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USAID/OTI DROC Hot Topics

January 2005

FOR THE SECOND TIME, DRC PRESIDENT KABILA ENCOUNTERS CITIZENS PUTTING THE SE*CA PHILOSOPHY INTO PRACTICE

January 12, 2005 – It seemed like a normal day for the citizens of Bengamisa as they worked on repairing the road that they all used to reach the commercial town of Kisangani, thirty kilometers away. Bengamisa is in an isolated area in eastern Congo, and it was rare to see a vehicle on this road. The workers paused as an approaching vehicle stopped and a man in jeans and a casual top stepped out of the car. He asked, “Why are you repairing the road?” The workers replied, “The road belongs to the community, and we’re taking care of it. We have to maintain the road so that all of us can use it.” Curious, the man asked, “Who taught you that?” “SE*CA,” the workers explained, continuing, “You don’t know SE*CA, but they rehabilitated our school and are training our community.” And what the workers didn’t know, but soon found out, was the man inquiring was the President of the DRC, Joseph Kabila.

President Kabila during a stop along the road to talk to YES participants in Bengamisa.

During the first week of January, President Kabila conducted his second visit to the the strife-ridden eastern DRC in five years. And for the second time, he encountered the work of SE*CA in the eastern DRC. On this visit, he was so intrigued by the impact of SE*CA that he made a detour to meet with the Chief and visit the school that the community and SE*CA rehabilitated together.

1. A youth, education and skills (YES) training program training war-affected youth in agriculture, civic education, health, conflict management, reconciliation, personal values, numeracy, and literacy;
2. a media-focused small grants program which provides greater access to information on key transition issues; and
3. an in-kind small grants program for community revitaliziation/rehabilitation projects which enable community members to put learned skills into practice to benefit their communities.

The road workers who drew the attention of President Kabila had initiated the repair project on their own, exemplifying how the SE*CA program empowers communities by giving citizens information and tools to work together to improve their lives. SE*CA increases stability in these areas by encouraging economic development and reducing conflict by encouraging citizens to work together.

For further information, please contact:
In Washington, D.C.: Holly Flood at 202-712-073