VANESSA ZAWADI

Vanessa envisions a society in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where women are empowered to lead agricultural initiatives, thereby addressing critical issues of malnutrition, food security, and economic independence. She aims to transform the agricultural sector by optimizing the value chain and introducing innovative processing techniques, which enable women farmers to maximize resource potential and create sustainable solutions for their communities.

Vanessa’s groundbreaking initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo involves spearheading a national network of women engaged in agriculture. Vanessa optimizes the agricultural value chain, introducing innovative processing techniques and value-added products, empowering women farmers to maximize the potential of available resources and create sustainable solutions for their communities. Vanessa has demonstrated the network’s effectiveness in addressing the challenges faced by displaced populations and communities affected by conflict, extending its impact far beyond the immediate conflict zones.

Vanessa is the driving force behind the DRC’s new emphasis on meeting citizens’ nutritional needs. Through her extensive efforts, she has built a network of international agencies, NGOs at both national and international levels, and provincial governments. This network aims to empower women to lead the fight against malnutrition and related trauma in the DRC. Vanessa is introducing the concept of women-led first responders to address critical nutrition needs and neglect in areas of the DRC where agriculture is absent. Working with her network, she created an emergency response plan for how her network would cooperate with relevant government ministries to respond to such crises. Vanessa has demonstrated the power of this network and its ability to address the issue of displaced people far beyond the borders, in the Kasai regions near Angola, and Ituri near South Sudan.

Beginning in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which includes four states, each of which has displacement camps housing over 500,000 displaced people, Vanessa has implemented programs to address the pressing issues of food insecurity and malnutrition. These programs focus on short-term agriculture, providing training and resources for growing nutrient-rich crops such as vegetables, bananas, cassava, and maize.

The Kasai region is vast, encompassing an area roughly equivalent to the combined size of Tanzania and Kenya. With its fertile lands, the region has the potential to produce massive quantities of food each harvest season. By empowering the displaced populations in the camps to become self-sufficient food producers, Vanessa’s initiative aims to not only improve nutrition, but also address the broader trauma and challenges faced by these vulnerable communities.

Vanessa spearheaded the introduction of urban and peri-urban agricultural farming as a solution to end hunger and reduce food importation in major metros such as Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and Goma, extending this approach countrywide. Recognizing the potential of utilizing available land within and around cities, she empowered women leaders to take charge of agricultural initiatives, leading the way toward sustainable development. Through training, capacity building, and the establishment of women-led farming groups, Vanessa enabled these women to cultivate crops and raise livestock in urban and peri-urban areas, ensuring a steady supply of nutritious food for local communities. By promoting local food production, Vanessa’s approach reduces dependency on imported goods and fosters economic growth, food security, and self-sufficiency, transforming the landscape of agriculture in the DRC.

The primary goal is to identify and challenge cultural taboos that restrict the freedom and rights of women, particularly practices that contradict the law. For instance, she aims to address the unjust custom of fathers or uncles arranging marriages for young women without their consent. Another issue she tackles is the prenuptial marriage of young girls, where dowries are exchanged even before the girls are born. Tragically, in the context of the Kamwena Nsapu conflict, many women who have experienced violence are stigmatized due to cultural norms that fail to acknowledge the significance of their full reintegration into the community.

In collaboration with her women’s association, Vanessa calls upon traditional and cultural leaders to abolish all cultural rituals and conditions that hinder women from realizing their potential and flourishing.

Through the collective efforts of the women’s association network, provincial assemblies, and traditional and cultural leaders, a united front was formed to dismantle the cultural barriers impeding women’s agricultural and social advancement in the DRC. Vanessa’s initiative in the DRC focuses on empowering women through workshops, mentorship, and practical education to cultivate self-belief, enhance leadership skills, and achieve economic independence. She addresses cultural barriers, promotes inclusivity, and aims to create a transformative impact, enabling women to unlock their potential and contribute to community development.

The conflicts in the DRC over the past three decades have created around 7 million internally displaced people. Many of these displaced people have settled in cities, and some have even moved to Angola, searching for jobs at diamond sites. However, Angola often mistreats the Congolese migrants, as they enter the country illegally.

One example is the Kamwena Nsapu conflict in the Kasai region, which caused thousands of families to flee to Angola as refugees. Angola then forcefully sent these refugees back to the Congolese borders without consideration for where they came from. The Congolese government attempted to help, but the aid money was misappropriated by local governors.

This has led to resentment from the displaced people towards the government. Some traditional chiefs have tried to help by providing land, but the situation remains dire. Humanitarian organizations like the one run by Vanessa have stepped in to try and assist but face challenges such as displaced people stealing food and firewood. At least two children per day were dying of malnutrition in the camps.

Vanessa has tried to take a new approach, working with UNHCR, the government, and other NGOs to provide displaced people with land for farming and vocational training to become more self-sufficient. The situation remains critical, especially in North Kivu and Ituri, where humanitarian organizations struggle to meet the massive number of displaced people’s needs.

The DRC heavily relies on external food imports from neighboring countries such as Zambia, Angola, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya, particularly for the country’s Eastern, Central, and Western parts. As for the capital city of Kinshasa, it depends on European, South African, and Chinese imports for essential food items like chicken, fish, maize flour, and vegetables. Previously, North Kivu was crucial in supplying food to Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and other provinces. However, due to insecurity in eastern DRC, the country now heavily relies on external food imports. This low food production has resulted in widespread malnutrition and food insecurity, forcing many to eat only once daily. The situation has created a cycle of dependency, insecurity, conflicts, family breakdowns, and high child mortality rates. Rural areas have become empty as people flock to larger cities, seeking better opportunities. Men have joined diamond and mineral mining, leaving their families behind and causing further separation within families. This has exacerbated the issue of malnutrition.

Socially, the prevalence of diamond mining in the provinces leads many young people to choose mining work over agriculture. The perception that mining is more lucrative and quicker than farming perpetuates the cycle of unemployment and undermines the potential of the agricultural sector. Moreover, the burden of household responsibilities falls disproportionately on women, who often lack the necessary resources and support to engage in large-scale agriculture. Cultural norms and gender inequalities restrict women’s involvement in decision-making and financial autonomy, leaving them vulnerable to various forms of violence and limiting their potential to contribute to household economies.

Humanitarian interventions, focused on cash and food distribution, have fostered a culture of dependency and discouraged agricultural activities. This approach fails to address the root causes of food insecurity and perpetuates a cycle of waiting for aid rather than taking proactive steps towards self-sufficiency.

A network comprising government officials and NGOs shifts their focus to major metropolitan areas, starting with Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Bukavu, and Kasai. They advocate for the implementation of the National Agriculture Law of 2011 and utilize their collective influence, backed by support from donor nations and international institutions such as the World Bank, FAO, UNHCR, NRC, and Fonds Social de la RDC. Their aim is to support women-led transformations in rural areas, like the success achieved in stabilizing displaced communities. Despite provincial governments’ attempts to intervene, their approaches fail to address the actual needs of the population, resulting in further deaths due to food shortages.

Humanitarian organizations like PAM (World Food Programme), FAO, and CRS have implemented food distribution and monetary assistance programs for many years, yet significant success has been elusive. In the DRC, hunger and malnutrition present a pressing issue, with 3.2 million people facing severe food shortages, according to the UN. The UN Food Programme warns that the hunger emergency in Greater Kasai, Kananga, and other provinces could escalate into a protracted disaster. The roots of the problem are deeply systemic and interconnected, particularly in provinces like Kasai Central, Kananga, Kasai Oriental, Ituri, Katanga, Kivu, and Maniema. Neglect dating back to the era of Mobutu’s regime has given rise to a political problem, with limited basic infrastructure, such as agricultural feeder roads, impeding regional development.

Vanessa aims to transform urban and peri-urban areas, particularly Kinshasa, into a "green belt" by utilizing agricultural areas in districts like Mongafula, Kinseso, Nsele, Maluku, Lubumbashi, Kolwezi, Kivu Goma, Masisi, Bukavu, and Plaine de la Ruzizi. Through her efforts, Vanessa has built a competitive and productive agriculture sector, eradicating undernourishment and malnutrition. Her approach relies on a sustainable funding model through income-generating activities like livestock and agricultural produce, including the transformation of essential food products like maize flour and cassava. This ensures the continuity of her work in empowering women through practical farming training.

Vanessa has also advocated for tax exemptions and facilitated women’s access to financial credit through cooperative and credit associations for women in agriculture. The women have established a solidarity fund account to support community members during social events or in the event of a family member’s death.

Vanessa’s efforts have successfully brought together traditional chiefs, educating them about the laws of the DRC regarding women’s and children’s rights while highlighting the importance of UN Resolution 1325 on women’s development and rights. Recognizing the significance of these laws, the chiefs have committed to collaborating closely with Vanessa’s network to find solutions and eliminate cultural norms that restrict women’s rights. In many traditional customs, women are denied rights to land and property. To address this issue, Vanessa collaborated with cultural leaders to allocate land to women specifically for agricultural purposes. She accompanied these women, supporting their endeavors to combat hunger and malnutrition and prevent early childhood deaths. An illustrative example is the prohibition, as stated by cultural leaders, of engaging in farming activities on Fridays, which is considered a taboo day, believed to render any crops sown on that day incapable of growth. Additionally, traditional customs dictate that when someone passes away, nobody is permitted to tend to the farm. Vanessa vehemently opposes these practices, recognizing their detrimental impact on development, exacerbated by the high daily mortality rates.

Moreover, Vanessa formed groups of women engaged in agriculture, including those with limited education, to enhance their skills and knowledge. The goal was to empower them to become agents of development, capable of providing for their families and contributing to the country’s overall well-being. Vanessa also facilitated literacy and numeracy training for women in agriculture, as these basic skills are crucial for tasks such as record-keeping and basic calculations. Through partnerships with the Ministry of Social Affairs, Vanessa provided practical expertise in agro-processing, boosting women’s confidence and equipping them with valuable skills.

In displacement camps such as Kampuila in Mbujimayi and Nkonko in Kanannga, Vanessa facilitated wealth creation for women. Beyond agriculture, she encouraged women’s economic empowerment by promoting self-employment and income generation. Women in these camps now cultivate soybeans and produce milk, biscuits, and soy-based meat alternatives to combat malnutrition. They have also diversified their income sources by producing and selling various goods such as glycerin, soaps, shampoo, and coconut-based lotions and raising livestock for meat and other products. These income-generating activities have provided economic stability for 35.000 women and sufficient food for their households.

Vanessa’s extensive network and collaborations with organizations such as the World Food Program, FAO, Interpeace, Social Fund of the DRC, Norwegian Refugee Council, and UNHCR play a significant role in driving these changes. She serves as the secretary in the Group de Travail Movement de la Population, which includes the Ministry of the Interior, Women for Peace and Dignity (led by Vanessa), UNHCR, and women’s associations in the DRC. Together, they focus on practical solutions to address malnutrition, agricultural challenges, and the displacement of people, aiming for a national transformation in the agricultural sector.

The influx of internally displaced people from conflict in Kamwenanzampu, Angola, presents an opportunity as they require food, and half a million women returning from Angola need economic stability. Efforts are made to establish agricultural infrastructure and knowledge in Kasai, and beyond, resulting in a permanent camp where both the displaced community and residents engage in farming activities.

Vanessa initially focuses her efforts on the largest displacement camps in the DRC, recognizing the urgent need for food solutions in these areas. These camps garner attention from various levels of government, both federal and provincial, as well as national and international NGOs who are actively seeking ways to address malnutrition and facilitate the transition of these camps into stable and self-sustaining communities. Through her dedicated work, Vanessa successfully implements her solution in Kasai Central, which then serves as a model for replication in other internal displacement camps such as Nkonko in Kananga, Kansampula in Mbujimayi, Tshikapa, Kanyaruchinya, and Mugunga in North Kivu. Collectively, these camps are home to a population of approximately 200.000 individuals. As a result, the hunger situation in these camps undergoes a transformation. When women assume leadership roles and responsibilities, the camps start resembling cities, representing a profound systemic change. The women’s network utilizes these achievements as compelling examples to persuade the federal and provincial governments to adopt this approach, while national and international NGOs willingly provide financial support to bolster these efforts.

Vanessa was born in Goma in the North Kivu province of the DRC. She is an only child, and she grew up in a single-parent household because her parents divorced when she was two years old. From a young age, she overcame several psychological shocks related to this separation, which explains her courage to overcome difficulties. She surprised her entire family when, at 11, she began searching for her father, eventually finding him at 19 without her mother’s help. This explains her optimism when she sets goals - she does not give up until she achieves them.

From primary to secondary school, Vanessa was diligent in her studies and always ranked first in her class. This earned her the trust of school authorities, who entrusted her with responsibilities to mentor other children. She was appointed class president every year, which developed her leadership skills and her desire to serve others.

Vanessa obtained her bachelor’s degree in business and finance. She then began working in various local NGOs, which gave her more experience, especially in social reintegration and women’s empowerment.

In 2010, she founded Women for Peace and Democracy (WPD), a non-profit organization focusing on humanitarian actions and social entrepreneurship. The organization’s goal is to empower women and improve the living conditions of young farmers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Her motivation to venture into agriculture was reinforced in 2014 during a business trip to Nairobi, where she met a wealthy Congolese entrepreneur whose fortune was largely derived from agriculture. This encounter convinced Vanessa to focus on agriculture, especially in areas with high malnutrition rates in the DRC.

From a young age, Vanessa felt the need to serve others and help the needy. Today, as an agent of change, she is proud to see her dreams gradually come true. Serving others is her passion, and her determination to be of service allows her to develop her potential.