DR Congo

Projects

Promoting Market Oriented Skills Training and Employment Creation in the Great Lakes Region

The project supports the Governments of Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to improve access, quality and relevance of their respective Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems. This addresses the key development challenge of unemployment and underemployment brought about by the low quality of skills...

United for Gender Equality

The aim is to strengthen the socio-economic skills of young men and women in order to promote their autonomy for a self-determined life. Special attention is paid to gender equality.

USAID Métiers Inclusifs

Improving the social mobility and economic livelihoods of 28,000 marginalised young people in urban areas of Kinshasa, Kalemie, and Matadi by enhancing their knowledge, skills, and access to resources and information.

News

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06.03.2026

What if we’ve been missing half the solution? Men as allies in women’s empowerment

These are facts we all know: Across different contexts, women and girls are less likely to enrol in Vocational Education and Training (VET). Even when they do, social norms often limit their access to the full range of training and career choices. Consequently, they tend to remain in professions that are less valued and less remunerated, with limited prospects for economic advancement. Once they finish VET trainings, many women and girls in countries of developing and emerging economies do not enter the world of work due to social expectations that assign them unpaid care responsibilities and restrict their mobility.

05.06.2025

Musa Alfred, artisan de sa propre réussite : quand la coiffure devient un tremplin vers une vie meilleure

Au cœur du groupement de Bugarula, en territoire d'Idjwi au Sud-Kivu en République démocratique du Congo, un salon de coiffure attire les regards et suscite l’admiration : le salon « Don Béni ». Derrière ses miroirs bien alignés et ses tondeuses soigneusement rangées, se trouve une histoire de résilience, de passion et de transformation. Celle de MUSA NDURUKIZE Alfred, 28 ans, père de deux jeunes enfants, qui a su redonner du sens à son parcours grâce au projet PROMOST IV (Promouvoir le développement des compétences orientées vers les besoins du marché et la création d'emplois dans la région des Grands Lacs), une initiative de la Direction du développement et de la coopération Suisse (DDC), mise en œuvre par Swisscontact.

05.06.2025

Musa Alfred, the architect of his own success: When hairdressing becomes a springboard to a better life

In the heart of the Bugarula group, in the Idjwi territory of South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a hairdressing salon attracts attention and arouses admiration: the "Don Béni" salon. Behind its neatly aligned mirrors and neatly arranged mowers, lies a story of resilience, passion and transformation. That of MUSA NDURUKIZE Alfred, 28 years old, father of two young children, who has been able to give meaning to his career thanks to the PROMOST IV project (Promoting the development of market-oriented skills and job creation in the Great Lakes region), an initiative of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), implemented by Swisscontact.

Country Director, DR Congo

Thierry Lenoir

SWISSCONTACT IN DR CONGO

Swisscontact works in DR Congo to contribute to increased employment and income generation for the rural population in South Kivu province, Bukavu. Swisscontact implements the PROMOST project together with stakeholders to improve access to quality and labour-market-oriented vocational training.

Partners

The Provincial Ministry of Education
The Provincial Youth Division
World Confederation of Artisans (CMA)
Craftsmanship Society (SMA)
South Kivu Local Economy Counter (GEL-South Kivu)

Promost - Project journey and key achievements 2012 - 2020

The Great Lakes Region is one of the most densely populated and least urbanised areas on the African continent. In Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), subsistence agriculture remains the backbone of the economy and employs a majority of available labour. At the same time, governments are well aware that in the interest of economic growth, substantial investments in non-agricultural activities are needed to increase employment and incomes.

The governments of these three countries have made skills development their stated national priority and place special emphasis on vocational training and continued education. The creation of a demand-oriented, flexible, inclusive, and high-quality vocational education system is key to rapid economic growth, fair distribution of income, and the development of a healthy society.

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