What We Do at FONDAMU

Mission Statement: The mission of the Mugangu Foundation (FONDAMU) is to promote peace, economic development, and environmental sustainability by (a) hosting a dialogue on a sustainable future for Congo-Kinshasa among the elite, (b) promoting an integrated approach to combat poverty through microcredit, support to various livelihood programs such as traditional organic agriculture with manure or mulching, reintroduction of cattle and small farming for village food security, and biodiversity conservation, and (c) providing vulnerable war-displaced or returnee people, blind people, raped women, widows, and orphaned young people with shelter, entrepreneurship skills, and the leadership training they need to fully participate in the construction of a democratic Congo.

Objectives: The objectives of the Mugangu Foundation are threefold:

• to promote peace, security, democracy and responsible leadership among the elite through prospective reflections on a sustainable future for Congo-Kinshasa;
• to assist vulnerable people, such as raped women, widows, blind people, handicapped people, and others who have endured great hardship to become self-reliant in combating poverty; and
• to provide shelter to the war-displaced and orphaned youth and teach them leadership skills for environmental savvy living.

Specific Objectives: The specific objectives of the FONDAMU are twelve as follows:

• Provide leadership training for the sustainable development of a Congo future;
• Promote and host a prospective dialogue on a sustainable future of the Congo;
• Provide shelter, healthcare and education to orphans and war displaced children;
• Support local development initiatives that combat poverty through self-reliant approaches by providing expertise and advocacy for sustainable development in a healthy environment;
• Promote peace, democracy, and good governance by supporting dialogue between communities and by brokering conflict resolutions;
• Promote entrepreneurship among vulnerable people, especially raped women, widows, handicapped people and orphaned children;
• Support training in crafts that ensure food security, self-reliance, and development that preserves the environment ;
• Support solidarity among vulnerable people by promoting good health practices that they can advocate together, and by providing savings and microcredit programs, access to information, and social centres for adult education and craft learning;
• Promote economic endeavours that bring sustained growth;
• Participate in the building of village community infrastructures needed to achieve social welfare, such as schools, health and social centres, and shelters for orphans or widows;
• Promote local initiatives for biodiversity and nature conservation in DR Congo; and
• Provide expert advice and environmental impact statements for new DR Congo projects.

Our Approach is to empower local people and communities to become self-reliant and fight poverty by providing training, teaching, and by supporting their activities.

Village planning activities with FONDAMU. Dr Trinto Mugangu is seated in a blue outfit, and he is listening to people in Kamisimbi Village on 27 July 2006. They are listing and setting priority for their needed community projects.