The Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing one of the world's most severe and overlooked humanitarian crises — and CAF Foundation is committed to responding with solidarity, resources, and community-led action.
Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo — particularly the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu — has been engulfed in a cycle of conflict for more than three decades. The resurgence of the M23 rebel group, backed by external actors, has dramatically escalated displacement since 2022, with major offensives continuing into 2025 and 2026. The cities of Goma, Bukavu and surrounding communities have been directly affected.
Civilians — overwhelmingly women and children — bear the greatest cost. Displacement from homes, destruction of health infrastructure, interruption of education, and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war are all documented by international monitors. Yet the Congo crisis receives a fraction of the media coverage — and funding — directed at conflicts elsewhere.
"The DRC is the world's most underfunded major humanitarian crisis, consistently receiving less than 50% of its UN appeal target." — OCHA Global Humanitarian Overview, 2025
CAF Foundation was created out of direct experience of this crisis. Our Co-Founders' family is from Bukavu, in South Kivu — at the centre of the conflict zone. In 2025, our uncle was killed while simply walking home. His death is not a statistic. It is a reality shared by thousands of Congolese families who have lost loved ones to senseless violence — and who continue to receive almost no international attention or support.
It is precisely because we carry this personal connection that we are committed to responding not just with advocacy, but with structured, accountable, community-led action.
CAF Foundation does not turn away from the crisis in eastern Congo. We hold the full complexity — the tragedy and the beauty, the urgency and the long-term. We believe the most powerful response to crisis is one that restores dignity, builds local capacity, and refuses to reduce a people to their suffering.
CAF Foundation's humanitarian response operates on two levels: immediate relief channelled through trusted partners, and long-term capacity building for Congolese-led organisations already responding from within their communities.
For Congolese refugees fleeing into Uganda and across borders, CAF Foundation has partnered with Alight (We Are Alight) — a global humanitarian organisation delivering health, shelter, education and economic opportunity to displaced communities. Alight operates with radical hospitality and deep respect for the dignity of every person they serve. wearealight.org →
The most important work in eastern Congo is being done by Congolese people themselves — community health workers, women's cooperatives, local journalists, teachers who refuse to stop teaching. CAF Foundation is actively seeking to identify, fund, and amplify these organisations. If you lead or know a Congolese-led organisation responding to the crisis, contact us or apply for a grant.
Despite being the largest displacement crisis on the African continent, the DRC receives disproportionately little international humanitarian funding. In 2024, the UN humanitarian appeal for the DRC was only 44% funded — meaning more than half of the resources needed to respond to the crisis simply did not arrive. Meanwhile, global funding cuts from major donors have further reduced the humanitarian response capacity.
This is not a gap that can be filled by large institutional donors alone. It requires a mobilised diaspora, civic society, and community philanthropy — which is exactly what CAF Foundation is building.
Channelling funds to trusted actors serving displaced Congolese communities across the Great Lakes region.
Identifying and funding Congolese-led organisations in crisis-affected areas.
We Are Alight →Keeping the Congo crisis visible — engaging policymakers, media, diaspora, and international funders.
Apply for a Grant →