World Vision DRC Closes Kimbanseke Programme After 17 Years of Impact
By Didier Nagifi, Communications Officer
On 30 September 2024, World Vision DRC officially closed its 17-year Kimbanseke programme for the benefit of children and families. The event brought together local authorities, religious leaders, community members, and sponsored children.
Scope and funding of the programme
The programme has impacted 63,366 people, including 25,145 children, with total funding of USD 9,024,000. Around 2,650 sponsored children have directly benefited from its initiatives.
Key achievements
1.Food security and livelihoods: Family incomes increased from 23.7% to 69% for those able to support their children. A total of 8,930 children were supported through various assistance programmes.
2. Education and child protection: The school attendance rate rose from 94% to 99%, and school dropouts fell from 6% to 2%. Thanks to improved reading techniques, the proportion of pupils reading correctly has increased from 17% to 32%.
3. Community involvement: 1,440 community members benefited from capacity-building training.
Wani, a community leader, said: ‘We started working with World Vision in 2007. Thanks to the training, we have built two schools and a training centre for women.
Having helped improve livelihoods in the Kimbanseke programme, World Vision has helped transform thousands of families' lives.
‘Thanks to World Vision, we have received pigs that have multiplied, enabling my father to pay for our studies and buy clothes.
Grace, an orphan, said: ‘Thanks to World Vision, I finished my studies and became a dressmaker. My dream is to go to university and become a fashion designer.
World Vision is closing the Kimbanseke programme with a sense of satisfaction, because the beneficiaries, including the former vulnerable families, have learned how to ensure the sustainability of the programme's achievements.
‘The Kimbanseke programme began in 2006 with many challenges, but today I am proud to see the innovations that have been put in place in the community. These innovations have enabled households to develop resilient mechanisms that will enable them to provide for their children, even after World Vision has left’, said Nicole Masanze, Manager of the Kinshasa cluster,
‘After 17 years, we can see that the community has become self-sufficient in areas such as health, education and food security. Many families participating in the savings groups are now able to provide for their children's education and health. This reassures us that we can leave the community with confidence’, said Aline Napon, National Director.
The ceremony ended with the presentation of certificates to key figures. Although the programme has come to an end, the solid foundations laid will continue to inspire future action. World Vision remains committed to working with the local authorities to ensure a better future for the children of Kimbanseke.