Democratic Republic of Congo

Help provide unconditional cash to people living in poverty in DRC.

Democratic Republic of Congo

You can help send life-changing cash transfers to families in extreme poverty.

Support cash programs

75,000+ people uplifted across 4 provinces throughout the DRC

Kanyere in Kishinji
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We're delivering cash to people who need it most, even in complex environments.

Since 2018, GiveDirectly has delivered unconditional cash transfers to families living in some of the poorest regions of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We've reached vulnerable individuals in Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and the Province of Kinshasa through programs aimed at increasing food security, nutrition, and resilience.
75,000+
people reached
$21.4M+
Delivered
DRC map
Our focus

We're giving cash to support at-risk and hard-to-reach communities.

Our cash programs have primarily reached families in eastern DRC, where thousands have been forced to flee conflict between the Congolese military and armed groups. Displaced families need cash more than ever as they lose access to housing, education, their livelihoods and community resources, putting them in a precarious position.

ACTIVE PROGRAMS

PAST PROGRAMS

Our partners

Trusted partners in our DRC programs

Become a partner
Recipient stories

Congolese families are using cash to transform their lives.

Elodi
Elodi paid for her mother's hospital bills

"I received my first transfer of $152 while I was in Idjwi, Nkora. This money helped us pay the rent where we took refuge. My mother is in the hospital in Burundi. I also sent her some money to pay the bills. My second transfer I received $152, I took $50 to pay my little brothers' school fees, and I sent another $50 to Burundi for the bill for my mother's surgery; she has fibroids and cysts."

Elodi in South Kivu, DRC
Destin
Destin replaced his stolen mattress

"My first transfer helped me buy the mattress because bandits had stolen it during the war. We use the rest of the transfer to buy food. We no longer go to the fields for fear of encountering armed men who might harm us."

Destin in South Kivu, DRC
Sifa
Sifa started a business selling fish

"When I received this money, I immediately paid my rent for three months. I also bought fish to start a fish sales business. Before the war, I didn't do any business; I had this idea when I received the money. I didn't want to finish everything by buying food alone."

Sifa in South Kivu, DRC
Jacquis
Jacquis could now provide food and education for her children

"I had two children who did not go to school due to lack of means, but with the money from GiveDirectly, my children started to study. These same children I would say that they had not previously eaten rice, but thanks today through GiveDirectly, when it is time to eat, my children say mom it is time to eat RICE GIVE WALÉ."

Jacquis in South Kivu, DRC
Our focus

Poverty in DRC

DRC is one of the five poorest nations in the world, despite its abundance of natural resources, arable land, and potential for hydroelectric power. Decades of conflict and instability have created a persistent humanitarian crisis, with millions of people forcibly displaced from their homes.

Nearly 1 in 6 people in extreme poverty in sub-saharan Africa live in DRC; about 85% of the population lives on less than $3 per day. DRC is also facing one of the largest hunger crises in the world, with over 35% of the population undernourished.

109M+
population in DRC
85%
live on less than $3/day
27M+
acutely food insecure
6.3M
internally displaced people

Sources: World Bank, UNHCR, IPC, FAO

Life & culture

Music

Congolese music has become a global phenomenon with artists like Bakolo Music International celebrated for their brilliant rhythms. Congolese rumba has been added to UNESCO's heritage list as a global treasure.
DRC recipients dancing
Life in DRC
Geography & Wildlife
DRC is the second largest tropical forested country in the world and is home to 47% of tropical rainforests in Africa. This forest acts as lungs for the world and plays a key role in balancing the global climate. It also hosts some amazing biodiversity and wildlife, such as the eastern lowland gorilla.
Fashion & Style
Kinshasa is home to one of the continent's best-known fashion communities, the Society of Ambience-Makers and Elegant People (Sape), or "Les Sapeurs." Les Sapeurs are known for dressing in designer suits and other stylish and fashion-forward clothes.
Language
DRC is the third most populous country in Africa and has the second largest land area (2344860 sq.km) after Algeria. 210 indigenous languages are spoken in DRC, as well as 5 non-indigenous languages.

Facts and highlights shared by GiveDirectly staff in DRC

Ethics reporting

We're committed to delivering cash aid securely in difficult environments.

To ensure safe and transparent reporting of observed misconduct by GiveDirectly staff, volunteers, vendors, contractors, or partners, we offer the following channels:

File a report through our third-party whistleblowing portal
Email a complaint to whistleblower@givedirectly.org
Call our DRC hotlines

Partner with us in the DRC to send more cash to families in poverty.

Become a partner