Frequently Asked Questions

Is Working Villages International a microfinance organization?

Working Villages is not a microfinance organization. We have a philosophy of development that’s tailored to this region of Africa, and our model of development provides training and startup capital without burdening the individual entrepreneur with debt.

How big is your organization?

Our US staff is small, with only two fulltime staff members, the president and the director. We have a number of dedicated volunteers and supporters. Our staff in Congo is much bigger, with a fulltime project manager, over 600 paid employees, and many local volunteers.

Isn’t there a lot of fighting in Congo? How can it be safe?

The Ruzizi Project is protected in a number of ways. Geographically, we are surrounded by mountains to the north and west, and an enormous lake to the south, which make it difficult for any outside sources of trouble to reach us. On a smaller scale, we are safe against local violence, because the villagers of Ruzizi are so enthusiastic about the project that anyone who wanted to cause problems would have to go against the will of the community. Politically, we are protected because we’re an American organization, and carry a certain amount of international weight. Additionally, there is a large UN Peacekeeping force of several hundred soldiers located a few miles away from us. All that said, it is dangerous in Congo, but probably only as dangerous as driving on the freeway at rush hour.

One of the remarkable results we’ve seen since we came to the valley is that a lot of the ethnic violence has stopped. This supports our philosophy that making sure people have food, meaningful employment, and access to a better life is the first step towards building a sustainable and realistic peace.

What are you doing about healthcare?

Our philosophy on healthcare has two main points. First, we have a strong emphasis on preventative healthcare, grounding our practices in good nutrition and hygiene. The Copenhagen Consensus ranked malnutrition as numbers 1, 3, 5 and 6 on the prioritized list of the top 30 global crises, emphasizing that in most of the world, disease is directly based on lack of sufficient nutrition.

The second point in our approach to healthcare is our concentrated and comprehensive approach to the healthcare system as a whole, making sure that it’s fundamentally within the means of the community to support. Though we will incorporate medical training and expertise from around the world, the healthcare system in the completed village will consist of local practitioners who are integral parts of the village society, as opposed to foreign volunteers. This ensures that a high quality of healthcare will be available even after WVI is no longer the economic engine in the village.

An example of our philosophy in action has been our attack on dysentery, in which we partnered with a local church to bring clean water to the project, and implemented organic growing and composting techniques to stop the spread of food-borne pathogens.

What are you doing about education?

Our primary focus has been on job creation, since there was a 98% unemployment rate when we arrived in Ruzizi. There is currently a school nearby that is run by the Catholic church, so the local children have access to education. In the longer term, the self-sufficient village we are building will have free education for local children, as well as free vocational training. At WVI we feel that the best way to ensure that children are taken care of is to provide their parents with meaningful employment and the opportunity to build a good life.

How long will the Ruzizi Project take?

From start to finish, we estimate it will take 10 years to build a completely self-sufficient village that will require no further outside assistance. We aim to be done by 2016.

What is the role of women at the Ruzizi Project?

Working Villages is an equal opportunity employer, and 50% of our workforce is made up of women. The people of the Ruzizi Valley have been open to our equal employment policy, partly because the war left many of the families with women at the head of the household. Providing the people of Ruzizi with meaningful employment has also drastically reduced the amount of violence towards women in our community. The men are employed and less hopeless, and the women are employed and have more social status. Furthermore, because we use voice training for all of our animal power, strength is not the determining factor in who works with animals. This enables women to be farmers, should they be so inclined.

Why did you choose Congo?

We chose to work in DR Congo for a number of reasons. The people of Congo are peaceful, hardworking and open-minded, and were looking for a new model of progress after 50 years of failed and exploitive development projects. We chose the Ruzizi Valley specifically because the land is very fertile and productive, and because of its close proximity to major population centers.

Isn’t this kind of naïve and idealistic?

It might be if we hadn’t already accomplished so much. In three years, with $180,000 in donations, WVI has grown from a dream and an abandoned building to a thriving community of about 4,000 hopeful, employed, well-fed people. We are the largest food producers in South Kivu province, growing over 100,0000 pounds of rice each month and over 90 different types of organic crops. Before we were in the valley, tens of thousands of Congolese in the area suffered from malnutrition and related maladies every day. Now, over 600 local villagers have jobs and are supporting their families with dignity and a high quality of life. With very little money and in a short period of time, we’ve transformed one of the most devastated regions on earth, using a model that can be replicated almost anywhere else. It may have seemed naïve in the beginning, but we’ve had overwhelming proof that we’re on the right track.

Could this type of village development be done anywhere else in Africa?

Our development model is founded on principles of sustainability and moderation which make it very flexible. Though any model has to be adjusted for time, place, and circumstance, the Working Villages model can be adapted to different locales because the economic foundation is fundamentally sound. Our villages don't rely on vast global trade networks, petroleum infrastructure, or huge quantities of pre-existing wealth, but instead focus on using local expertise and resources to meet everyday needs.

How are you funding all this?

At this point, nearly all of our funding has been privately donated from amazing individuals. We have accomplished a great deal with a small budget due to the fact that our emphasis is on crop production. We grow over $250,000 worth of crops each year; this means that, instead of paying for food, we can use our donations more renewably to pay for building materials, animals, wages, and seeds for new crops. When someone gives us money, it goes to train, employ, house and feed hundreds of people in Congo, making every donor directly responsible for creating a better world. Working Villages is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, which means all donations are tax-deductible.

What can I do to help?

Help us spread the word about Working Villages! Put a link on your website, blog, facebook, myspace, twitter, everywhere! We want everyone to know about what we’re doing to build an independent, peaceful Africa.

If you want to tell your friends and neighbors in a more personal way about what we’re doing, we’re always happy to come speak at a house party or community center. If you want to be more involved, we have the President's Council, which is a community of individuals committed to raising the support necessary to finish the Ruzizi Project.

The simplest way to be directly responsible for building a sustainable Africa is to make a donation, as most of our funding comes from individual people. Money goes much further in Africa than it does in the West, and contributions of every size are important and awesome.