CONGO EDUCATION PARTNERS
Educating future stewards of the Congo Basin rainforest
WWW.CONGOEDUCATIONPARTNERS.ORG
Local Expertise for Sustainable Local Solutions Djolu Technical College (ISDR–Djolu) In 2001, in the middle of a war, a group of leaders and elders in Djolu Territory, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), envisioned establishing a rural development college to serve the region. Thanks to their vision, Djolu Technical College (the Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural-Djolu or ISDR-Djolu in French) was founded in 2003 as part of an agreement to establish the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve near Djolu. Today, ISDR-Djolu is the only accredited technical college in Tshuapa District, a remote and impoverished region in northern DRC, within Central Africa’s Congo Basin rainforest. Managed by Vie Sauvage, a Congolese nonprofit organization, ISDR-Djolu offers young men and women from the region a government-approved degree in Environment and Sustainable Development. Courses are taught by local Djolu-based instructors and by visiting professors who travel 300 miles by motorcycle and dugout canoe from Kisangani, the nearest city. Djolu student thesis research spans important environmental and agricultural topics such as sustainable soil management, illegal sales of bushmeat from endangered species, and the benefits of agroforestry. Other Djolu graduates have researched social and economic dimensions of rural development, including childhood malnutrition, the contribution of non-timber forest products to household income, and women’s participation in decisionmaking at area nature reserves. ISDR-Djolu has graduated 50 students since 2007. Graduates have obtained jobs with local
and international organizations and regional government agencies and schools. Some have started conservation and development projects in their own communities. As a Congolese initiative with deep roots in local communities, ISDR-Djolu’s vision is to serve as a regional center for excellence in education, research, and community outreach in forest conservation, sustainable agriculture, rural enterprise, and regional planning. The purpose is to develop a pool of local experts with a personal stake in conserving the region’s biodiversity and managing its forests to sustain a base for local livelihoods. Congo Education Partners (CEP) was formed in 2013 to help ISDR-Djolu achieve its vision. CEP is a fiscally sponsored project of the Trust for Conservation Innovation (www.t4ci.org). College founder Albert Lotana Lokasola and CEP director Ingrid Schulze have worked together on education and health projects in Djolu Territory since 2006. Why This College is Important to All of Us We all have a stake in protecting the Congo Basin rainforest, which is second in size only to the Amazon. Half the remaining Congo Basin forest is in the DRC. It absorbs enormous amounts of carbon dioxide and is home to many rare and endangered species, among them bonobos, forest elephants, and leopards. Located in the heart of the central Congo Basin, Tshuapa District encompasses vast swaths of intact forest and all or part of five nature reserves. However, population growth, wildlife poaching, slash-and-burn farming, and logging are eating away at this green refuge.
Most of Tshuapa District’s 1.5 million people live on less than 50 cents a day and depend on the region’s forests for their livelihoods and survival. Their forests, lands and wildlife are their only form of wealth. Without the education to manage their own natural resources sustainably, however, the future looks bleak. People need better ways to make a living, starting with the sustainable farming practices taught at ISDR-Djolu, while also protecting their forests and biodiversity for future generations. Supporting the College helps local communities improve their lives and protect one of the most valuable ecosystems on earth. Our Mission and Goals Environmental Education in Action 1) Educating a new generation of environmental stewards, 2) An outdoor economic geography class, 3) Technology and communications are a critical need.
CEP’s mission is to educate stewards of the Congo rainforest by building the capacity of ISDR-Djolu in forest conservation and sustainable rural development. A better library, reliable electric power and internet access are crucial for Djolu’s long term success and to connect it to the outside world. Supporting advanced scientific training for local instructors will improve its educational capacity. Providing scholarships to ISDR-Djolu students enables more deserving students to obtain a college education. In addition to these goals, CEP is helping ISDR-Djolu strengthen its organizational capacity and physical infrastructure (e.g., its agricultural field station), and is facilitating international partnerships (e.g., with the African Wildlife Foundation) that benefit both the College and the region.
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Congo’s Rainforest The Congo Basin rainforest in Central Africa comprises 20% of the world’s remaining tropical forest, and half of this forest is in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC rainforest is critical to maintaining our planet’s climate, and it is home to a vast number of unique plant and animal species including bonobos, okapi, forest elephants, Congo peacocks, and other species. Tshuapa District, where ISDR-Djolu is located, is one of the most remote and heavily forested regions of the country and harbors all or part of five nature reserves within its borders.
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The Work of Congo Education Partners Our mission is to educate stewards of Congo’s rainforest by building the capacity of ISDR-Djolu in forest conservation and sustainable rural development. Our goals include improving the College’s computer center and library, strengthening its curriculum and educational capacity, and providing scholarships. We also help the College develop international partnerships, improve its physical infrastructure and strengthen its organizational capacity.
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Protected Areas: 1 Lomako-Yokokala Faunal Reserve 2 Luo Scientific Reserve 5
3 Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve 4 Iyondji Community Bonobo Reserve
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Threats to Tshuapa’s Forests and People
Facilitating Local Solutions
Extreme poverty
Building local scientific and educational capacity
Lack of educational access
Educating future experts and leaders locally
Wildlife poaching
Fostering locally relevant research
Slash and burn agriculture
Facilitating international partnerships
Artisanal logging
Promoting access to ideas, tools and technology
Population growth
Supporting outreach to communities in the region
Local Scholarship for Local Solutions Clockwise from upper left: 1) ISDR-Djolu graduate’s agroforestry project, 2) and 3) Classrooms are simple but students take learning seriously, 4) ISDR-Djolu instructor in the library, 5) Rainforest and river.
Join Us. You Can Make a Real Difference! ISDR-Djolu manages to do a lot with a little. There are many ways you can help CEP assist the College in realizing its vision of becoming a regional center for excellence in sustainable rural development. Join us in building ISDR-Djolu’s capacity:
» $20,000 can help fund the College’s operating expenses for an entire semester.
» $1500 can help pay a semester’s tuition, room and board for one local ISDR-Djolu instructor to gain further scientific training at a university in Kisangani.
» $800 can help purchase a solar panel and $700 can help pay for a laptop for the College’s computer center.
» $300 can help fund a scholarship for one ISDR-Djolu student’s thesis research.
» $100 can help provide 50 kilograms of improved seeds for the College’s agricultural field station.
» $60 can help pay for two reference books for the ISDR-Djolu library.
CEP also needs volunteers. To learn more about CEP, to make an online donation, or to volunteer, visit us at www.congoeducationpartners.org. If you have time to volunteer or have relevant expertise in higher education, international development, conservation, or fundraising, please contact us at: info@congoeducationpartners.org. CEP is a project of the Trust for Conservation Innovation, an established and respected U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (www.t4ci.org). To make a tax-deductible donation to Congo Education Partners by check, please make your check payable to TCI/CEP, and mail it to the Trust for Conservation Innovation, 150 Post Street, Suite 342, San Francisco, CA 94108.
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CONGO EDUCATION PARTNERS WWW.CONGOEDUCATIONPARTNERS.ORG