Making A Living Growing Cassava

Madam Fidéline Mbo NGANGONA is in her 4th cycle of group credit with VisionFund, DRC. Having made her first loan in a group of ten people after a strong sensitization and training organized by World Vision partners in 2017 and being part of an association of women who transformed cassava into cassava bread (chikwangues) it had been easy for her to take her first credit and be able to repay as easily with her group, simply because they used to practice something similar to credit with their "merry go round" "called Likelemba in Lingala".

Fidéline is married and has four children, three girls and a boy, the oldest is 17 and the youngest is 6 years old. The oldest of her children is 17, the second 14, the third 11, and her last 6 years. She has more than 20 years of marriage with her spouse with whom they practice the same profession of f

It is with the profits obtained from the sale of chikwangues and various products that she sells at her home that she has been able to participate agreeably in the daily expenses of her house which include: school fees for her children, the purchase of a "Orange kit" which includes a solar panel and a color television for her children, food, and their clothing etc.

Impact

Thanks to the four loans, her farming activities are growing. she has been able to considerably increase the number of hectare from 2ha to 5ha of cassava field to be cultivated. And this has allowed her to be able to support the studies of her children without any substantive interruption.

The credit also allowed her to actively participate with her group in charitable works of her church that frequently visit orphans; and to be able to help other women in her community to support themselves with a small chikwangue business. Her next plans are to expand her business by having two or three small mills to be able to transform the cassava she plants into cassava flour. To have mills is of a capital benefit in their community.