Kinshasa: Democratic Republic of the Congo – Fataki: In a region still marked by insecurity, a joint initiative by MONUSCO and its partners offers a new perspective to one hundred beneficiaries in Fataki, in Djugu territory. Sixty vulnerable women and forty at-risk youth now have access to a vocational training center, inaugurated on June 15 through a Community Violence Reduction (CVR) project, in collaboration with the National Program for Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Stabilization (PDDRCS) and the local NGO Women in Action for Multisectoral Development (FADEM).
According to African Press Organization, the center is equipped with three training rooms, a carpentry workshop, a bakery oven, an administrative office, and sanitation facilities. It offers practical training in carpentry, baking, and tailoring. This advancement has been welcomed by local authorities, who see it as a concrete lever for reintegration and social cohesion.
Beyond learning a trade, this project gives beneficiaries the means to take care of themselves and regain an active place in society. Dorcas, for example, can now sell her pastries at the market. She expressed her satisfaction with the project, noting that it allowed her to learn baking skills, enabling her to make and sell fritters and cakes independently. Aline, trained in sewing, is preparing to make school uniforms, recognizing the opportunity to earn money and support her family by addressing a local need for seamstresses.
Others, like GrSce, who became a trainer, are now passing on their skills to other women. These testimonies reflect a dynamic of change that goes beyond the simple framework of training. They embody a desire to build lasting peace through local initiatives.
With a budget of $98,000 funded by MONUSCO through its DDR-S section, this project responds to a dual objective: offering a concrete alternative to precarity and reducing the attractiveness of armed groups. It is based on a participatory approach, integrating communities at each stage of its implementation.
Local authorities encourage ownership of this initiative. Djugu territory administrator Ruffin Mapela stated that the project strengthens social cohesion between communities while building on local resources and skills. In Fataki, the vocational training center illustrates the common commitment to sustainable solutions to violence. It is now up to the communities, with partner support, to make it a living space, a driver of transformation for the entire region.