CURATED BY KRISTIN KOWNACKY
A new generation of women are forging the path to independence in Congo. Young women are learning trades and opening their own workshops, in a push to become self-sufficient. These Congolese women excel in their fields, earning enough to depend on one person only; themselves.
FROM Worldcrunch
BENI – Gisèle Masika, a young divorced woman from this Congolese city, says she wants nothing of her aunt’s life as a housewife. “My aunt can’t do anything, her husband takes care of everything, and he has no consideration for her,” she says.
Like other women in Beni, in northeastern Congo, Masika decided to learn a trade — making braziers — and is now doing as well as her male colleagues. Some of these women have even opened their own workshops, and employ male workers.
Thanks to their jobs, these women are on the road to self-sufficiency. They can cover basic expenses such as rent, school fees, healthcare, food … without any help from anyone else.
Mireille Kavira is a good example. This 35-year old mother of three works at the “Super Entretien” refrigerator repair workshop downtown. Thanks to this job, her children now attend a prestigious private school where most pupils are children of businessmen and local administration executives”…Continue Reading on Worldcrunch
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Kristin Kownacky is a junior at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, where she is currently working towards a BA in journalism and international studies. It is her dream to travel the world, discovering hidden treasures and writing about each experience. Read her articles on her personal blog, Depart We Now.
Photo by: DFID – UK Department for International Development