Kamba Tuakajika Denise, 24, is the mother of 3 children, her eldest child died recently at the age of 4, due to malnutrition and poor medical care.  

When the conflict broke out, Denise had to flee through the forest to save the lives of her children. They went to stay with another group called Ntumba Mwenze, about 15 kilometres from Bakua Kanyinga 1. Together, they travelled on foot and in the rain. She lost everything as a result, including her belongings, her house, her field and her poultry.  

Being born in Bakua Ndaye, Denise decided to return there. She initially lived with her older brother, who also has a large family to support. Having no means of income, her life was very difficult, especially with the recurrent illnesses of her children, including malnutrition, which led to the death of her first born.

The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in DRC has increased. This is as a result of flooding, conflicts, COVID-19, and economic decline linked to currency depreciation and drop in GDP growth, making it the world’s largest food crisis with some 21.8 million acutely food-insecure people at the end of 2020.  

When an implementation partner under the UNDP’s project, Terra Renaissance, launched a survey to identify vulnerable people in Bakua Ndaye, Denise was selected for training in soap making and marketing. Today, she has acquired skills in soap making. 

“I no longer lack soaps for my household. When it comes to regular income, I hope it will get better and better over time. I just have to work hard to sell and get more customers”.  

About the project

This project supported the response and recovery efforts after a massive flood, inter-community conflicts, which occurred in South-Kivu province and the Greater Kasai Region respectively. The project also aimed to facilitate recovery in challenging situations due to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and situations in Kinshasa and other areas. Activities contributed to strengthening local resilience and social stability in crisis-affected communities, with a focus on vulnerable populations, especially women and youth. The project has trained 30 beneficiaries including Denise in soap making and 30 others in the production of palm kernel oils, enabling their empowerment.

Key results

• 70,000 households benefited
• 1488 temporary jobs created for crisis affected populations
• 50,000 masks produced by SMEs
• 45,000 households improved their livelihoods
• 510 crisis affected women obtained skills for income generation

Japan and UNDP as key partners

The Japanese NGO, Terra Renaissance, is among the organizations that supported the implementation of the project. The partnership helped in strengthening the community disaster resilience through the construction of canals and bridges in the flood-affected areas. It also provided trainings for the local population on disaster risk response in South Kibu. Terra Renaissance operates both in Bukavu in South Kivu (Uvira; Luvungi, Kamanyola) and in Kananga (Dimbelenge) in Kasaï Central.

Thanks to Japan’s unwavering support, UNDP-Japan funded projects are contributing to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 across the African continent, empowering populations during complex and compounding crises - often in new and innovative ways.  

The Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) was initiated in 1993, as one of the key forums for the advancement of dialogue and partnerships for African development. Over 30 years, the forum has held 8 summits in both Africa and Japan and multiple Ministerial Meetings.  

Projects fall under three thematic areas: Economy, Society and Peace. Together, Japan and UNDP are creating innovative solutions and supporting communities as they look to a future which is sustainable, inclusive and provides human security for all.