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“Getting involved with something, helping others, improving the fabric of the universe, I believe if you do that, even just a little bit, I think you'll find your life gets better too." - ECI Founder Ben Affleck
We’ve grown, learned, and expanded over the past 12 years. But these core values remain central to our work.
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From fresh fish to faster growth 🐟
In Bukavu, South Kivu, LA UNE is showing what happens when local businesses get the right tools at the right time.
LA UNE, an agribusiness company specialized in fish products, particularly fresh tilapia, used to transform fish into salted fish through open-air drying — a process that could take up to two weeks and depended entirely on sunshine.
When the weather didn’t cooperate, production slowed down. Market delivery was delayed. Growth was limited.
With support from Eastern Congo Initiative, the company acquired:
✔️ A dehydrator
✔️ A three-wheel transport vehicle
And everything changed.
What once took up to two weeks can now be done in just one day.
As a result, LA UNE doubled its production capacity — from 3 to 6 tons of salted fish per quarter.
But the impact goes beyond production.
This growth creates more opportunities for the women traders who source from LA UNE and resell the fish across Bukavu and surrounding areas.
Sometimes, transformation doesn’t start with massive investments.
Sometimes, it starts with the right equipment in the right hands.
What do you think creates the biggest breakthrough for local businesses: access to funding, infrastructure, or technology? 👇
#EasternCongo #AfricaRising #LocalBusiness #Entrepreneurship #EconomicImpact #SustainableDevelopment #CommunityEmpowerment #FoodSecurity #Innovation #SocialImpact #SupportLocal #Congo #Makayabu #Resilience #BusinessGrowth
9,355 farmers. 502 hectares. Up to 70% yield increase.
This is not a pilot. This is impact 🌱
In South Kivu, Eastern Congo Initiative is backing BING Écologie to push agroecology beyond theory.
Over 23,735 liters of Ecochar have been distributed across Kalehe, Walungu, and Kabare — directly supporting smallholder farmers. Ecochar is a liquid organic fertilizer — not just feeding crops, but rebuilding the soil itself.
And no, it’s not just about handing out inputs.
Farmers are trained to use it properly — because without that, results don’t scale.
Insight / Lesson
Ecochar improves soil where it matters most:
💧 Better water retention
🌿 Faster nutrient absorption
🌍 Stronger resilience in low rainfall conditions
The result?
📈 +45% to +70% yields
🥕 Better quality crops
⏳ Longer preservation after harvest
Why are solutions like this still not everywhere?
Drop your thoughts 👇
#EasternCongo #Agroecology #SustainableFarming #SoilHealth #Ecochar #FoodSecurity #AfricaAgriculture #SmallholderFarmers #ClimateResilience #CommunityDevelopment #TransformingAid #Congo
They lost everything overnight. They rebuilt it in months. 💪
In January 2025, armed violence hit Goma, North Kivu — and KANO FOOD, a fresh produce supply chain company, was caught in the crossfire.
Their infrastructure? Destroyed.
Their stock? Looted.
Their revenue? Just $3,916/month before it all collapsed.
But here's the part that matters 👇
With support from @EasternCongoInitiative , KANO FOOD rebuilt its facilities, replaced equipment, and got back to work.
Today: 🥬 5 tonnes of fresh produce supplied per quarter 📈 Revenue reached $6,217/month — 62% of a $10,000 target 🔄 A business that refused to disappear
Now they need your help to go further:
💵 $10 improves cold storage & logistics — less food waste, fresher produce for local families
💵 $20 helps build a vegetable processing center — more value, more jobs, more impact
This isn't just a recovery story. It's proof that the right support at the right time can turn devastation into momentum.
🇨🇩 Goma is rising. So are its entrepreneurs.
👉 Support KANO FOOD Now: https://ow.ly/TmQf50YSio2
❤️ Like if you believe in resilience. 🔁 Share to amplify this story. 💬 Drop a word of encouragement for the KANO FOOD team below 👇
#Goma #NordKivu #RDC #DRC #Resilience #FoodSystems #Agriculture #ECI #EasternCongoInitiative #KanoFood #AfricanBusiness #SupplyChain #Rebuild #Impact
What if restoring a region started with seeds? 🌱
In Lubero Territory, access to quality seeds and knowledge is still a major barrier for farmers.
The company TOUT EN EST Sarl, with the support of Eastern Congo Initiative, is changing that reality.
👉 3,578 kg of seeds distributed
— including 1,429 kg of vegetable seeds
— and 2,149 kg of fruit seeds
👉 1,000 households supported (70% women)
👉 Tools provided + training in composting and modern fruit farming
This is more than distribution.
It’s about giving farmers the means to produce, sustain, and grow.
Because when farmers have the right inputs,
they don’t just cultivate land—
they build their future.
👉 What matters more in your opinion: access to resources or access to knowledge?
#EasternCongo #Congo #Agriculture #CommunityDevelopment #FoodSecurity #EmpowerWomen #SustainableFarming #SeedDistribution #HumanitarianAid #AfricaRising #Farmers #Lubero #Impact #Nonprofit #SocialImpact #RuralDevelopment #WomenInAgriculture #FutureOfFarming #SupportFarmers #TransformingAid
What if no tomato had to go to waste?
In Bukavu, Blessed Company is turning this into reality.
With the support of ECI, they are transforming fresh tomatoes into paste, puree, and jam—reducing losses and making food available all year round.
In 2025 alone, over 1,400 kg of tomatoes have already been saved and transformed.
This is more than food.
It’s resilience. It’s local impact.
👉 Support this initiative and help us go further.
#FoodSecurity #LocalImpact #NonProfit #Sustainability #DRC
🌍 What if every package could help protect our planet?
In Goma, plastic waste is everywhere—polluting streets, harming health, and threatening the environment. Every day, communities and small businesses face this growing problem with few accessible alternatives.
With the support of Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), On Vizion is bringing a real solution: locally produced biodegradable packaging. With new equipment and an initial stock of 10,000 units, eco-friendly options are now within reach for markets, shops, and small vendors.
The impact? Less plastic waste, a cleaner city, and new economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Real change is happening—right now.
💡 But to scale this impact, we need you.
👉 Support, share, and spread the word.
#Goma #Sustainability #LocalInnovation #SocialImpact #GreenEconomy
What does it take to turn 4 kg of seeds into real change?
For 519 farmers, it meant a chance to grow, feed their families, and rebuild stability.
With support from Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), Tumaini Coffee Cooperative distributed 2,076 kg of bean seeds and 2,076 kg of soybean seeds — reaching 351 women and 168 men. Each farmer received 4 kg of each crop, carefully matched to the capacity of their land.
The result?
A total production of 18,684 kg of beans — with farmers harvesting up to 3x what they received.
But seeds alone are not enough.
To strengthen financial resilience, four Village Savings and Loan Associations (AVEC), representing 120 members, received $500 each — giving them access to credit and new economic opportunities.
This is what sustainable impact looks like: 🌱 Increased food production 💰 Stronger financial systems 👩🏾🌾 Empowered communities
Support initiatives that don’t just give — but grow.
👉 Share this story, partner with us, or learn how you can contribute.
#SustainableImpact #FoodSecurity #EmpowerFarmers #CommunityDevelopment #WomenInAgriculture #NonprofitWork #EasternCongo #ClimateResilience
Train, equip, transform 💛
KezahVogue recently supported a group of orphaned girls through a comprehensive sewing and tailoring training program, made possible thanks to the support of Eastern Congo Initiative.
Each participant received a full kit (pedal sewing machine, scissors, and professional materials) to start earning immediately.
The results are already visible:
✨ Home-based sewing workshops
✨ Uniforms and clothing production
✨ Independent income generation
This isn’t just training.
It’s opportunity. Independence. A future.
When you give skills, you change lives.
#Empowerment #WomenEmpowerment #Impact #DRC #FemaleEntrepreneurship #KezahVogue
🌱 Empowering women in North Kivu through mushroom farming!
COOCENKI continues to strengthen the economic empowerment of women in Rutshuru and Lubero through an innovative oyster mushroom production and marketing project, supported by Eastern Congo Initiative.
💡 Two pilot mushroom houses serve as learning centers, training 250 women in modern cultivation techniques while providing them with adapted production kits.
🥢 Already, an initial 11.5 kg harvest marks the beginning of a promising path toward larger-scale production. This initiative helps to: ✓ increase women’s income, ✓ strengthen local food security, ✓ stimulate the community economy, ✓ and open new paths to resilience for families.
#WomenEmpowerment #NorthKivu #MushroomFarming #ECI #FoodSecurity #WomenEntrepreneurs
