Beans that break the cycle: Food, freedom and female power in DRC

In eastern DRC, women are reclaiming land through the B4WE project, using biofortified beans to fight malnutrition, gain economic independence, and foster peace. Farming is now a path to healing, empowerment and lasting community transformation.

Once marked by displacement and silence, the fields of Masisi are now alive with purpose. In this post-conflict corner of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a unique transformation is underway. Women, many of whom have returned from years of war and loss are rebuilding their lives with something deceptively simple: the bean. Through the Beans for Women Empowerment (B4WE) Project, farming has become more than survival. It’s a strategy for resilience, a path to economic independence, and a powerful tool in the fight against malnutrition.