Live-style story by Pricilia Mugwa
How Congolese People Live Life Sustainably on Low Incomes
The Congo Basin is the world’s second-largest rainforest home to the Congolese people. For centuries, the Congolese have lived sustainably on low incomes, relying on the forest for their livelihoods. The Congolese are expert farmers, using traditional methods to grow crops in the woods. They also hunt and gather food, using the forest to provide for their families. The Congolese deeply respect the forest and its resources (Trigg et al., 2020). They only use what they need and work to protect the forest for future generations.
The Congo Basin is home to some of the world’s poorest people. Most Congolese live on less than $1.25 daily, and many are subsistence farmers (Guzel et al., 2021). Despite these low incomes, the people of the Congo Basin have managed to live sustainably for centuries. They have done so by using their natural resources wisely and by cooperating. The Congo Basin is rich in natural resources, including
timber, minerals, and fish. These resources have been used sustainably by the people of the Congo Basin for centuries. The people have developed traditional methods of resource use that protect the environment and ensure that resources are available for future generations. The people of the Congo Basin have always co-existed peacefully with their natural surroundings. They have a deep respect for the environment and for the animals that live in it. This respect has led to sustainable hunting and fishing practices that ensure that wildlife populations are maintained. The people of the Congo Basin are also expert farmers. They have developed agricultural practices that are well-suited to the tropical climate and soils of the region. These practices have allowed people to produce enough food to feed themselves and their families without damaging the environment. The people of the Congo Basin live sustainably on low incomes because they use their natural resources wisely and cooperate. They have developed traditional knowledge and skills enabling them to live harmoniously with their surroundings.
The majority of Congolese people live in rural areas and are subsistence farmers. Also, they grow their food crops and keep a few livestock. They also collect firewood and non-timber forest products for income. Most families have a small plot of land on which they grow maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and beans. They supplement their diet with fish, poultry, and bushmeat. They also grow cash crops such as coffee, cocoa, and tobacco. The average Congolese farmer earns about $1 daily (Jacobs et al., 2022). The majority of the population lives below the poverty line. However, they can live sustainably on low incomes by growing their food. They use traditional methods of farming, such as slash-and-burn. This sustainable method of agriculture has been used for centuries in Congo. It involves cutting and burning vegetation to clear a plot of land. The ashes act as a natural fertilizer, leaving the land to fallow for a few years. This farming method is labor-intensive, but it is the only way many Congolese farmers can grow food. It is also the only way to grow food in
the forest. The Congolese people are also experts at using natural resources. They use traditional medicines made from plants and trees. They make charcoal from wood and sell it for income. The Congolese people have a deep respect for the forest. They believe that it is the home of their ancestors and that it is sacred. They use the forest for food, shelter, and medicine. Congolese people can live sustainably on low incomes because they are expert farmers and use natural resources wisely. They also have a deep respect for the forest and their heritage.
Congolese people have a long history of living sustainably on low incomes in close-knit communities. This tradition of mutual support helps to reduce the cost of living and makes it easier to weather tough times. In Congolese communities, everyone supports each other. This includes sharing resources, such as food and shelter. It also means helping each other with daily tasks such as childcare and eldercare. This close-knit support system helps to reduce the cost of living and makes it easier to weather tough times (Sovacool, 2021). The Congolese tradition of living sustainably on low incomes is based on several key principles. These include sharing resources, cooperating with others, and living in harmony with the natural environment. These principles help to reduce the cost of living and make it easier to weather tough times. The Congolese tradition of living sustainably on low incomes is a valuable way of life that people of all cultures can adopt. By following these principles, we can reduce the cost of living and make it easier to weather tough times.
According to Marie – Claire, a 63-year Congolese woman born and rise in Congo DRC, Marie lived in Congo for 44 years in Congo; she often goes back to Congo. She lives in Belgium. For her, people who live in Congo live very severely; the country is impoverished and tries to survive as they can but suffer too much. She says that the president of Congo said that kids go back to school for free, but that is not true because, until now, kids still do not have a good education. She noticed that the government used the tree, but kids don’t have school equipment.
“je regrette parceque nos hommes politic ne font rien pour la population »
I am disappointed because our politicians do nothing for the Congolese population.
According to Picherie Mossibo, a 38 old man, “in Congo DRC is not stable for hem rich and poor people are the same because they are not stabilization a poor can be rich like a rich can become poor. Life in Congo DRC is unfortunate because the money is not stable. Every day the interest change. They don’t have good transportation, and the Prix can increase the live-in DRC level daily. According to Picture, it is very disordered. Because most of the people who live in Congo in the city of Kinshasa are not identified, everybody can stay in Congo without knowing who lives there.
Some people who live in Congo get paid under 100$ monthly.
“ na mikaou bantu ba vivaka na bilanga , na ba peche sans ça ba za na moyen ya survie tse ‘’
People living in Mikaou live with the land; they can survive without it.
Naomie, a 28-year young woman, lives in Lubumbashi and other big cities in DRC.
She said the social life in Congo is terrible. If you want to live in Congo, you have to know someone; without having a connection, that can be hard for you to have a good job.
She also says that Kinshasa is more expensive to live in than Lubashi.
Lubashi is less expensive to live in if you have a family is easy to live in Lubashi than in Kinshasa. Also, Kinshasa doesn’t have work opportunities like Lubashi.
“ les jeunesse doivent etre conceint et cree des emploie il ne doivent pas seulement attendre les gouvernement de faire un truc ‘’
- ⦁ Marie Claire, a 62-year woman, was born and rise in Congo DRC
- ⦁ Piceherie Mossibo, a 38-year man, was born, rise and lives In Congo DRC Kinshasa
- ⦁ Naomi Mbonda 28year Woman born, rise, and lived in Congo DRC Lubumbashi
References
Guzel, A. E., Arslan, U., & Acaravci, A. (2021). The impact of economic, social, and political globalization and democracy on life expectancy in low-income countries: are sustainable development goals contradictory?. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23(9), 13508-13525.
Jacobs, C., Kyamusugulwa, P. M., Kubiha, S. L., Assumani, I., Ruhamya, J., & Katembera, R. S. (2022). Is translocality a hidden solution to overcome protracted displacement in the DR Congo?. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 1-15.
Sovacool, B. K. (2021). When subterranean slavery supports sustainability transitions? Power, patriarchy, and child labor in artisanal Congolese cobalt mining. The Extractive Industries and Society, 8(1), 271-293.
Trigg, M. A., & Tshimanga, R. M. (2020). Capacity building in the Congo Basin: Rich resources requiring sustainable development. One Earth, 2(3), 207-210.
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