My heart ached not to be able to help my family out of poverty
Living in a desperate situation
Kambale Matofali and his family were in a desperate situation. There wasn’t enough food for his children and the family couldn’t pay the fees for school. 40-year-old Kambale took part in Oxfam training, and now he supports his family through mushroom production. Kambale and his family live in eastern DRC. He explains his situation before attending the Oxfam training.
"Not only was I unable to rent a field because of poverty, but I also didn't
know what seed to plant or the cultivation techniques to produce more,” -notes Kambale.
“My children were showing signs of malnutrition and were always being
thrown out of school for lack of school fees,” he continues. “My heart ached
not to be able to help my family out of poverty.”
In June 2023, Kambale learned how to produce mushrooms at a training session supported by Oxfam and delivered by our partner FOPAC-NK.
"They taught us how to grow mushrooms in the plots where we live,” recalls Kambale. “I decided to follow this training with interest, which was like the answer to my prayer.”
“Thanks to the techniques I learned, I produce mushrooms in my plot and
many people come to buy them. My children are back in school and eating at
least twice a day,” he continues.
Kambale has solved some issues for his family, but they still encounter challenges. “The arrival of IDPs from Kitshanga because of the war is a challenge for me, as I have received IDP families that I also have to feed,” he notes.
