The charity foundation "Country for Children" has allocated funds to create a farm for growing crops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. "This is part of our joint humanitarian project with the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa of the Russian Orthodox Church," Maria Lvova—Belova, Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights, wrote on her telegram channel.
On July 27, 2023, in St. Petersburg, within the framework of the Second Russia-Africa Summit, a trilateral agreement on cooperation was signed between the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, the Commissioner for Children's Rights under the President of the Russian Federation and the Country for Children Charitable Foundation.
As reported on the foundation's page, 2 million rubles were spent on renting 20 hectares of land, plowing and harrowing fields, seeds and fertilizers, and paying workers. According to forecasts, the harvest will be good and about 500 families will be able to receive it. It will be divided between families with children who live below the poverty line.
"The primary task is to help solve the food problem. Malnutrition is one of the causes of high mortality among African children," the Children's Ombudsman noted.
A poultry house for 500 chickens was built in the settlement of Matara in Kenya and incubators were purchased. The poultry house provides a constant source of food for low-income families with children.
"Charitable assistance for the construction of a poultry farm amounted to 900 thousand rubles — also from the Country for Children foundation. Local parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church will be able to receive birds for home breeding for free," the Ombudsman shared.