The second largest country of Africa, full of paradoxes. On one hand, it is rich in natural resources (including cobalt, copper, coltan, crude oil, diamonds, gold); on the other hand, its inhabitants are among the poorest in the world. For decades, the DRC has been suffering from prolonged conflicts that have led to one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world.
06.04.2024
– What do you do in times of war?
– We help Grace brush her teeth. I would show you photos, but taking photos during the war isn’t allowed. It could get you shot. It has happened to a few already. You have to be very careful.
– Our supplies are dwindling. Everyone is eagerly awaiting the new harvest of beans and corn. The season of hunger is beginning. In a few weeks, we will see more malnourished children coming to us.
Sister Agnieszka is an expert at this. She can make a chart, mark it on a calendar. But she can’t stop it from happening. Such is the nature of war.
– By educating people, we’ve nearly eradicated malnutrition in our area. Hungry children were brought from far away because they knew we could save them.
But then, another cursed war broke out…. Grace’s mom has nothing to feed her child. Her fields are far away. She’s afraid to go there. A mine exploded at the neighbors’.
– I feel safe in Ntamugenga. I get help here. The Sister has taken care of my daughter. She was malnourished and had bad teeth,” whispers Grace’s mom in a quiet, almost inaudible voice. When the war started, it silenced her voice and her hope. During the fights, this place has sheltered thousands.
Misery loves company. In Congo, it sometimes feels like it’s everywhere.
– They are forecasting heavy rains and floods. It won’t be easy, as malaria will hit harder. There’s no hiding from the mosquitoes – says Sister Agnieszka.
If you can, please help. Grace needs your aid. The cost of one therapeutic meal for a child with hunger disease is €4. Each one is a life-saving remedy. Visit GoodWorks24/7 and help us increase the amount of good. Right now.
16.09.2024
Globally, hunger is a massive, complex problem. But feeding a child is simple. Joseph could have become another WHO statistic, labeled as one of the children who dies of hunger every five seconds. No one would have known his name or how infectiously he laughs while playing patty-cake with his mom. That he’s brave and […]
04.09.2024
“We’ve got a two-year-old boy from Kabaya,” Sister Agnieszka reports. Even before we see the photo, we already know it will show a child in critical condition. Kabaya is a mountainous area, almost completely cut off from the rest of the world. There is a lack of everything. The fields are mined, making it impossible […]
21.08.2024
It’s extraordinary what people can get used to, even war. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, it seems no one remembers what the fight is about anymore. The outcome will not be defined by who is right, but by whoever survives. Sister Agnieszka Gugała, the director of the nutrition center in Ntamugenga, offers us a […]