Tagged: Democratic Republic of the Congo

A group of children in school uniform form a human chain in a school yard.

Peace education for a better future in DRC

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“We are children! We want peace! We want school! Let’s make peace among us!” Watching a group of children at Lumbwe primary school singing and dancing to peace slogans was amusing, only until I learned about the physical and emotional wounds each child in the group bore. “The girl singing in the middle of the circle was… Read more →←
An almost completely destroyed school building with palm trees in the background.

My first steps in humanitarian emergencies

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Story also available in: Français
It has been more than 11 years since I started working for children’s right to education in western Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Even though the challenges in this part of the country are immense, nothing could disrupt my work. However, in December 2017, the Kasai region plunged into a terrible, deadly crisis of great… Read more →←
Two girls in an empty classroom, one of them sitting behind a desk while the other stands beside against the wall.

From conflict to the classroom — a refugee’s story

Children in emergencies

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I came to Ethiopia in 2013, and lived in the Sherkole refugee camp, where I spent four years. Before Sherkole I was studying in a government school in Uganda. Now I am in Bambasi Camp (Ethiopia) where I have been for the last two years. When I left my home country DRC, I was 12 years old and studying in Grade 2. We lived in a rural area… Read more →←
Lady with a laptop and a man in UNICEF apparel look on as a UNICEF truck moves onto a barge, guided by some people on it.

Returnees from Angola: A new spark in the Kasai?

Children in emergencies

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Until a few years ago, no one had heard of the Kasai, then one of the most peaceful provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Since August 2016 however, this safe haven has become synonymous with atrocities and unspeakable violence. Hundreds of thousands of people had to flee to save their lives; their children were used… Read more →←
A woman in buttoned a shirt and jeans walking through a red-netted fence with some huts, people and the sky in the background.

The “psych mum” for children affected by Ebola

Children in emergencies

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Story also available in: Français
“The children ask me a lot of questions about the disease and the reason why they are here”, explains Sylvie Waridi, a psychologist at the Ebola treatment centre in Beni, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Sylvie is one of 150 psychosocial workers trained by UNICEF to support people affected by the Ebola virus. She is… Read more →←
A group of young children look up at a poster that reads 'Ebola' followed by some instructions

“Proud to help eliminate Ebola from my country”

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Story also available in: Français
For Jean-Pierre Masuku, the fight against the new Ebola epidemic in North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is not new. He witnessed the disease in Equateur Province, 2,500 kilometres west of the newly affected areas. “But whatever it is, you do not get used to fighting a highly dangerous, contagious and… Read more →←
A large crowd of women and children stand in a circle around a man holding a blue megaphone.

Polio vaccinations ensure a future for every child

Children in emergencies

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Story also available in: Français
It is noon when I arrive at the polio vaccination site in Manono, Tanganyika Province in the south-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A folk singing group entertains the assembled crowd. In front of the crowd are men, women, young people, older people and children from the area. A young man begins to speak about his… Read more →←
A child at the head of a long line of school children behind her washes her hands by the tap of a water bucket on a small wooden table in a coconut-tree shaded area.

DRC: Fast and effective in the fight against Ebola

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Story also available in: Français 中文
As I write this, I am inside the Iboko Health Zone, south of the Équateur Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Almost two months ago, the Health Minister declared an Ebola epidemic in the country. Iboko is one of the three health zones affected. The past weeks have been particularly stressful and demanding for all of us… Read more →←
People standing outside a departing yellow bus interact and gesture to people on the bus in Zambia.

All aboard for a new life in Zambia

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Story also available in: 中文
There’s a buzz of excitement as hundreds of Congolese refugees look for seats on the minibuses that will take them further inside Zambia. As the 246 refugees take their places, conversations with friends and family continue through open bus windows – the Congolese hold hands and chat, while staff from UNHCR count numbers. The people… Read more →←
A man in the foreground smiling as children sit on chairs in a courtyard in the background.

Towards peace and hope for former child soldiers

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Story also available in: Français
In Kasai, one of poorest regions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), children are the first victims of the conflict that ignited in August 2016. Wherever violence erupts, children are recruited into militias. UNICEF and its partners have helped 826 former and released child soldiers by providing psycho-social services and… Read more →←

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