Muchingwa, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo 04 Nov 2008 - In recent years, the Congolese government has made efforts toward the observation of women’s rights and the inclusion of women in the political process. Through the Tuungane reconstruction project the International Rescue Committee seeks to strengthen women’s opportunity for leadership by emphasizing participation of all community members in project design and management.
Sifa Kalimbi’s community elected her to serve as the vice-president of her local Community Development Committee (CDC), which works to identify needs in the area, proposes projects that respond to those needs, and then manages the budget and implementation of community development initiatives.
Sifa’s role is unique in a rural area that prefers men to hold leadership positions. She discusses her experience with Tuungane and her hopes for her community in an October 2008 interview.
Q: What has your experience been, working with the Tuungane project?
A: We’ve discovered a lot as a community here.... Since becoming united through the CDC, we’ve seen that it’s important to work together. There is work that one person can’t realize, but with the force of everyone we’ve realized great things.
Q: Can you give an example of what projects the CDC has realized?
A: Here in Muchingwa, we’ve had the chronic problem of access to water. In the past, each person had to walk long distances, sometimes four or five hours, to collect water. With Tuungane, we identified problems and selected a water reservoir project based on community priorities. We came together to elect people who would lead us in the work, and then with the combined strength of the community we transported sand, stones, cement and other materials to build a water system.
Q: Why do you feel the process of holding elections important for the community?
A: During a democratic election, each person feels like a contributing member. Nothing is imposed on him, and he sees that in everything we do, he’s directly implicated. He’s not there to just watch; he’s an actor. Each person here is an actor in the project.
Q: How does your family view your role on the CDC?
A: I have a granddaughter who is 16. She says that one day she wants to be courageous like her grandmother. She repeats this at home: “If we can be courageous like our grandmother, our life will be better.”
The Tuungane reconstruction project is funded by the U.K. Department for International Development.
