Country Description:

CARE first intervened in the Democratic Republic of the Cong from 1994 to 1997, providing life-saving assistance to indigenous and refugee populations at the end of the Rwandan genocide. CARE returned in 2002 to implement both sustainable development projects and shorter-term emergency responses. CARE works in six provinces, but has traditionally focused its activities in the eastern provinces of Maniema and North Kivu. CARE’s work in the DRC includes: primary and reproductive health; gender-based violence prevention; demobilization and reintegration of child soldiers; good governance; environmental conservation; community-driven reconstruction; education; water and sanitation; and emergency response. CARE works through civil society and local governance structures using a rights-based approach to sustainably address barriers to social justice and poverty eradication.