, and build real economic independence. With support from Eastern Congo Initiative, RWH has built a modern coffee analysis lab and a pulping facility in Kavumu — a strategic investment for a province producing more than 100 containers of coffee each year, but long lacking modern infrastructure for processing and quality control. The goal is not only to export more coffee. It is to protect quality, create opportunities, and give women producers a stronger place in the global coffee market. These investments could help generate more than 6,000 jobs per year. When women’s work is valued, entire communities move forward. ☕️ What would change if more women-led cooperatives had access to the right infrastructure? #WomenInCoffee #CoffeeCooperative #EmpowerWomen #ArabicaCoffee #WomenLed #EasternCongoInitiative

🌱 What if the fight against plastic pollution could also help local businesses grow? In Goma, On Vizion is proving that sustainability and economic development can go hand in hand. With the support and mentorship of Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), the company designs and customizes biodegradable packaging that helps local products stand out while reducing plastic waste. During the last quarter alone, On Vizion delivered 10,000 locally printed boxes to a potato chips producer and 720 customized packages to four other local businesses working in coffee, porridge flour, and soap production. One of them is Innocent Serundori, founder of Chips du Kivu. Not long ago, he had to import packaging materials from outside the region to give his products a professional look. Today, thanks to On Vizion’s local production unit in Goma, he can access high-quality packaging faster, in smaller quantities, and at a lower cost. 💡 The lesson is simple: when local entrepreneurs build local solutions, entire communities benefit. Goma is showing that innovation doesn't always come from far away. Sometimes, it starts next door. What local solution have you seen make a real difference in your community? 👇 #Goma #Entrepreneurship #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #MadeInDRC #EasternCongoInitiative #LocalBusiness #Innovation

🌱 Local agriculture becomes stronger when communities own the solution. In South Kivu, COOPABU is proving that local solutions can create lasting impact. After a promising first experience, the Coopérative Agro-pastorale de Buhanga (COOPABU) continues strengthening local potato seed production by improving greenhouse multiplication techniques using mini-tubers produced from tissue-culture plantlets. A new batch of 2,520 Kinigi vitroplants has now been installed under controlled conditions, with a projection of more than 10,000 mini-tubers expected by early July. The most encouraging part? 📈 98% plant survival rate in the greenhouse. This is more than an agricultural achievement. It means: 🌱 Better access to quality seeds 🌱 More resilient farming systems 🌱 Reduced supply challenges 🌱 Stronger opportunities for rural communities Supported by Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), this effort also aims to expand the evaluation and registration of additional potato varieties adapted to local realities. Real development happens when communities build capacity, strengthen knowledge, and invest in long-term solutions. Small innovations. Local leadership. Sustainable impact. What do you think is the biggest challenge to building resilient local agriculture systems? #Agriculture #FoodSecurity #SouthKivu #SustainableDevelopment #PotatoFarming #LocalInnovation #DRC #Agribusiness

🌱 Local agriculture becomes stronger when communities own the solution. In South Kivu, COOPABU is proving that local solutions can create lasting impact. After a promising first experience, the Coopérative Agro-pastorale de Buhanga (COOPABU) continues strengthening local potato seed production by improving greenhouse multiplication techniques using mini-tubers produced from tissue-culture plantlets. A new batch of 2,520 Kinigi vitroplants has now been installed under controlled conditions, with a projection of more than 10,000 mini-tubers expected by early July. The most encouraging part? 📈 98% plant survival rate in the greenhouse. This is more than an agricultural achievement. It means: 🌱 Better access to quality seeds 🌱 More resilient farming systems 🌱 Reduced supply challenges 🌱 Stronger opportunities for rural communities Supported by Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), this effort also aims to expand the evaluation and registration of additional potato varieties adapted to local realities. Real development happens when communities build capacity, strengthen knowledge, and invest in long-term solutions. Small innovations. Local leadership. Sustainable impact. What do you think is the biggest challenge to building resilient local agriculture systems? #Agriculture #FoodSecurity #SouthKivu #SustainableDevelopment #PotatoFarming #LocalInnovation #DRC #Agribusiness

🌱 What starts with 11.5 kg can grow into a movement. In North Kivu, women who once faced fragile living conditions are now cultivating opportunity — right from their homes. Through the women’s empowerment project supported by Eastern Congo Initiative and implemented with COOCENKI, 72 women in Rutshuru and Lubero have begun producing and selling oyster mushrooms after receiving seeds and hands-on support. The beginning wasn’t easy. Limited experience, technical challenges, uncertainty… but they kept going. Today, the progress speaks for itself: ✅ 25.5 kg produced in March ✅ 47.6 kg produced in April ✅ Mushrooms sold between 6,900 and 10,000 FC per kilogram And the pilot mushroom houses that once produced only 11.5 kg in February now reached 32.7 kg in April 📈 This is more than agriculture. It’s resilience. It’s dignity. It’s women transforming their households, strengthening food security, and building stronger local economies — one harvest at a time. Real change doesn’t always begin with big numbers. Sometimes, it begins with a small seed… and the courage to believe in it. 💬 What do you think is the most powerful driver of sustainable community change? #WomenEmpowerment #FoodSecurity #NorthKivu #SustainableDevelopment #CommunityImpact #Agriculture #EasternCongoInitiative