‘Little by little grow the bananas.’ The lucrative relations of the Congolese diasporas in Belgium, France and The Netherlands with their homeland, the Democratic Republic of Congo. A gendered perspective.

My research delves from a gendered perspective into the various directions and forms of material exchange between the Congolese diasporas in Belgium, France and The Netherlands and their homeland, the Democratic Republic of Congo, while looking into the potential for developmental outcome that this connection has on the migrants themselves and on the homeland populations. Throughout this study I shall look into the commodities traded by the Congolese diasporas, the gifts exchanged and the child fostering practices, and I shall explore the interconnectedness and networks involved in the entrepreneurial activities of the Congolese diasporas under scrutiny, the economic and social capitals which fuel financing capacities, with the purpose of identifying challenges and common denominators for social and economic development.

Keywords:gender, entrepreneurship, economic capital, social capital, networks, financing, child fostering, commodities, gifts, exchange, migrants, development, Congolese, diaspora, Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium, France, The Netherlands.

Disciplines:Social and cultural anthropology

Project type:PhD project