Bread and Knowledge Too Congo (BAK Congo) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting collective well-being and sustainable development in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The organization supports gender equity by strengthening women’s leadership and combating early marriage. It also promotes safe, inclusive, and equitable economic growth for vulnerable young people and fights for gender-based violence and child protection.
BAK Congo shares that girls in its communities are generally excluded from leadership roles and are often at risk of child marriage. The organization puts girls at the center of its interventions, and also engages at-risk girls’ families and community leaders. With the proper investment, the organization believes that girls can become role models for younger girls, empower elders, and challenge the community’s outdated and discriminatory norms.
With support from the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund, BAK Congo seeks to combat child marriage, strengthen the leadership of young girls, and promote positive masculinity. The organization will support the leadership development of girls impacted by sexual violence and early marriage to serve as peer educators for other at-risk girls. It will also raise awareness at local and institutional levels to combat early marriage and offer educational support, vocational training, and legal guidance to impacted girls.
BAK Congo expects to train 100 girls as peer educators, mentors, and leaders in their community. Additionally, it will support more than 200 girls who have been impacted by child marriage through education, economic, and psychosocial support. The organization shares that “these girls represent an invaluable asset to our community” and ultimately hopes to strengthen their leadership skills and open up new opportunities for them.
To learn more about BAK Congo, please visit the organization’s website and social media pages:
See more projects: Africa