Local Support

WVI and the People of Ruzizi – A Unique Partnership

WVI has worked hard right from the beginning of the project to get approval from all the branches of government administration throughout Congo. And importantly, WVI has gone through particular hardship to acquire its authority to work in Congo through legal means only. As a result, WVI has a wonderful working relationship with the various elected branches of government in Congo, including local, regional, provincial and national. In April 2006 the government granted Working Villages official recognition as a non-governmental organization (NGO), and we now have all the required paperwork to function as a non-profit corporation from the national government, including agreements with all the relevant ministries. At present the national government has reduced influence in the eastern section of the country. Nevertheless, for in the long term, WVI has determined it is important to work within the formal legal framework of Congo.

The most important backing for our project is support from the local community where we work, the town of Luvungi. Our project manager in Ruzizi is a local man from the very respected Malago family. Fiston Marc Malago is a trained agronomist, and as our project manager he works meticulously to include input from the local democratically elected officials in every phase of the project’s development. The officials on the local council are very connected with the project and have themselves donated thousands of man hours without asking any payment for their help. Every morning, the head of the local council comes to the project and works with Mr. Malago to coordinate various aspects of the day’s work. In addition to him, many other officials from the village of Luvungi work every day on the project.

In addition to several hundred regular paid employees, WVI also hires day laborers and has accepted thousands of additional hours of volunteer laborers from the village. In short, the local community is completely behind our project and they are committed to our vision. They are enthusiastic about the project because they can see that they have a major role in shaping the development of their future community. They are tremendously proud of their work so far, and enthusiastic to propel the project toward its next goals.

The elections of 2006 brought about several months of intense instability in Congo, especially in the urban areas which serve as communication hubs for the rest of the country. The situation in the cities became so dangerous that at one point communications between our Ruzizi project and our U.S. office were cut off for several months.

At that time, the local community and officials guarded our project for several months without payment. Despite the general instability and poverty, nothing was stolen from the project, and nothing was destroyed. This included crops which remained unharmed. Our project headquarters has no locks on the doors, no fences or gates or bars on the windows. Yet throughout the period of instability, and in the time since we started the project, we have had nothing stolen or vandalized. This is a phenomenon that is only possible because of the total commitment of the local community, and the understanding that this project will change the future of their village for the betterment of all of the people there -- regardless of their tribe and regardless of their gender.

In addition to the elected officials of the town, the unelected ceremonial leaders -- the elders and the Chief -- also support our vision. WVI also has official documents with the local elected council and land title from the Chief and officials. The local military leaders as well as the regional military leaders all know of our project and have taken care to provide special support to keep our assets and personnel safe from bandits and militias.