Trip to Goma.
Manuela del Marmol and Nathalie Staquet, directors of our ASBL, have just returned from Goma, where they spent 10 days visiting the projects we support. They were able to see the progress made and the challenges encountered on the ground.
The situation in Goma is very complicated indeed; the city is surrounded by camps of displaced people fleeing the surrounding countryside to escape the atrocities of the M23 rebels. These rebels are driving people out of the countryside in order to control the precious metal mines and large territories. Goma, which 20 years ago had barely 200,000 inhabitants, has seen its population multiply 7-fold, and the infrastructure is not adapted to this demographic explosion. The city is dotted and surrounded by camps for displaced people living in appalling conditions (MSF alerted us to the presence of many victims of sexual violence in the camps), waiting for the endless conflicts to give way to lasting peace.
The economic stakes are so high that the living conditions of the displaced are not taken into account, and the situation is rotting without any hope of the public authorities really caring. Everywhere in the centre of Goma, children aged 8 or 9 can be seen carrying a small child on their backs, begging for pennies. Access to the town is controlled by the rebels, who levy illegal taxes, foodstuffs are hard to come by on the markets and prices are constantly rising, and insecurity reigns everywhere as soon as night falls.
So why continue to help the Congo despite the deteriorating situation over the years?
Because En Avant Les Enfants strengthens the ability of the beneficiaries of our partner projects to overcome difficulties:
The harvests from HAD elders’ vegetable gardens compensate for rising food prices. Many elders welcome displaced people into their very small homes out of a sense of solidarity, and the children of displaced people take part in football training, promoting integration and hope.
Our agroforestry training programmes – École des femmes / VSK – enable young women who have been victims of sexual violence to become leaders in their communities.
The Promo Jeune Basket programme instils values of living together, preventing young people from falling into delinquency or joining paramilitary groups. What’s more, the best basketball players to come out of these training programmes receive school grants, are the best performers in Africa and, even if they don’t all go on to become professionals, it’s easier for them to find work.
The children of dysfunctional families coached by Inuka have been awarded school grants. By regularly coaching the parents, even if they are illiterate, the children’s success rate has risen in one year from 47% to 84%. Parents trained in income-generating activities are gradually getting back on their feet and contributing to the local economy.
The Foyer Culturel de Goma provides young people with the only opportunity to take music, dance, singing or even film lessons, offering them a range of learning opportunities that open up new horizons in a peaceful and inclusive environment.
The success rate at Kivu International School (KIS) is over 99.5%. The best pupils are among the 47 scholarship holders, the 3 most recent of whom are orphans.
The Ngangi Fund sponsors 37 university scholarships, and the end-of-year results are all positive. Alumni coach newcomers on the job market.
Your unstinting support is invaluable. Every donation makes a huge difference and helps us to continue our mission. Thank you for your loyalty and generosity.
All the best,
Manuela del Marmol and Nathalie Staquet
