Since its independence in 1960 the Republic of Congo—-not to be confused with its larger neighbor to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo — has suffered decades of violence and uneven development. The country broke into a full-scale civil war in 1993 and again in 1997. It wasn’t until the late 2000s that over 200,000 internally displaced people were able return home and rebuild their lives that had been upended by conflict.

Filmmaker Austin Haeberle chronicles this ongoing transition to peace and the rejuvenation of civil society in the 2015 Real Food Media Contest’s People’s Choice winner, Mama Adrienne. In this film, we see the heart of this post-conflict healing—not in large-scale development but in something much smaller: seeds. Haeberle tells the story of Louhounou Adrienne, the charismatic force behind a community garden project established with support from the United Nations.

Click though for the film or view it below.

This piece is part of a series in partnership with Food & Wine Magazine.

Mama Adrienne | 2015 Real Food Media Contest Winner from Real Food Media on Vimeo.

The post Food & Wine Blog: Self Determination and Peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo appeared first on Real Food Media.