Empowering young women to turn bean trading into viable businesses in Eastern DRC
In eastern DRC, the Beans for Women for Empowerment (B4WE) project is helping young women rebuild and grow bean businesses through training and practical support, strengthening incomes and livelihoods amid conflict and economic uncertainty.
- crops
- Entrepreneurship
- gender
- Livelihoods
- resilience
Empowering young women to turn bean trading into viable businesses in Eastern DRC
In eastern DRC, the Beans for Women for Empowerment (B4WE) project is helping young women rebuild and grow bean businesses through training and practical support, strengthening incomes and livelihoods amid conflict and economic uncertainty.
“I struggled to keep my bean business stocked and would often run out before the day ended. Today, I have almost tripled my daily sales. I can provide better for my children, and I am even able to save through my savings group,” Deborah Kavira says with a smile. A bean entrepreneur in North Kivu, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), she has seen her small business begin to take on a new life.
Not long ago, Deborah’s bean business was a precarious affair. She bought what she could, sold what she had, and often watched her stock disappear before the day was over. There was little room to grow, let alone save. Today, the picture is different. With more stock and better business skills, Kavira sells nearly three times as much each day. The extra income is helping her provide for her children while putting something aside for the future through her savings group. For her, the change is not simply about selling more beans, but having a business she can begin to rely on and have a little more control over what comes next.