Because of the unstable economy, work can be hard to find for people in the Congo. This man is selling pots.

Some people continue to work at traditional jobs, such as raising cattle for beef.

Raising Cattle

Other people work in the fields. These women are heading out to harvest a Congolese staple food, manioc.

Manioc is used to make a nutritious, filling food called fufu.

Others farm a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, then sell them at local markets.

Those who are able provide manual labor.

Congolese people are willing to do almost any job. Workers will often ride these big trucks out to the forest in the morning, then spend all day cutting bamboo.

Businesses can be started with only a small amount of startup capital – called “microbusiness loans”. MMH Hope provides these loans to people who want to improve their lives.

The loans are typically enough to purchase enough goods to buy and fill a small cart or stand.

The intent is for the small business to succeed well enough not only to support the entrepreneur and his or her family, but to enable them to pay back the loan, which can then be given to another person.

An Established Shop

Some of the more successful business sell souvenirs and unique Congolese crafts.

Shops

In addition to providing money to start small businesses, MMH Hope has provided sewing machines and training to dozens of women.

Click here to find out how you can help provide sewing machines and supplies, microbusiness loans, and vocational training to people in the Congo.

the need for education – education is a primary concern of mmhhope. half of all congolese children drop out of school by grade 9.

willing pupils – congolese children enjoy school and the opportunity to learn. quite often, their biggest problem is staying in school with so many immediate threats looming.

early education – preparing for the future starts at a young age.

early education – even though their parents often cannot provide many of the basic school items that we would consider fundamental, the kids still want to study.

time outside – outdoor interactions with teachers are one key component of success in the classroom.

how mmh hope helps – one major hurdle to many students is the cost of uniforms and basic school supplies. mmh hope delivers books, notebooks, and other resources to local schools.

continuing education – by providing for students’ basic needs, mmh hope is giving them the opportunity to stay in school longer, which can mean the difference between success and failure later on in life.

continuing education – good teaching depends not just on transmitting facts, but on establishing mentor relationships with students.

optimism – one teacher put the situation especially well: “i can still teach, even in a classroom with one wall.”

outside – one child commented on school: “i can’t wait to go back to school each day. i only wish all my friends could come, as well.”

you can help too – even without a place to sit, students are read to come to school and teachers are ready to teach.

Health concerns are one of the most dire needs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and are a core emphasis of MMHHope.

If you would like to partner with MMHHope to train doctors and nurses in the Congo, please visit our Come on and Join Us page.

Despite the difficult circumstances, doctors are committed to doing the best they can with what they have.

Because supplies of common medical items are so limited, doctors are often forced to re-use some things like hypodermic needles.

It is often difficult, if not impossible, for doctors and nurses to maintain adequate supplies of even basic medical needs, such as gauze and needles.

In addition to specific medical needs, most doctors and nurses are forced to work without adequate space or storage. Here you can see how surgical gowns have to be stored on open shelves.

These are the bare shelves of the pharmacy. When available, proper medication is often expensive and difficult to find.

Like institutions anywhere, hospitals in the DRC face their share of administrative necessities.

Tools for administrating the hospital are often as difficult to come by as the medical supplies. Administrators must make due with second- or third-generation technology.

Conditions in patient recovery rooms face the same lack of supplies as the operating rooms and administrative offices.

Linens and bedding must be washed and reused even long after they lose their usefulness to preserve sanitary conditions.

Currently, there are on average 9 hospital beds for every 10,00 people, and only 1 surgeon for every 10,000. (source: WHO)

MMH Hope is commited to providing education and supplies for medical staff in the DRC.

The school at Kajiji trains doctors and nurses.

MMHHope partners with Kajiji Medical Institute by bringing supplies, funding, and external consultants.

Vista – One way in which MMH Hope seeks to improve communities in the DRC is by working with government agencies to improve the national infrastructure.

Waterfall – The Congo is a place of immense natural beauty and natural resources, which have often been exploited or wasted.

Hut –

Hut – In addition to the Congo river and the huge stretches of forest, the DRC is home to large amounts of fertile farming land.

Kinshasa is a shipping nucleus – Kinshasa is unique not only for being the capitol of the country, but also for being itÂ’s only seaport.

Junkyard –

Junkyard –

Junkyard –

Mural – One of the primary goals of MMH Hope is to rebuild the social resources of the DRC. Here, a wall mural (not painted by MMH Hope) promotes awareness about sexual violence against women.

Destroyed Roads – War has destroyed many roads, which makes rebuilding even harder.

The River – One Congolese man compared the Congo river to the country itself: very beautiful and capable of providing richly for people, but very polluted and poorly used.

Sunset – As the sun sets on the Congo, MMH Hope is committed to being there when it rises again.