In 2001 Martine Le Buzullier read about the plight of the children in civil war torn Congo. She was so concerned that there was so little help available for these children that, with the help of a band of volunteers, she decided to start her own charity. The constitution of CongoAction was adopted on 9 September 2001.
Martine had found some good contacts in a small area in Kivu province. She believed that the key to improvement lay in education. However, in Congo, education is not free and families often are too poor to be able to send children to school. This led the charity to decide that a two pronged support package would be necessary. Firstly, children could be sponsored to go to school and secondly parents and the community could be helped to earn their own money by providing the means for them to create their own micro-economies.
At home, the band of volunteers started to fund raise and child sponsors were sought.
Over in the Congo, sewing and craft groups were created and supported. Other projects helped included solar power, goat and pig keeping and community farming. CongoAction also supports a disabled craft group. Many of the goods made by these groups are sold in the UK by the charity for the craftspeople.
The biggest project to date has been the building of Kavumba school in the Kivu province.
Without the small band of volunteers and supporters these families in the Congo would not have received these benefits. We need your support. Perhaps you would like to donate, support our events or join our volunteers.
Photos:
top: Martine with a Sponsored child who is holding a letter for his sponsor;
bottom: Learning to sew on a donated sewing machine from CongoAction