Update from BHW DRC Partnership Facilitator Following Visit

Partnership name: Alliance Evangelique (DRC09)

We met with the Alliance Evangelique (AE) team in Rwanda as it is too dangerous, according to them, for Europeans to go to Goma at present. Almost all expatriates have left. The rebel group M23 is at the gate of the city, and they have many operatives at large. They kidnap whites for ransom, that is the biggest danger right now. The UN has largely left the area although they still operate in other areas. It is, however, pretty important for us to get there before too much longer to see with our own eyes what they are doing on the ground.  

Recent Events

Activities

We met with four of the leadership team in Gisenyi, Rwanda across the border from Goma in the Congo where they are based. Robert along with another man Musati were funded to go to Zimbabwe for the Foundations for Farming course in February 2023.

Robert has been farming since he was a child, growing crops of beans, maize, Irish potatoes, cabbages and other vegetables. He tells us there are two rainy seasons in the Congo at his area, with the main season for cropping starting in September, and the second light rains happening from March. The dry season is from June to August each year.

The men were very excited to go to Zimbabwe and learnt many things about farming. The main differences were to see how a smaller area can produce a very large yield if things are done well. Using compost, manures, making straight lines, and digging only potholes are the key things that Robert mentioned. He says, “many people are so surprised that they can farm a small area and get such good yields”.

When they came back home, within two weeks they immediately set about training 25 selected people from local churches in the network. This was funded by the AE as the General Secretary, Israel, could see the potential benefits. They printed handouts in the language and made copies of the information received from Zimbabwe. They have put focus on the Pfumvudza, growing a smaller area to feed the family for a year from maize.

They say this can become a revolution and over 100,000 farmers can surely be reached.

They hope the 25 people will become trainers themselves, many have already been teaching local people through what they have learned. They have many churches that can be trained along with the pastors, who if they are trained will have their congregations following them.

The 25 who were trained were sent home with just knowledge, and no seeds and inputs, but they did very well. They are going to get some pictures and reports on the yields of the farmers. 

Key Personnel

Israel Ngirababo – General Secretary of the Alliance Evangelique. He is also a pastor in the Emmanuel brethren denomination. His church has over 600 people. He is married with six adult children, three boys and three girls. 

James Tai – He is in charge of Development and Relief and the personal secretary of the General Secretary. He speaks good English and is the one we communicate with. He has a background working with the UN and World Food programme. He is an evangelist with the Zion Tabernacle. 

Mapenzi Lumeto – He is the Programme Manager. He is married with two daughters and a son. He completed his PhD early in 2024 in development and gender studies. He has been involved in the Alliance for 9 years. 

Robert Ndinayo – he and one other went to Zimbabwe for the training. He is a pastor and evangelist and in charge of the FFF department. He is married with six children. 

Strategy

Over the next five years AE plans to train 250 trainers for Foundations for Farming in 10 different areas they operate in. The aim is that these 250 trainers will then be empowered to train many people in their areas, with Robert and Musati overseeing and being available to follow up where there are any issues.

Regarding the land issue, they are looking at a proposal where 1 hectare can be rented for a starting base to have up to 100 farmers working together, learning for the year, and benefiting from the crops planted. Then after the season they should have sold enough produce to rent the field for the next year and provide some food and seed for all the farmers to plant in their small lots next to the houses.

Current Issues and Challenges

One of the issues for the local farmers is displacement. Due to the rebel M23 forces being active in the area, many farmers must leave their homes where they had land, seed for crops and equipment. They leave in a hurry to survive. It is estimated that 80% of the farmers they want to empower will have this issue. Some of these people have been displaced for more than 20 years. 

Because of this they do not have access to land to grow crops. Landowners in the area can have large parcels of land that they will rent out at the rate of US$1,000 per hectare per year paid upfront. This is not achievable for people who have been displaced.

People must also build small houses on the landowner’s land, and as rental they work in the landowners’ fields for the benefit of the landowners. They are given very small parcels of land next to the house to grow for themselves.

Comments

They are doing very well without any resources, and we think there is a good case for ongoing funding of some sort to promote this. We are waiting for information from them. 

Currently they are already running a programme with Irish potatoes where they have invested US$4,000 into renting 2 hectares and providing hoes and seeds to 320 farmers. Last year they harvested 300 sacks from the 2 hectares, at a price per sack of $55 giving an income of around $16,500 although they did not sell this much as sacks were used for food and seed. This is an example of their resourcefulness and innovative thinking. 

They are convinced that a programme like this will have several side benefits. A major one is that by bringing people together it will break down ethnic divisions as they work alongside each other. They also expect that co-operatives will develop as people band together. It will also address the very real poverty people are living in. 

We are waiting to hear from them with the cost to run a training for each group over the next 5 years, costs to set up demonstration fields, and the cost of start-up capital for rental of fields, seeds, inputs and equipment.