DR Congo: Marguerite's journey towards resilience
By Tatiana Ballay - Communications officer, World Vision DRC
Marguerite Ngalu is a widow and a grandmother. Her story is one of resilience and hope. After the loss of her husband, she found herself raising her grandchildren alone in the commercial district of Mutshatsha, a town in the province of Lualaba, in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Life has not been easy for Marguerite. The odd jobs she managed to get on an irregular basis were never enough to cover her family's basic needs. ‘I worked hard, but what I earned was never enough to meet our food, medical, and schooling needs,’ she says.
Her grandchildren include Acacia, a 3-year-old girl who suffered from severe malnutrition. Her mother, Marguerite's daughter, suffers from chronic epilepsy. Ill, she has no means of looking after her child. So Marguerite looks after everyone at home. In July 2022, a World Vision DRC study revealed that in this region, 32.4% of children under the age of 5 were stunted, 20.3% were underweight, and 14.7% were emaciated. The situation was critical. Acacia weighed just 9 kg when World Vision DRC volunteers identified the family.
World Vision's intervention came at just the right time. Thanks to the sponsorship programme, Marguerite and Acacia were included in a nutrition awareness project. Marguerite learned about the importance of a balanced diet and attended cooking demonstrations that enabled her to feed her granddaughter better using local resources. But that wasn't all. The family also received support to improve their food security. Marguerite received seeds, fertilisers, and farming tools to start a small market gardening business, growing Chinese cabbage and onions.
This World Vision initiative has not only saved Acacia's life but has also helped to restore the dignity and resilience of the whole family. Marguerite, once desperate, has seen her granddaughter regain her health. Today, Acacia weighs 12 kg, a living symbol of transformation. "I am grateful to God and World Vision. Acacia is healthy, and I can now feed my grandchildren, Marguerite shares with emotion.
Although Acacia's life was saved, another problem arose that affected Marguerite and her family. On 18 January 2024, their house collapsed. Marguerite was at church when it happened, and by the grace of God, her grandchildren, alone in the house, escaped unharmed. Their home, however, was destroyed.
In response to this situation, World Vision provided support to Marguerite's family. Marguerite received 14 bags of cement, 15 metal sheets, boards, and nails to rebuild their house. This support has not only given the family a house, but also a more stable life. ‘We have a roof over our heads, and I am so grateful to World Vision,’ adds Marguerite gratefully.
Marguerite's story is a fine illustration of the transformation that World Vision is bringing to vulnerable families in the DRC. Thanks to food security, nutrition, and resilience projects, families like Marguerite's are finding a new chance to live with dignity. There is still a long way to go, but every step towards resilience is a victory.