21 December 2023
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Panzi Foundation and the Luxembourg Red Cross are supporting 80 solidarity mutuals (SOMU). The SOMUs are circles of women who have experienced the same suffering linked to sexual violence, and who support each other psychologically, socially and financially.
Thanks to a system of contributions, micro-credits and social aid based on green, red and blue funds, the SOMU play an essential role in strengthening community ties and socio-economic development. Elisabeth, a member of the SOMU Baziré Rhugwasanye, shares her satisfaction: “All the SOMU members know each other and our hearts are full of joy. When it comes to membership fees, we talk to each other and agree on how to divide them up. In this way, we foster financial solidarity within the community.”
Thanks to a system of contributions, micro-credits and social aid based on green, red and blue boxes, the SOMUs play an essential role in strengthening community ties and socio-economic development. Elisabeth, a member of the MUSO Baziré Rhugwasanye, shares her satisfaction: “All the SOMU members know each other and our hearts are full of joy. When it comes to membership fees, we talk to each other and agree on how to divide them up. In this way, we foster financial solidarity within the community.”
As well as the joint projects that members develop, the profits they make help to fund other individual projects and develop their portfolio of activities. A member of SOMU Basime explains: “I received a loan of 100,000 Congolese francs (around €33). After developing measles, my children showed signs of malnutrition. So I used part of the money to treat them. I used the rest to buy cattle to raise them. I’d like to thank the team because they also think about vulnerable people.”
At the same time, SOMU members are receiving training in business skills, as one of the women supported explains: “With the money from the loan I received, I sell beans. This business activity enables me to send my children to school. Thanks to this, my son has received his state diploma and my daughter has already graduated from university. I was able to do all this thanks to the business skills training I received. I would like to thank the Panzi Foundation and its partners for this.”
With a view to socio-economic reintegration, the survivors of sexual violence supported by the Panzi Foundation can also take literacy courses and choose to learn a trade from among soap-making, sewing, hairdressing, leatherwork, pastry-making and carpentry. One beneficiary explains: “When I was a minor, I got pregnant and was rejected by the boy and my family. When I joined the SOMU, the members made me feel very welcome and lent me 50,000 Congolese francs (around €17), which helped me to start a tomato-selling business and look after my child. The SOMU also financed a sewing course for me. I hope I’ll be able to set up my own shop.”
These individual stories highlight the crucial importance of community initiatives and training in empowering individuals, building their skills and promoting well-being among vulnerable populations.