Empowerment

Elosha Kapata - age 20 - Kinshasa, DRC - Wome

Elosha’s vision is to empower Congolese women through basic education.

"If a woman can lead the Congo everything will be okay, we will live in peace.”

Elosha’s mother abandoned the family when she was 6 years old, leaving Elosha to manage the household and care for her siblings. With great persistence, Elosha struggled to earn money to support the family while also pursuing her education. Elosha recognizes that out of her deepest wound, comes her greatest offering – her desire to educate and empower women as leaders in their communities and their own homes. 

Elosha has the vision to create a center for women, especially for mothers, where they can access basic adult education and leadership training.

“In Africa, we don’t have women who are strong in leading. They are there, but they don’t have the opportunity to lead.”

Elosha believes that through providing basic education, women can be better able to educate their children in the home, creating a strong foundation for the child’s success.

"With basic education, everything is possible. It is possible to have peace and live in a good way.”

In her community of Goma, Elosha noticed that many young women were becoming pregnant because of a lack of basic education.

"Without education or employment, girls are going to boys to ask for money to buy lotion, sandals, underwear – all those things.”

Thus far, Elosha has brought together 15 young women.

"I want us to look for money for ourselves so that we can survive on our own. We have activities like selling sandals. We can distribute money little by little and find the things that we need.”

The group also pools money together to give loans to parents to pay for children’s school fees.

Elosha hopes to pursue a BA in International Affairs at USIU in Nairobi or a BA in Social Work at Bugema University in Uganda.

David NDAGIJE - age 27 - Rutshuru District, drc - youth empowerment

Daivd’s passion is empowering youth through entrepreneurship.

"I want to advise youth on how they can have power to be able to explain themselves. The youth are focused on the negative things only. They don’t have the opportunity to involve themselves in the positive activities. For me, because of that I have to sit with them and I have to find the opportunity to support them at school. I have to support them in many trainings about how to make themselves. This is why I’ve chosen to be with youth for a long time, because they can help even the younger children.”  

Before becoming involved with CIYOTA, David did not have money for school fees, nor did he have the confidence to speak up in a group. David explains how CIYOTA’s Pamoja trainings have transformed his life. After the social entrepreneurship training he received in 2014, David created his own business which generated enough funds to cover his schooling, and he trained 10 other youth to do the same.

“They were afraid to make their business, but now they are strong in business. Since I studied in Pamoja I have become a bee keeper. I make honey. I sell it and I have money to pay the school fees.”

So far, David has also paid school fees for 5 children to attend school through the bee hive project.

“Some of them have finished primary six and even one has finished secondary school.”

David also created a salon business in his community.

"I saw someone who didn’t have work and told him to come and cut hair and make money. I make one day per week to cut hair for free for the community, and free for primary school students. I will pay the cost for the primary students.”

David is seeking a $200 business loan to open a small pharmacy in his local village.

Tresor Nzayihiki - age 22 - Bunagana, DRC - education

Tresor is working to transform the Congolese education system.

"I want to help people to access education. Also, I want to help people to profit from education. Now education is only teaching people to be job seekers. I want to train people to be self-reliant after school. I want to help students to develop their talent and vision, to identify what they are designed to do so they can create their own jobs. I want to give a good education with strong values.”

Tresor notices how, currently, students are finishing school without the type of knowledge that is transferrable into a job.

"They need to learn more technical skills. There is a need to make things more practical. Self-discovery is also important. I want to help students to find their path and connect with resources and opportunities.”

Tresor is currently the Head Boy of the Think Africa program, and he is also in charge of Academic Affairs at TA. When he first joined CIYOTA, he was in charge of sensitization to mobilize new students to attend. In secondary school, he studied Teaching Pedagogy and is currently qualified to teach primary school.

Tresor hopes to pursue a BA in Education at Bugema University in Uganda.