Strengthening Food Security and Protecting Animals Across War-Affected DRC
...so that families can grow their own food, veganism takes root in Congo, and animals affected by war receive the care they need.
WHO WE ARE
Initiative for Progress and Environmental Protection (IPPE) is a Congolese-led nonprofit founded in 2014 that promotes veganism, animal welfare, and environmental protection in war-affected communities across North Kivu. As one of the few organizations providing emergency veterinary care in these conditions, we address both food insecurity and animal suffering.
WHAT WE DO
We work with communities and schools across North Kivu to promote animal welfare and veganism, and we do so through education, training, and community gardens that increase access to nutritious plant-based food. We also provide emergency veterinary care for animals injured, displaced, or abandoned due to ongoing conflict.
Our work focuses on two key areas:
Vegan Awareness & Food Security
We help war-affected communities in North Kivu strengthen food security through plant-based systems. Families learn to grow their own vegetables through agroforestry gardens in schools, communities, and orphanages. We train communities in vegan cooking and nutrition, and coordinate the Thrive Africa Vegan School Lunch Campaign across DRC, bringing plant-based meals into schools.
Our Eat Vegan Program hosts public tastings and events that make plant-based eating practical and rooted in Congolese culture.
Animal Emergency Aid
As ongoing conflict displaces families across North Kivu, countless animals are abandoned, injured, or left to suffer. We provide emergency veterinary care for wild and street animals affected by war, while raising community awareness about preventing neglect and mistreatment.
WHY IT MATTERS
The ongoing war in DRC has caused widespread displacement and food insecurity, leaving many families without reliable access to nutritious food. As we address this urgent need, the threat of factory farming looms. And while it might promise quick solutions, it's also bound to bring environmental destruction, animal cruelty, and loss of food autonomy.
IPPE's approach strengthens communities instead of creating dependency. By returning to Congo's long tradition of plant-based eating, families can achieve food security with affordable, nutritious foods they grow themselves, while protecting animals and the planet.
We work alongside communities, showing that plant-based eating is both practical and aligned with everyday Congolese life.
GET INVOLVED
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For Communities
Start your own vegetable garden with our training and support.
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For Schools
Bring our educational and food security programs to your students.
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For Supporters
Expand sustainable, plant-based initiatives across DRC, starting in North Kivu.