Digital food assistance in Goma with multi-purpose e-vouchers
- Partner
- International NGO (name withheld)
- Modality
- QR-based multi-purpose e-vouchers, online and offline, redeemable at food shops, pharmacies, clinics and taxis
- Context
- Goma, North Kivu · conflict-affected, limited liquidity and connectivity
Context
Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo faces an ongoing humanitarian crisis, with millions of internally displaced people requiring urgent assistance. Traditional cash assistance programmes face significant barriers: bank closures, lack of liquidity, limited internet connectivity and low adoption of mobile payment systems — preventing scaled-up multi-purpose cash assistance. These conditions mirror challenges in other conflict-affected regions such as Syria, Haiti and Sudan, where e-vouchers have enabled a scaled-up, dignified solution.
What we delivered
In June 2025, AIDONIC implemented a pilot using QR-based multi-purpose vouchers designed to work both online and offline. Unlike paper vouchers tied to a single vendor, they could be redeemed at multiple establishments — food vendors and shops, health clinics, pharmacies and taxi services — giving recipients genuine choice. AIDONIC registered 33 internally displaced households and issued paper QR-based value vouchers, each linked to a digital wallet. From dozens of vendors and taxis, it selected participating boutiques and drivers, contracted them as part of an economic empowerment approach, and trained them on the mobile app, humanitarian principles and fair pricing. Every purchase was monitored in real time, and the platform automated reconciliation of all vendor payments via cash or mobile money, with AIDONIC handling all contracting and repayments. This end-to-end approach let aid organisations focus on targeting while AIDONIC handled the technical and logistical work. Next, AIDONIC plans to expand across North and South Kivu to address ongoing liquidity challenges from bank closures and insecurity.
What the proof looked like
Every purchase was recorded in real time with a photo of the goods and the customer's signature. Monitoring showed which groups accessed services where and when, so barriers faced by women, older people and other vulnerable participants could be identified immediately. The QR system worked reliably without an internet connection, with zero connectivity issues, and vendors were reconciled the same day.
In numbers
33
displaced households reached with food, non-food items and taxi services
June 2025 · AIDONIC programme records
3
types of services covered
June 2025 · AIDONIC programme records
T+0
same-day reconciliation payments to vendors
June 2025 · AIDONIC programme records
0
connectivity issues during the operation
June 2025 · AIDONIC programme records