Girls and Women

All of our projects benefit girls and women, and this strengthens the entire community. Installing solar panels on the hospital maternity ward makes child delivery safer. Purchasing 40 sewing machines revitalized the vocational sewing program at Lycee Gina Gisanga, primarily attended by girls. Girls fetch most of the water so the new water catchment system installed in 2019 has freed up girls to spend more time in school.

Days for Girls

Menstruation poses a big problem for many girls in rural African societies, and Kandale is no exception. It is a taboo subject that no one talks about, and the girls themselves have no means to cope with their monthly periods. So during the menstrual periods, girls are ashamed to attend classes so they miss important school time. In October 2017, with the help of the international nongovernmental organization, Days for Girls, REVE Kandale founder Colette Ramm delivered more than 300 female hygiene kits to girls in Kandale and conducted training over several days on how to use the kits. The kits include reusable sanitary pads.

By providing reusable hygiene kits for girls, the Days for Girls continues to facilitate regular school attendance. And the girls can venture out with more confidence. Thanks to the ongoing commitment of the Days for Girls chapters in Rockville, MD, Northern Virginia, and San Juan Capistrano, CA we were able to replenish supplies with 150 new kits in 2019. In addition, the Days for Girls chapters have donated leftover materials. With these supplies, the girls have had the pleasure of sewing clothes for themselves and others. The arrival of the kits gained attention throughout the community and opened conversations on topics that are not normally discussed, including reproductive physiology and risk of pregnancy. It is inspiring to witness the unintended consequence of the community respecting girls in a different way.

Sewing Program

The students at Lycée  Gin’a Gisanga have benefitted, as for the first time ever at the school there are enough sewing machines for those enrolled in vocational sewing program. In 2021, the girls at the Lycée had the distinction of being the only students in the Kwilu province to pass the state exam. No doubt the presence of the sewing machines played a role in that achievement. They are learning hands-on techniques and methods, as opposed to theory. This is essential in a vocational education program. For years, students at the Lycée needed to find a sponsor and someone with a sewing machine who will teach them how to use a sewing machine. This required long distance traveling and coming up with fairly large sums of money to pay the private instructor and owner of the sewing machine. Still most graduates could not afford both the trip, and/or the amount of money needed to learn how to sew. Today, things have changed for the better with the new sewing machines that the US Embassy donated to supplement what Reve Kandale Foundation had purchased. Students  at the Lycée have individual sewing machines and table as well as sewing kit to guarantee they graduate with the skill needed to earn an income. And there’s no additional cost to the student after they graduate.  

the words of one girl attending school and taking sewing classes: “We feel like we are in Kinshasa! We have a beautiful building with lights, individual tables and sewing machines!”

Girls’ Dormitory

Due to the arrival of the sewing machines, more girls from surrounding areas were coming to Kandale and the number of girls needing space in the dormitories increased. In 2021, we began the renovation of all four dormitory blocs to create a safe and protective space for 80 girls to live where they study. The renovation work includes building latrines and an additional facility where girls could store their food and use as a kitchen to cook their meals.

Solar Energy-

The installation of solar panels on the Multi- Purpose Education Center and the hospital maternity ward in October 2018 has been transformative.

The solar-powered education center -- installation courtesy of Dr. Karl Klontz and David Whitford -- has become the center of educational life in Kandale. Students can study and teachers are able to prepare lessons well into the evenings and the vocational sewing program benefits from the additional light.

At the maternity ward, expectant mothers gave birth by candlelight, flashlight, or even the light of burning branches before the panels were installed. C-sections performed at night posed particular risks. Mama Mahele Charlotte Kakesa, Kandale’s midwife for the past decade, says that in the first year after the panels were installed many of the 60 births during that period occurred at night.

By her testimony the single light bulb in the delivery room significantly improved her ability to care for women in labor and gave her confidence she can manage their sensitive needs at any time of day. As news of the light spread, women came from as far as 100 kilometers away to give birth under Mama Charlotte’s care. 

At present, the panels are not operational due to technical problems, but Dr. Klontz has pledged to replace them. We expect the system to be up and running in the near future. Such a simple improvement can make all the difference in the lives of these women and their newborn children

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