Blog

In 2024, 25.4 million people in the DRC were food insecure and 8.4 million suffered acute malnutrition. In response, PIFEVA deployed an integrated approach that refuses to separate nutrition from women's economic empowerment.

The Congolese nutrition crisis hits children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women and vulnerable rural populations hardest. In South Kivu, shaped by the security crisis, the health zones of Walungu, Mwenga and the Ruzizi plain record high malnutrition rates, compounded by food insecurity, childhood illness, poor access to drinking water and inadequate nutritional practices.

The 2023 National Nutrition Survey found that only 18% of households achieve minimum dietary diversity. Food access continues to deteriorate, with more than 21% of households in crisis over January–June 2025. Intensifying clashes between armed groups in the east are driving large-scale displacement and a rapid decline in living conditions.

An integrated approach in three strands

The overall objective was to improve household nutritional capacity and resilience while strengthening the empowerment of vulnerable women. The method combines sustainable agricultural production, local economic recovery and nutritional behaviour change — three levers pulled simultaneously, because none produces lasting effects alone.

Result 1 — Changing practices

•   Community diagnosis of malnutrition and development of action plans by community mobilisation cells

•   Establishment of ecological income-generating activities to strengthen resilience and sustain results

•   Creation and strengthening of support groups promoting good nutrition, health and hygiene practices

•   Education sessions on nutrition, health and hygiene, promotion of antenatal and postnatal care, and action against early marriage of girls through local communication channels

Result 2 — Restoring production

250 vulnerable women beneficiaries were selected through a participatory mechanism and trained in vegetable and staple crop production: crop technical pathways, agroecological approaches and seed multiplication. The project distributed agricultural inputs and small equipment, established 15 farmer field schools and 425 seed multipliers drawn from former field schools, trained households in post-harvest management, supported the processing, storage and marketing of high-nutrition produce, and set up or revived 12 village savings and loan associations.

Result 3 — Getting through the lean season

Food needs of vulnerable farming households — prioritising those with malnourished children under five and pregnant or breastfeeding women — were covered during the lean season. The mechanism relied on a rapid market assessment, selection of the distribution modality and suppliers, awareness raising on hygiene and dietary diversification, and then food assistance itself, accompanied by market price monitoring.

THE PROJECT IN NUMBERS

250 women beneficiaries targeted

15 farmer field schools established

425 seed multipliers trained

12 village savings groups created or revived

3 intervention areas: Mwenga, Walungu, Ruzizi plain