Maniema province, situated in the centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is emerging from years of war and ongoing armed conflict. It has experienced massive population displacement, theft of basic resources and the destruction of schools, health posts, infrastructure and industry. Displaced households lost essential inputs such as seeds, farm tools, livestock, kitchen equipment and clothes when they fled.
In 2008, the Tearfund Disaster Management Team started working alongside local church partners in Maniema to re-establish food production through various interventions. So far, it has been very successful, leading to increased agricultural productivity. People are now able to conserve seeds for the next harvest and to eat during what were previously the ‘hunger months’.