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Meet Léa Babite

Léa Babite Inyobondaye is a young Congolese activist for women and youth rights who holds a bachelor’s degree in rural development from the Higher Institute for Rural Development of Bukavu. Founder and coordinator of the CSO Young Enemies of Hunger (Jeunes Ennemis de la Faim — JEF), she has conducted studies on the involvement of Congolese women in the value chain of gold mining and the participation of rural youth in the corn, bean and tomato value chain in several territories of the South Kivu region.

Léa is passionate about combatting tribal conflicts and promoting young women’s economic empowerment through agriculture. She previously worked as a program manager at the Actions pour la Réinsertion Sociale de la Femme (ARSF) in the Mushinga women’s socio-economic recovery project, with support of WPHF. Building on the findings of the studies, she led a two-year project with the organization’s own funds on corn and beans’ farming, which succeeded in providing economic support to 85 young farmers, including 45 females.

Through JEF, Léa is mobilizing young women and men from three tribes and promoting dialogue to prevent violence and land-related conflicts.

Together with Aline Zawadi from Soutien à la Femme Autochtone de Walungu (SFAW), she will develop a peer learning project to build ICT and youth mobilization skills and lead community dialogues and digital campaigns on the discrimination of indigenous groups and youth’s priorities in socioeconomic development.