Established as a Belgian Colony in 1908, the Republic of Congo became an independent country in 1960, but its early years were characterized by political and social instability. In 1965, the name was changed to Zaire and in 1997, it was renamed the Democratic Republic of Congo. The heart of the African tropics, DRC is covered with endless rainforest, mountains, rivers and abundant wildlife.

Kinshasa is the capital city of DRC, formerly known as Zaire. In spite of the trouble and intense political turmoil, Kinshasa has remained as the financial, commercial and industrial center of the country.

Katanga, where Pact is established, is the southern province of the DRC, regional capital Lubumbashi with a population of around 4.1 million. In 1971, Katanga was renamed Shaba and became Katanga again in 1997.

Congo's civil war has left an estimated 2.5 million people dead, mainly from hunger and disease. While the June elections have been postponed for next year 2006, many belligerents are involved in simmering, and, at times, boiling unrest in the Kivu's , Ituri and North Katanga involving various armed factions resulting in "1000... dying daily in the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis".

Pact began working in DRC in April 2003 under a grant from USAID to prevent child abandonment as a response to the growing number of street children in Lubumbashi and elsewhere in the DRC and Africa. Pact is investing 80 percent of USAID committed funds in preventive efforts, 10 percent in care for children already living in the street and 10 percent to promote the reunification of street children with their families.

In October 2003, Pact began its market approach to livelihood improvement. It is a four-year strategy designed to assist the DRC in its transition to a sound democracy with a healthier, better educated population, benefiting from improved livelihoods. The goal of this approach is to increase rural household food security and incomes in the Katanga province through a sustainable livelihoods approach and through leveraging other community and donor resources.

Working with local NGOs, Pact has seen the sector grow in maturity and begin to play a significant role as a partner with the national government in helping to develop the country's social and economic resources. NGOs now spearhead efforts in food security, conflict resolution, HIV/AIDS prevention, community schools, orphans and vulnerable children, and among others. The sector's leadership has also been recognized by the World Bank.

In June 2004, to expand Pact's market approach to livelihood improvement, the World Bank financed the Kujenga Uhuru project for socio-economic reintegration of Laid-off mine workers of the Gecamines, a mining company.

While security remains relatively calm in the Katanga, Pact's evolving presence in conflict Zones requires more contingency planning to minimize risk to staff and participants when and if problems arise.