Women against War
Centuries of exploitation and war have made Eastern Congo one of the world’s harshest places to live as a woman. Saddled with agricultural work, firewood gathering, water hauling, and childcare, women have seen an increase in their burdens as the economy has deteriorated. Girls are always the first ones to drop out of school. Violence against women has become a normal aspect of day-to-day reality.
Amidst the turmoil and with the on-the-ground support of Original Beans’ Bean Team at Virunga, Africa’s oldest national park, hundreds of women have taken local leadership to become craft cacao growers, regenerate forests, and heal their war-torn communities. The Bean Team (incorporated as an NGO called IDAD) is providing vital education on agriculture, artisanal enterprise, leadership and hygiene, and the necessary materials from beehives to sowing machines.