Democratic Republic of the Congo ‒ Mweso
Program Group
Program group meetings: irregular (as of September 2024)
Contact: mweso@studieren-ohne-grenzen.org; berlin@studieren-ohne-grenzen.org
Scholarship Program
Program start: 2010
Currently supported: more than 50 scholarship recipients (as of 2024)
Total supported: over 140 scholarship recipients (as of 2024)
In Mweso, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Studieren Ohne Grenzen awards scholarships to committed students at the agricultural university Institut Supérieur d’Études Agronomiques (ISEA). To promote the sustainable use of the region’s agricultural potential, the scholarship recipients and alumni pass on their knowledge to the local population through their own projects, thus contributing to food security in the region.
The scholarship includes not only funding for studies at ISEA but also non-material support.
Projects of the Scholarship Recipients:
The scholarship recipients carry out their projects after completing their studies. Some of these projects – especially those that contribute to food security – are financially supported by Deutsche Welthungerhilfe.
Local Partner Organization: Comité des Agriculteurs pour le Dévelopement Participatif (CADEP)
As a partner organization, CADEP provides non-material support to the scholarship recipients in designing their own projects and regularly organizes workshops for extracurricular training. Furthermore, CADEP continuously provides input on how to jointly improve the quality of education.
Current Infrastructure Projects
Electricity Project
In cooperation with CADEP, Studieren Ohne Grenzen supported the expansion of the electricity supply for ISEA in 2018/19. Specifically, it funded the connection of the institute to Mweso’s power grid, which has been supplied by a newly built hydroelectric power plant since 2018. Since ISEA is located outside the town of Mweso, it had not been connected to the main line and was dependent on diesel generators for electricity. Studieren Ohne Grenzen provided the financial means for the connection to the main line and the installation of basic electrical facilities (e.g., sockets, distribution panels, lighting). This laid a crucial foundation for improving the technical equipment at ISEA, such as a computer room and internet access.
Due to the climatic conditions in the region, the poles of the main line (not financed by Studieren Ohne Grenzen) between the power plant and the village were damaged, resulting in unreliable electricity supply. To restore access to electricity and internet for the students, Studieren Ohne Grenzen decided in 2023 to resume the program and finance the construction of new power poles between the power plant and the village. Thanks to a major donation from a foundation and the association’s own project funds, the power poles in Mweso were erected and put into operation by a local construction company in autumn 2024.
Completed Infrastructure Projects
Book Project
The book project was launched in 2013. Its goal is to equip a small specialist library at ISEA, where the scholarship recipients study. As an extension of the scholarship program, expanding the library with relatively low financial effort can substantially and sustainably improve the quality of teaching on site. A large group of students, including those outside the scholarship program, thus gains access to specialist knowledge beyond the lecture offerings.
The last books were ordered in Europe in 2023, as they are more readily available here. The literature was well packed in Aachen and transported by bicycle to Belgium. Thanks to the efforts of our local group in Aachen, the package arrived at the shipping company the same day, which then sent the books to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. You may now be wondering: “Why all this effort?”
For us, it is a top priority to use donations as efficiently as possible for the projects and scholarship recipients. That’s why it is a heartfelt project for our members to avoid any additional costs, such as for transporting the books to Belgium.
Didactic Farm
In cooperation with CADEP, a didactic farm was established at ISEA. This extension of the curriculum aims to ensure that graduates not only learn the theoretical basics of agriculture but also gain practical experience on site. In addition, the local population is given the opportunity to acquire knowledge about cultivation methods and animal husbandry through regular training sessions on this didactic farm, benefiting the entire region.
Studieren Ohne Grenzen supported both the construction of the farm and the purchase of livestock. Construction was completed at the end of 2019. The farm began operations in 2020. Until 2023, occasional further additions were financed, thus completing the project.