African Road, Inc.

• Small class sizes that help students learn with confidence
• Intentional encouragement for girls to attend and stay in school
• High-quality teaching in a nurturing and caring environment
• Financial support options so no child is ever left out

BREADWINNERS. TRAILBLAZERS. CHANGEMAKERS. #WOMENOFGOMA
 
These are the Women of Goma, in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

You are funding life-changing training. You are equipping courageous women to start new businesses and create healing in the community. Your gift brings hope and dramatic change - a new start for these women. 

The DRC is known as one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman. Violence, including sexual violence is common, with little legal recourse or protection.  

Due to political history, national unemployment fluctuates between 30-40%, underemployment inflames this struggle, making daily life and meeting basic needs a challenge.

The Women of Goma face extreme obstacles every day in the struggle to support their families and rebuild their communities. They are strong, determined and hard working, but lack education and training to move forward. 

This is where you make a difference. 
 
Your support will fund entrepreneurial training over the span of three months, for 60+ Women of Goma. These resilient women are survivors of war and violence. They are also women who overcome - and they are ready for training and transformation NOW.

The training is run by Ugandan Changemaker, David Clemy, in partnership with African Road.  VICOBA Plus equips and empowers groups of women across East Africa with training for innovative collaboration and community building, paired with practical business and marketing skills. VICOBA Plus brings encouraging mindset change and the increased ability to realize dreams and goals. This training means a dramatic new way forward. 

In short, you are funding training that dignifies and equips. Training that bring income, healing and a new start. 

“My dream is for the voices of women to be heard, the capacity of women to be seen around the world” Odette, DRC

Like many Congolese women, The Women of Goma, have only been able to complete elementary/primary education.  This VICOBA Plus training and your gift now creates an opportunity for the Women of Goma to be equipped, to  come together to feed their children, and to be seen and heard.

Give NOW to amplify the voices of The Women of Goma. Then, keep it going! Share this campaign and invite your friends to join in today.

For more about the DRC, read our African Road blog post.

"Togetherness Cooperative" is an organization made up of more than 50 members living in small mud “family homes” which are houses of orphans that live and take care of each other. When they were formed they were child-headed households of genocide orphans with older children ‘parenting’ younger children. Those older boys and girls are now in their 20’s. Altogether there are 142 young people and children ages 10-30 living and working in cooperation together. They farm, play soccer and run small businesses to produce income to meet basic needs. It’s a remarkable group of people who serve each other and look for ways to make their village a better place.

Our mission is to raise money to support the “Togetherness Cooperative" community in using an important cultural pastime and hobby (soccer) as an educational tool. The community has a partnership with "Futbol for Hope, Peace and Unity” using soccer as a tool to create deep cultural change —helping boys and girls cooperate, challenging traditional roles, and teaching young people conflict management & problem-solving skills to prevent genocide from ever taking place again. As athletes ourselves, we believe there are many important benefits of sports: the rewards of physical exercise, teamwork, competition and fun! Hundreds of children come to play soccer every week in the “Togetherness” community where there is a safe and nurturing place for kids who work hard and have little can be carefree and laugh at the end of each day. We’ve learned the “Togetherness” community is one of the only places where it is culturally acceptable for girls to play soccer; as young women, we want to enable our peers in Rwanda the opportunities we have grown up with.

“Togetherness Cooperative” has a growing need for girls’ soccer materials and support. We’ve learned $6,500 will cover the costs of 12 months of training sessions (8 sessions per month!) and transportation for coaching, reaching 50 girls and 200 boys, to improve the activity and eventually increase the number of girls playing soccer. With your help, even a small contribution, we can make this possible. Please consider donating to encourage the cultural changes that are taking place in Rwanda.