Empowering Young Women: Cultivating the next generation of bean entrepreneurs in North Kivu, DRC

Under the modest shelter of her mother’s shed at Birere market in Goma, Deborah sells beans to locals passing by. But her aspirations reach far beyond the market: “I hope to improve the bean quality through better sorting and packaging, which will allow me to attract more local customers and even sell in bigger cities like Kinshasa,” she shares enthusiastically.

Deborah is one of 10 young women selected from the prominent crop sellers’ cooperatives UPROVEPA and ADEVEVI in North Kivu. Highly optimistic about her future, she believes that participating in a new entrepreneurial initiative will allow her to become a leading bean entrepreneur in the region and help access global markets.