When dignity blossoms again in Humule

But in those same hills, something new is emerging: a quiet but powerful wind of hope, recovery, and dignity.

Thanks to crucial funding from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund, Oxfam and our local partner SOPROP, have been able to provide vital help to families who have lost everything to war.  

Find out more about the project

Over four months, 500 returnee households received cash assistance, enabling them to rebuild their lives step by step and begin regaining control over their futures.

“Behind every cash transfer, there is a story of resilience, a mother who dares to dream again, a man who finds purpose, a child who returns to school,” says Dr. Manenji Mangundu, Oxfam’s Country Director in DRC.

“This project did more than provide assistance. It restored people’s ability to act, to choose, and to believe again.”

Uwineza: Planting Seeds of Hope

When Uwineza fled the fighting, which escalated in early 2025 and has displaced millions of people around the city of Goma and across North and South Kivu, she carried nothing but fear and exhaustion. Arriving in Humule, she had to start from scratch.

Thanks to the $170 she received in two instalments, she was able to rent a small plot of land and return to farming.

Watch Uwineza's story

“Before, I depended entirely on others. Now, I farm to feed my children. And if one falls ill, I can take care of them without fear,” she says with a proud smile.

Her small field may seem modest, but it represents something greater — a return to dignity and hope.

“That money was more than aid; it was a second chance.”

Claudine: A Voice That Frees Others

A few kilometers away, Claudine, a member of the Women’s Forum in Humule, has become a strong voice for women’s rights.

Trained through the project, she now leads awareness sessions on gender-based violence (GBV), early marriage, and women’s legal rights.

“Here, at just 13 years old, girls already dream of marriage,” she explains. “We want them to dream of school, of their future, of freedom.”

Watch: the Women's Forum in action

Through training and the creation of community and women’s protection plans, Claudine and other women have become leaders of change in their communities.

“Before, we spoke without being heard. Now, we speak with knowledge — with facts, with confidence. And people listen differently.”

The project also supported the establishment of a referral mechanism for GBV survivors and the distribution of cash for protection to the most vulnerable.

“This support didn’t just change situations — it saved lives and restored hope”, adds Claudine.

The Power of Local Leadership

Beyond the figures and activities, this project’s real strength lies in one principle: local humanitarian leadership.

By working hand-in-hand with SOPROP and community committees, Oxfam ensured that decisions were made by the local people themselves.

“Real change happens when communities lead their own response,” emphasises Dr. Manenji Mangundu.

“That is what local humanitarian leadership means; shifting the power to those who live through the crisis and letting them become the architects of their recovery.”

Solidarity That Crosses Borders

This project is more than an emergency response, it is a story of solidarity that connects the people of Scotland with the communities of North Kivu.

It brought not only financial support, but also the strength to rise again, the pride to rebuild, and the faith in a better tomorrow.

Amid surging global humanitarian need and a major shortage of funding, Oxfam Scotland is urging every political party to commit to significantly increasing the value of Scotland’s Humanitarian Emergency in the first year of the next Parliament.

While Scotland’s contribution remains relatively small, this project demonstrates the vital impact it delivers.

“In the faces of Claudine, Uwineza, and many others, we see what hope truly looks like,” concludes Dr. Mangundu.

“Thanks to the support of the Scottish Government, these families are no longer defined by what they lost, but by what they are rebuilding; their dignity.”

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