MONUSCO Police contributes to Women’s Empowerment

10 sep 2015

MONUSCO Police contributes to Women’s Empowerment

Kalemie, 9 September 2015 - The United Nations Police component (UNPOL/MONUSCO) works for the promotion of women in Tanganyika. As part of its civilian protection program, UNPOL team shared experience with women in that part of the country to assist them in improving their living conditions through revenue generating activities.

In the village Taba-Masimbe, located 17 kms north-east of Kalemie along the axis Kalemie-Kabimba, Tanganyka province, the populations live off farming activities. They grow manioc, maize, peanuts and palm oil which are sold at Kalemie market. The village has palm nuts processing plant set up by a women cooperative known as “Buino”.

Several field visits to Taba-Masimbe helped the UNPOL team interact with women on how to process palm oil and its by-products. UNPOL team explained to the women that the presence of a palm oil processing unit is critical since everything deriving from the palm nuts can be used, from the rough material up to residuals which they used to throw away. In the same vein, UNPOL organized an informative session on how to transform the combustible materials used to make cooking fire. During the session, the team showed the cooperative members how to dry out palm nuts wastes, the techniques for the transformation of combustible substance and domestic modes of use.

Furthermore, the focus was laid on the protection of the environment and fight against pollution. UNPOL team advised women against using plastic bags to make fire for it produces toxic gas. Female villagers have now started using this new product “bio” which is a residual product from the palm oil. They will start trading it in the future. The women also received information on how to process manioc and come up with income-generating activities for West African space. They learnt how to make manioc flour and familiarized themselves with the drying out technics of the peelings designed for animals’ food.

Women indeed found a new source of income through this know-how for their cooperative “Buino”. To be more autonomous, the cooperative has made a well next to the processing unit to make it more operational. The women heeded the advice and recommendations formulated by UNPOL partners; it is an indication that they are resolved to open themselves to the methods that contribute to their economic and social promotion. In Taba-Masimbe, women work in close collaboration with their chief of village.

Marcelline Comlan/Kalemie