“World Vision has restored my family's dignity”

My name is Geneviève Wazinda, a resident of Gemena - the capital city of Sud-Ubangi Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I am a married mother of seven, five of whom are my responsibility. Phoebe, aged 11, Benjamin (9), Henoch (7) and Glody (14) are all attending school, thanks to World Vision’s projects that transformed my life.

Before World Vision established projects to help families to be food secure in Gemena, I struggled to pay for my children’s studies. When they fell ill I faced challenges in getting them to health facilities for treatment. 

Two of my children fell behind by a year in their studies due to lack of money. Glody who is in second year of secondary school should be in her third while Phoebe is in fifth instead of sixth year.

The two children agonized as they saw their friends attend school while they were forced to stay at home. As my children cried every day because of their situation I realised I had no one to turn to for assistance.

Then one day, while seeking food relief assistance for my family, I met an official linked to a food security programme supported by World Vision.

It was then that I participated in market gardening training organized by NGO LA FOI (La Femme organisée integrée) supported by World Vision.

Through this training I learnt many aspects of market gardening. Thereafter I used my new-found knowledge to set up my market gardening project.

Vegetables that I sold from the project helped me raise money to return my two children, Phoebe and Glody, to school. Through this new venture my family became food secure.

It did not stop there, initiatives followed each other. World Vision then assisted our association to acquire eight hectares of land on which we grew cassava that we processed into flour.

Furthermore, World Vision helped me with Group Savings Training, which has assisted me in saving proceeds from the sale of flour.

This allows me to save what I gain from the sale of the flour.
Now I am a happy woman, who feels valued; the future of my children is assured and my family is completely restored.

Many other families who were food insecure like mine, have benefitted from World Vision’s food security programmes which have now spread to all the districts of Gemena where they have transformed whole communities.

I will forever be grateful for the assistance I obtained through World Vision.  Without this assistance I do not know what would have become of my family in terms of food security.