Meet Claudine. She’s the head of Dynamique des Femme Juristes, a grantee of partner Eastern Congo Initiative. The DFJ team has one powerful mission—fighting for justice for women and children who have had their rights violated.
There are so many cases of gender-based violence that go unprosecuted in Goma and the surrounding region. With a team of lawyers, psychologists, program managers, and social workers, Claudine leads a holistic response to GBV, connecting victims to the support they need.
We met Claudine at DFJ’s office in Goma, where 45 staff are based. She told us that one of their needs is to support their team a bit better when it comes to providing a lunch option.
“It’s a daily need,” she said. “It takes time for people to go outside of the office, when we’re all so busy.”
She wanted to open a small restaurant, where staff could purchase a daily lunch, the profits of which could then be put back into DFJ’s daily operations.
So that’s what we did! With the help of 365, we purchased startup supplies for the restaurant—oil, flour, meat, rice, fish, and more—which is now up and running.
And Claudine has big ideas for how to leverage this restaurant to do even more. “We’ll start with the staff. And then we’ll expand to the neighborhood. This is going to be a success!”
We all know what it’s like to feel a little low energy when you haven’t had a proper meal. This is a small price to pay for keeping these brave men and women fueled up and ready to demand justice—any time of the day.
Photos by Lens on Life photographers, Operation Goma (DRC): Ngoa Kamundu Kennedy and Basizi Michel
