In 2001 when i return to Congo-Brazzaville, i witnessed poverty that i never imagined i would see.
It hurt and shocked me:
• places once prosperous and full of life had been destroyed, burnt to their foundations by 1997’s Civil War,
• Luxurious cars crossing starving parents begging for their children’s next meals,
• Cloth-less infants watching silk maiden dresses pass in front of them…
It was just too much. It was the rich and the poor next to one another and the “blind eye”needs to be opened.
It compelled me to do something: I gave my money, my time, myself and when these possibilities were gone, I gave my ear and most of all I gave HOPE.
During that time I learned something: “a little can go a long way”.
In 2005, suddenly, I was diagnosed with breast cancer; it was extremely serious and scary but despite of I decided to make official my charity work in order to be sure that this charity work will continue with or without me.
When I was visiting my origin country in 2003 a young middle class girl of 8 years old came to me with her mother and her piggy bank containing 300 CFA which is not even 1$ more or less 0,60c and she wanted to help.
Now my challenge was to help to spend this “huge” amount donation which for her was a lot.
So, I spent a long time thinking about how to help the poor with 0,60c and like a flash it came to me: SEEDS.
I went to an African market, I bought a small bag of vegetables seeds ( carrots, lettuces, tomatoes …), I gave it to a villager she had a garden; she planted the vegetables and 3 months later she harvested, her family ate and she was able to sell the surplus.”
