Congalese Woman’s Collaborative Receives Shaull

The Richard Shaull Mission grant, established in 2004, is a celebration of the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Richard Shaull. This year’s award was given to Woman, Cradle of Abundance, Inc. (Femme, Berceau de l’Abondance).

micro-savings and micro-loan programs for mature women; educational assistance for destitute children and orphans; a farm to feed its members and demonstrate best agricultural practices; and a shop selling clothing to model business skills and help support other projects.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a paradox: The country is extremely rich in natural resources, yet the vast majority of its population are among the poorest in the world, with 73% of Congolese people living on less than $1.90 a day (World Bank).

Although education rates have improved in recent years, from 52% in 2001 to 78% in 2018, millions of children remain unable to attend school; that includes half of all girls 5-17 years old (UNICEF). The Nobel Peace prize winner Dr. Denis Mukwege is one of the best-known voices calling the world’s attention to the toll that war and sexual violence have taken on women and girls.

Woman, Cradle of Abundance focuses on the needs of the poorest women and girls, and most of its 1,200 members come from the margins of society. A significant component of their work provides empowerment and education programs for women and girls that include a Sewing School for young women;

One of the best means of empowering the most vulnerable Congolese girls and women is to educate them to support themselves, so they can confidently make a way for themselves in a highly patriarchal society that favors boys in education, leadership roles, and privilege.

Funds from the Shaull Award will help launch the “Success in the 21st Century for the Least: Computer Sciences for Destitute Young Women” project. The goal of this project is to use the proven social and pedagogical methods of the organization to expand its reach to include an unserved population of women in Kinshasa, the capital city of Congo.

The students in the new computer program will have formal education, competence in math and reading and writing French, but no practical ways to earn a living. The proposed program will teach computer science at multiple levels, from computer literacy and secretarial skills to more advanced computer mastery. Embedded in this instruction will be education in entrepreneurship and business operations skills as well as their signature qualities of personal integrity and confidence, social conscience, and sense of Christian values.