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Photo of the week : women alone face the burden of family responsibilities in Uvira

SOS Médias Burundi

In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in the Uvira territory, many women struggle alone to ensure the survival of their households, abandoned by their husbands or neglected by inactive partners. This worrying phenomenon highlights the growing precariousness of many families.

Uvira, April 11, 2025 – Traveling through the settlements of the Uvira territory, on the border with Burundi, reveals a striking reality : women are at the heart of the informal economy. Some engage in cross-border trade, others cultivate the land, and many draw sand from rivers to sell. Their goal : to feed their children, often without male support.

Single mothers in daily survival

Jeanne Niyonkuru, a Burundian refugee in the DRC in her thirties, is raising her seven children alone after being abandoned by her husband. Every day, she collects sand from the Kavimvira River to sell.

« I can go all day without eating so my children have something, » she confides. « Sometimes my son goes begging for a little flour. If someone gives him something, that’s what we eat at the Kavimvira transit camp. »

Toyi Hawa, also a Burundian refugee in the Lusenda camp, faces a similar situation with her five children. Abandoned as she is, she struggles daily :

« We work with the children to earn a little money and buy flour or rice. There are nights when we sleep on empty stomachs. Sometimes we don’t even have enough soap to wash our clothes. »

Present but absent

Some women explain that their husband is always physically present… but absent in practice. This is the case of a woman whose military husband prefers to spend his salary on alcohol and with other women.

« To feed my children, I wash the neighbors’ clothes in the Kalimabenge River. My husband doesn’t give us anything. I have to beg or do odd jobs to survive. »

Cross-border trade : a means of subsistence

At the Kavimvira border post, several women interviewed by SOS Médias Burundi are involved in cross-border trade, the only way they can support their families.

Nahimana Chantal, a mother of five with a disability, transports goods from Burundi to the DRC every day.

« I give them 10,000 Congolese francs every day to buy flour and fish. »

Bahati Noëlla, a widow and mother of twelve, unloads fuel cans destined for Burundian drivers.

« I sell this gasoline and can earn between 10,000 and 15,000 CFA francs a day. With this money, I feed my children and pay their school fees. »

Absent men,silent institutions

Some of the men interviewed claimed to have left home to seek a better life, but many rebuild their lives elsewhere. Others cite marital disagreements as the reason for their departure.

In theory, the Congolese law provides for sanctions against men who abandon their families. In practice, these measures remain unenforced, leaving women to fend for themselves.

In Uvira, the face of resilience is female. These women, often alone, have become pillars of their homes in a context of great hardship. Their daily lives, a mix of survival and resourcefulness, reflect male disengagement and a glaring lack of institutional support.

Our photo : street vendors in Uvira, eastern Congo, April 2025 (SOS Médias Burundi)