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School Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Project
Where:
Fizi/Baraka, Northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Local partner:
Free Methodist Church (FMCC)
Donors:
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
The Pindoff Project
It is estimated that approximately 3 million people died due to conflict since 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), making it the deadliest conflict since World War II. The Fizi/Baraka region has an extremely high concentration of returning refugees and former child soldiers. Most primary schools in the area have been badly damaged or completely destroyed. As relative peace is established, education for children will provide a way of promoting reconciliation, peaceful cooperation and long-term development in the country.
With the generous funding from our donors, War Child Canada, in partnership with the FMCC, is working to reconstruct and rehabilitate 25 schools that were severely damaged or destroyed during the war. Teachers will be trained and provided with educational resources consistent with national standards. The schools will also be provided with necessary materials, including desks, benches, chalkboards and books, many locally made. Provisions are made to reintegrate former child combatants and other war affected youth, including girl-mothers, back into the education system.
WCC is committed to encouraging school enrolment, and promoting education as a right, especially for girls.
Youth & radio project
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congolese youth have started their own radio stations using any cobbled-together equipment they could find. This type of youth-based ‘radio-revolution’ often happens in conflict zones.
War Child Canada is supporting a youth-led radio program created by a group of youth in Baraka who run two small existing FM radio stations. Echo Bravo, one of WCC’s local partners, has provided training and a course for radio and outreach ‘animators’ on HIV/AIDS and life skills.
Quick background facts:
Four of every ten children in the DRC do not attend school.
According to Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, there are between 30 000 and 50 000 child soldiers in the DRC.
 Read CRISIS PROFILE at Alertnet-What’s going on in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)?
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