Retrospective #1: Starting from Scratch

Embarking on a project, regardless of its nature, is a leap into the unknown that can quickly discourage many. This is especially true when, despite our ambitions, the resources to start seem scarce or even nonexistent. Yet, it is on this basis that La Maison de la Veuve et de l'Orphelin (The House of the Widow and the Orphan) began its mission from France. Established in 2021, it wasn't until the following year that our desire to assist the Congolese population became a reality.

Today, we are able to provide regular assistance in Congo that has diversified. This aid includes food, health, education, and professional support. All of this has been made possible even when we had no funds in the association's coffers, but how? In this series of articles, we will take the time to explain how La Maison de la Veuve et de l'Orphelin has been able to achieve a lot with very little.

The first Christmas for the orphans, organized in 2022.

Why is this topic so important ?

Where to start to overcome difficulties ?

What can we learn from this for the future?

---

Why is this topic so important ?

The image above is a house in Congo. It is not a hut or a makeshift shelter but indeed a house where a widow lives with her children, and for which she has to pay rent. Unfortunately, it's important to understand that this is not an isolated case. Poverty remains extremely prevalent in many corners of the globe, and there is generally no local assistance comparable to what the less fortunate receive in the West. Social inequalities are extreme, and solidarity is often synonymous with risk.

In addition to this, there is the overall context of the country, where school dropout rates are extremely high, and the average level of education is steadily declining. The death of a loved one brings financial difficulties that families struggle to overcome. A widow or widower will often find it challenging to work and care for their children simultaneously, and they may earn just enough to feed them but not sufficient to send them to school (which is not free and sometimes several kilometers away).

Even worse, what we have just described is often the best-case scenario. Families may not even have the means to feed themselves daily, especially if they have young children, making it difficult to work. This situation assumes that the remaining parent is employed, which, again, is not guaranteed.

We haven't even touched on the challenges posed by diseases. However, from its inception, La Maison de la Veuve et de l'Orphelin aimed to change the game and offer the most destitute families the help they could never find locally.

Where to start to overcome difficulties ?

Our association was born within an ordinary and modest family, driven by the conviction inspired by the following words: "Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." (James 1:27)

As mentioned earlier, due to the numerous challenges faced by the population, there are many feasible actions to improve the daily lives of needy Congolese families. However, with relatively few resources to start with, it was impossible for La Maison de la Veuve et de l'Orphelin to fight on all fronts in its first year of existence.

Additionally, we anticipated that the demand would quickly become significant, and we had limited logistical means to ensure sustainable assistance from the outset. Nevertheless, we also knew that what is considered little in the West can go a long way in Congo. For example, a meal during which someone can have seconds and families in great need can take some home costs us only €0.77 per person! Similarly, we knew that with about ten euros, we could equip a student for an entire year.

So, we decided to take advantage of the 2022 school year's start to organize our first humanitarian event. This allowed the association to establish an initial connection with the population and set up the logistics that would later enable larger-scale actions. Our goal was to organize a distribution of school kits followed by a back-to-school meal for widows and orphans.

Then came the time for the census of widows and orphans. We chose to collaborate with the churches in Congo for needs assessment, starting with the city of Pointe-Noire, which has proven to be the most effective method for tallying widows and orphans on-site today. However, we kept in mind that the figure provided to us would be much lower than the actual number of people on the day of the event, such is the reality of Congo.

Ultimately, it was through the hard work of the churches in Pointe-Noire, collaborating on the census and graciously allowing us to use their premises, that we were able to offer a meal to more than 200 widows and orphans at our very first event. Above all, we were able to leave a lasting impression on the people of Pointe-Noire, who clearly understood that this was just the beginning.

What can we learn from this for the future?

In the meantime, La Maison de la Veuve et de l'Orphelin has succeeded in diversifying the aid it provides to the Congolese population and is also active in Brazzaville. Events have multiplied, and the association works daily on the professional reintegration of widows, as well as on the opening of the first 100% free school complexes in Congo for orphans. However, the reality is that at the time of writing this article, we have no more means than before. So, how did this become possible?

It is crucial to understand that the most important thing for any project is not to remain inactive. Some obstacles are overcome through solidarity, but sometimes it is impossible to see this without any initiative. Whether you start small or big doesn't matter; what matters is to start.

La Maison de la Veuve et de l'Orphelin is still in its early stages and is not without its challenges, as we fully intend to provide assistance throughout the country and beyond someday, who knows!

Consider that a parish in a large city like Brazzaville (the capital) has identified 200 widows. Now, consider that there are 2 presbyteries in Brazzaville, for example, and each presbytery consists of about ten parishes; the calculation quickly becomes astronomical for just one city. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. We will gladly share all our progress with you, and we are grateful that you have read this. Know that it is always possible to support us if you feel inclined to do so.