Reunite Children with their Families in Congo

It is so sad to hear of cases where children are forced to live on the streets in the Congo because their family cannot afford to feed them or because them to be witches who have brought bad luck on to the family. The aim of the Congo Children's Trust is to return street children to their families, but this is often a gradual process.In cases of financial hardship, the Trust may assist the family by paying school fees, providing school clothes and bags and giving food to the family.

In 2021, the Trust successfully reintegrated 15 boys and three girls into their wider families. This is the result of much hard work by the team in Lubumbashi, with several visits to the family often required to assess the situation and prepare the way for the reintegration. 

The opening of the new Kimbilio Primary School in October 2021 has enabled street children living in the short and longer-term houses while reintegration is arranged to receive education alongside children from the neighbourhood surrounding the school. Good quality education is so important for the children so that they can acquire skills that will allow them to support themselves and their families when they older.

Thank you for your support for the work of the Congo Children's Trust with these vulnerable children living on the streets of Lubumbashi

The reintegration of street children with their extended family is a priority for the Kimbilio team. Team member Rodrigue takes the lead in locating the family of a child, who may be several hundred miles from Lubumbashi. The reason for the child leaving the family home may be as a consequence of the death of a parent, so it may be that grandparents or aunts and uncles will take in the child. Poverty is often an underlying reason, and when Gracia aged 15 was reunited with her family, Kimbilio agreed to pay school fees so that Gracia could go to school for the next year.

Covid cases are very high in Lubumbashi at the moment and vaccines in short supply. Sadly, Jean Bosco, direrctor of Kimbilio, died from Covid in July. Jean had led Kimbilio for seven years with compassion, gentleness and humility, improving the lives of so many children. He  will be greatly missed. Two senior members of the team have stepped forward to undertake Jean's tasks and we will review the situation in three months.

The new Kimbilio school building has been completed and will open on 4 September, so those children staying in Kimbilio houses will receive on-site education. This is an exciting developmennt for Kimbilio. Do go to the Kimbilio facebook page - facebook.com/groups/kimbilio for news and photos of the schools opening.