Serving the People of CongoThe Paul Carlson Partnership is fighting poverty and disease in northwest Democratic Republic of Congo. We support 5 hospitals and 94 clinics serving a population of 563,000 people. Our major microfinance project in partnership with USAID is helping 2,000 individual farmers to earn cash from their crops. Over half of them are women. The people of Congo are among the very poorest in the world (though they are rich in other ways). Most of the people in Equateur province are subsistence farmers. They have little cash and cannot pay for medical care and education. We are helping them make their lives better through our combination of microfinance and medical support. |
What Do You Know About Congo?The Democratic Republic of Congo is in the middle of Africa, and is as big as the U.S. east of the Mississippi. It is a land of rain forests, mountains, and grasslands. It has a wealth of natural resources, including a mineral used in making cell phones–but the income from these resources never reaches the citizens. Many earn less than $100 a year. Until 1960, Congo was a colony of Belgium. Following independence, the country struggled under dictators. In 1996 civil war broke out, and soon half a dozen other countries jumped into the mix. It is estimated that as many as 6 million people may have died since then from war-related causes. Violence continues in the east of the country. To learn more about life in Congo, visit the For Kids and Families page linked in the menu bar. |
Congo Currents blogWe put all kinds of interesting stuff there, from program updates to articles about Congo in the major media, to Congolese musical groups, to reflective pieces. Sign up for our e-newsletter to have a digest of blog entries delivered to your in-box. |
For Kids & FamiliesCalled the Family Room on our prior site, this page describes life in Congo from a kid’s point of view. (Best kept secret: Adults enjoy it too!) You’ll even find an illustrated guide to building a mud-and-thatch hut! |
