DR Congo
For over 100 years, brutal ethnic fighting and political conflict have ravaged the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Thousands of women of all ages have been sexually assaulted, subsequently abandoned by their husbands and left to provide for themselves and their children. The effect on communities in this area has been devastating.
In 2009 ASSIST planted a church in the city of Bukavu in the DRC. This region has been plagued by ethnic conflicts between local tribal groups. The vision for planting the church was to promote reconciliation in the city of Bukavu and surrounding areas. In the southern city of Lubumbashi, ASSIST supports another thriving church reaching out to its community with the message of hope in Christ. This church supports five additional church plants in the surrounding communities.
Foundations of Hope International (FOH)
FOH is a branch of ASSIST created specifically to focus on ministering to women. In 2010 FOH opened the Tabitha Women’s Center in Goma DRC. This center serves the victims of violence in the South Kivu province by providing them with training in small business concepts, through the Barefoot MBA program, small micro loans to grow their existing businesses or fund new business ventures and opportunities to take part in a thriving co-operative soap and sewing business operated by FOH leadership at the center.
The Tabitha center is also reaching out to the victims of violence in the rural areas through a new agricultural venture. FOH will provide the women with a plot of land to use, seed, tools and training to allow them to grow their own small cash crops. The crops grown will provide food for their families and the excess will be used by the Tabitha center in Goma to sell at market, providing much needed funds for future programs.