Cinderellas of Bukavu

This year, the Foyer Ek’Abana welcomed 40 children among whom 14 were abandoned while 26 faced accusations of witchcraft. The situation indicates a concerning rise in child abandonment and highlights the importance of Foyer Ek'abana centre, a place that offers shelter, psychological support and vocational training. The centre also aims at supporting girls in returning to their families and communities through family mediation and reconciliation, thus preparing the family and the girl for a positive reintegration.

In July 2023, the Foyer Ek’Abana held a special ceremony for the reintegration of 27 children. Out of these, 22 happily returned to their families, and 5 found comfort in loving foster homes.

Yet, the worrisome issue of children being left alone continues, underscoring the urgent need to work together in finding lasting solutions. The reason is often to be found in the complex socio-economic and cultural environment of deprivation in which many families are forced to live. Facing this challenge, it's crucial to deal with the reasons behind children being abandoned. By strengthening family bonds and tackling the economic issues that contribute to this problem, we can build a stronger society — one that values family connections and ensures no child is left without care. 

The Democratic Republic of Congo continues to experience a deep crisis and the population is facing various difficulties and dangers. In addition to the economic problems caused by the devaluation of the local currency, the level of crime is high and the cases of missing persons and house fires are frequent. This situation makes living conditions increasingly precarious and many families are looking for some help.

In this complicated context, the Foyer Ek'Abana Center in Bukavu regularly carries out its activities and it’s able to support and assist many adults and children. For example, it provides three meals a day to young residents of the Center and offers its help to ensure family reunification whenever possible. Furthermore, some families have been helped in commercial activities in order to satisfy their basic needs.

In addition to these activities, the Center carries out social moments such as celebrations, sports competitions and travel. Among these, the Center has recently concluded a school trip with about 60 children guests of the Center. The children had the opportunity to visit a new parish and they have carried out charitable activities for the neediest of the place. In addition, they had the opportunity to sing, dance traditional dances and recite in front of an audience.