Reunite Children with their Families in Congo

In July 2019, a small team of UK volunteers visited Lubumbashi for Kimbilio's 10th Anniversary Celebrations. They had a fortnight packed with visiting all aspects of the project. Perhaps the most moving in that time was meeting up with some of the young men who have now been reunited with their families and are working and training as apprentices.

They wanted to come back to celebrate Kimbilio as it had been such an important part of their lives. 

Do you remember Pascal? See his story from 2014 here

In the film he says that when he grows up he will not forget Kimbilio, and he hasn't. He has grow into a kind young man and he was one of the first to return to say hello and celebrate Kimbilio's 10th Anniversary.

After a long process, whilst staying at Maison Kimbilio, he is now reunited with his family and is working as a mechanic to support his siblings. He is also part of the local Boys' Brigade and is a role model for the younger children. 

Kimbilio is so proud of the young man that Pascal has become. Kimbilio is also hugely proud that he is one of the many children that we have been able to support and reunite with their families over the past ten years. We're looking forward with hope and determination that this will continue into the next decade and beyond. 

April 12^th every year marks the International Day of the Street Child… and the anniversary of the official opening of Centre Kimbilio. In 2009, after years of planning and preparation, Kimbilio opened its doors and began the important work of creating a place of safety for street children.

Children find themselves abandoned to the streets for many reasons – the consequence of parental death often due to HIV or malaria, their family may be too poor to feed them, they may have lost their parents while fleeing fighting or they may be stigmatised as child witches.

On the streets they are prey to violence, exploitation and addiction. The rate of HIV is high and if a child is not already a carrier of the virus the risk of soon becoming one is also high. They are isolated and stigmatised.

Kimbilio offers these vulnerable children food, education, healthcare, shelter & emotional support. They also provide a place for the children to be themselves again, whether that be kicking a ball around, playing a game or being creative through art. And whenever its safe to do so, the Kimbilio staff will make every effort to reunite children to their families.

This year, we began the celebrations at Centre Kimbilio with the children and staff. And it doesn’t stop there. We are planning to have a thanksgiving celebration in July for the work of Kimbilio which will include the laying of the foundation stone of Kimbilio’s new primary school. Then in September, Congo Children Trust will be celebrating the year with a garden party in Manchester, UK, which we hope many of our supporters will attend. Watch this space!