Cinderellas of Bukavu

Thanks to the hard work of social workers in the Ek'Abana center and the support from its donors, 22 children were reunited with their families or put into foster care throughout 2019!

It's a remarkable accomplishment since the children we are talking about are girls, some as little as six years old, who were accused of witchcraft and forced out of their homes.

Sadly, in rural Bukavu, when something bad happens in a family, from financial loss to the death of a family member, it's common to put the blame on a little girl - from that moment on shunned as "an evil witch".

The purpose of the center is to offer shelter, psychological support and vocational training to these girls. While there, they are educated in different family activities and they receive training to develop their natural talents, with the ultimate goal of allowing these girls to return to their families and communities.

At the same time, in fact, the social workers of Ek'Abana educate the community to understand the reality behind the superstition of "witches" and sensitize people of goodwill to welcome children in need into their family, to help them grow while waiting for their family to recover.

This activity is called SEDI, which means “Secours à l’Enfant en difficulté” (Help for the Child in Need), and for 2020 our aim is to reunite just as many children with their families and provide them with a social reintegration kit according to their needs (bed, blanket, school taxes, clothes...) to facilitate integration.

Thank you for your past support in favor of the girls of Bukavu! Please keep donating to help more abandoned children!

Foyer Ek’Abana Centre continues to be a reference point for street children in Bukavu.

Street children come from very poor families, they don’t go to school and spend their days at the markets or near shops, where they sale a glass of water in return for something to eat, generally a manioc. For this reason they are called “mai-mihogo”, water-manioc in Swahili language.

In our Centre these children can go to school and receive protection, hospitality, food and care.

“The situation of street children is very difficult, every day I see kids going to Kivu Lake with big 5-litre plastic jugs and I do everything I can to help them”, says Sister Natalina, founder of the Centre.

For this reason, the work of Foyer Ek’Abana Centre is essential to create a real change in society. It provides learning opportunities for poor children and fosters education and awareness-raising activities for them and for their families.

In particular, during last year, a huge number of activities have been organised to spread the values of peace, citizenship and social harmony. In July, during the end of school year party, students conveyed their messages of peace through poetry, music, dance and little shows.

Thank you for your support!  Please, donate to help other street children in Bukavu!