There are an estimated 2.7 million displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pendeza Azuluni knows what it is like to be one of them.
Along with her husband Pierre and their nine children, 55-year-old Pendeza was driven from her home in the village of Mukilwa, where she was born and raised, by fighting between government forces and rebels.
‘We really thought we would all die,’ said Pendeza. ‘We had no choice but to flee. Life when we were on the run was precarious at best. Things were expensive and we had no money at all.’
No roof
Pierre built a makeshift house for their family to sleep in but they had no plastic sheeting for a roof, so when it rained they all got wet: ‘We all felt ill. All my children were sick and they had no energy as I could barely feed them once a day.’
It was three months and many nights of going to bed hungry before they family thought it was safe enough to return home to Mukilwa.
Tearfund has been helping Pendeza’s family readjust to a post-conflict life. They’re now getting two decent meals a day thanks to putting into practice new techniques taught by Tearfund to get the most from their land.
Learning
‘Tearfund taught me how to plant my crops in rows,’ says Pendeza. ‘I never did that before but now I get much more rice from my fields and my family have enough to eat again.’
Tearfund has also helped her develop a pond to breed and sell fish and has given her seeds to grow vegetables, both offering a better balanced diet for the family and income generating potential.
Whatever tomorrow may bring, Pendeza now has new learning to face it: ‘The future is in God’s hands but Tearfund has given me knowledge which will help me and my children a lot.’
With so many Congolese reeling from the effects of war, Tearfund has launched an emergency appeal to increase our support for those in need.
Please give what you can today
By doing so, you’ll not only enable us to provide basic everyday household items for displaced families, but also to invest in their future by helping them restart livelihoods, giving them new skills and improving their access to water and sanitation.
Your support will enable us to provide medical care and trauma therapy to women who have been raped.
Training will also mean that members of the local church will be able to bring immediate and tangible support to their communities.