Help us support marginalized mothers fend for the children

Hello everyone,

My name is Docile Munguakonkwa, I am a counselling psychologist from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

My society is patriarchal where women rights are neglected.

Growing up, so many women had to endure many kinds of discrimination and abuse in the name of respecting the culture. I used to think that a man beating his wife was right because in my neighbourhood, there was an ex-military middle aged man who had married a teenage girl-something that is common in my country, he used to beat her almost every day and her cries would fall on deaf ears from the neighbours. The fact that nobody dared to intervene puzzled me a lot since I was still young to understand, every time I asked if it was right for a man to beat a woman, the answer was always the same, ‘’It is their issue, let them be’’.

I want to see a country where women and men are being given the same rights and opportunities, a community where we encourage peace in our families rather than encouraging violence: why we formed Tumaini Foundation

Today, so many men still do the same and women have to deal with it as if it’s normal. Teenage girls are encouraged and trained to become good wives for their men, very few are encouraged to persue education and follow their dreams, this is only the privilege of the men yet we are in the 21st century.

In so many villages parents choose to put their boys to school and girls are left with no choice apart from getting married and endure all the mistreatment, disrespect as well as the consequences of premature marriage…

Every time I am told a story about a young girl getting married, I feel really bad about it, I always feel another life is going to be ruined because of culture. The girls usually end up being mistreated and left alone in poverty with their children, in some other cases young girls are killed by their abusive spouses and their families choose to keep quiet.

I believe that culture can be wrong and misleading sometimes. We all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity no matter our gender. A culture that’s hurting its people, is not a culture to be kept.

I want to see a country where women and men are being given the same rights and opportunities , a community where we encourage peace in our families rather than encouraging violence. A country where young girls are empowered and given the opportunity to study and work, pursue their dreams in order to contribute to the development of our country as well as their own well-being, this is why we formed Tumaini Foundation.

About Tumaini Foundation

Tumaini Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims at preventing gender-based violence support and inform the victims about their rights.

WHAT WE DO

We provide psychological, physical, financial and legal support to victims of gender-based abuse for free.

Psychological: Our team is comprised of psychologist and social workers volunteers, who help the victims through their emotional journey, give them a safe environment where they are not judged through their journey of healing. Support-a-Mother is one of the projects initiated by Tumaini foundation in order to provide psychosocial emotional and economical support to the victims of domestic abuse.

Physical: For those who are experiencing health related issues and are unable to get assistance, we cover them through partnerships with local clinics.

Legal: we Offer free advocacy support for the ones that are being abused and have no one to voice their plea through the formation of Tumaini Legal Clinic.

Financial: We provide the mothers with the finances as well as the training needed to start their own businesses and be able to fend for themselves. Through micro-finance loans, creative workshops and access to market stalls and pop-up shops, we provide opportunities for Tumaini Women Shops. The women learn valuable work experience skills, generate an income and build confidence through connecting with the broader community in a supported way. Every mother is given a mentor to help her throughout the journey.

We need your help

Our goal is to completely change the lives of these women. We may not save all but at least save some.

Donate to this great cause and see the lives of these mothers and their children transformed.

USE OF FUNDS

$10,000 USD tipping point goal. We want to help 20 marginalized women have access to an entrepreneurship, emotional support, learn more about their rights and a chance to earn an income that will allow them to become independent and support their kids. This will be used to start 20 Tumaini Women Shops for the women.

$25,000 USD stretch goal. We want to set up the Tumaini Legal Clinic and a training space for the Support-a-Mother training programs and Psycho emotional support.

WHY IT MATTERS

Congo is still in war-torn and the girl child suffers more. The world still remains silent to the atrocities faced by women who still suffer from sexual abuse from rebel soldiers and always looking over their shoulders when they leave their homes. It is common for young girls to get married while still under age and they end up being sexually, physically and emotionally abused, some end up dying in the hands of their spouses, the ones who speak up, end up facing cultural stigmatization from their own families as mostly, an ordinary woman in Congo is illiterate and cannot fend for herself economically. She is helpless if her marriage fails.

OUR PURPUSE IS TO RAISE $10,000 USD IN ORDER SUPPORT THESE WOMEN, GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW AND BECOME INDEPENDENT.

By donating $20 a month you can support a mother who is struggling to feed her kids.

Anything can make a change.

I would be happy if you could use the [Help by sharing] button to share about this project and change lives. For more information please visit our website https://fondationtumaini.org/about/