Africa, Headlines

DR CONGO: Poverty Pushes Children Onto the Streets

Miriam Mannak

LUBUMBASHI, DRC, Nov 22 2008 (IPS) - Despite being Africa's treasure chest in terms of natural resources, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) struggles with widespread poverty.

With salaries sometimes not being paid for up to twenty-four months, more and more parents can no longer afford to take care of their children. As a result, many youngsters end up on the street.

It is unknown how many children live in the streets of the DRC, as no nationwide research has been conducted so far. The only available information has been gathered by private and non-governmental organizations, and focuses on individual cities.

For instance, according to a survey by the Network of Educators for Children and Young People on the Street (REEJER, after its French name), the capital Kinshasa alone hosts approximately 20,000 children.

A similar scenario, although on a smaller scale, is found in other urban hubs in the DRC. Oeuvres Maman Marguerite (OMM), a Belgian Salesian NGO, claims that Lubumbashi boasts about 3,000 street children, of whom 750 live on the streets permanently.

"These youngsters have lost all contact with their parents and families," said Eric Meert, who runs Bakanja Ville – a refuge shelter for street children, which is run by OMM.

"In addition, we know of some 2,300 youths who roam the street during the day, aiming to earn some money to support their families. The majority of this group returns home at the end of the day, although some of them spend an occasional night on the street."

Bakanja Ville is one of fourteen OMM facilities in Lubumbashi, the country's second largest city and the capital of the Katanga province. The night shelter caters for children who are considering leaving the streets.

At the refuge, which opens its doors every day in the mid-afternoon, the youngsters are offered a safe place to spend the night, a shower as well as an area where they can prepare their food and wash their clothing. For those who need it, there is a small dispensary.

The number of youngsters that knock on the doors of Bakanja Ville varies from day to day. "One day we may have 150, on other days we have 300," Meert said. "Some of them come on a regular basis, others we see only once in a while. In general, we know almost every child that lives on the streets, as most of them have been here at least once."

At Bakanja Ville a 'no-handout' approach prevails. "We do not want to give the children food and other handouts, and we do not have beds in the dormitory," Meert explained. "The reason behind this is that we do not want to make life on the streets easier. This would result in the children never wanting to leave the streets, because that is where they go back to in the morning."

When visiting the night shelter, IPS met with Innocent, a Salesian Congolese brother in his early twenties and one of the staff members. According to him various reasons exist why some children are not sure if they want to leave their lives on the streets behind. "Many have learned from a very young age that adults are not to be trusted," he said. "Many have suffered from abuse, violence and neglect. They rather stay away from adults."

There is also an element of freedom involved, Meert added: "On the streets, the children can do what ever they want. They can smoke, drink, or use drugs. All these things are strictly prohibited at Bakanja Ville."

If a street child makes the decision that it is time to move on permanently, Bakanja Ville firstly tries to locate his or her parents or extended family. To facilitate a family reunification, the centre offers to enroll the child in question at the primary school of Bakanja Centre – a facility by OMM – where they will also receive a daily meal.

"This relieves some of the financial pressure off the caretakers' shoulders and increases the chance of them taking their child back. In the DRC, poverty is usually the main reason why children are being abandoned," Meert explained.

This year alone Bakanja Ville has managed to reunite 59 youths with their families.

Children who are rejected, also have the opportunity to go to Bakanja Centre, where apart from education and meals, a bed awaits them. The home has 200 to 250 former street children under its wings, including 90-odd boarders.

Twelve-year old Christian knocked on the doors of Bakanja Ville two years ago, after having spent almost two years on the streets. When the reunification with his parents failed, he was given the opportunity to go to Bakanja Centre.

"I like it here," he told IPS. "I go to school, I have a bed and it is safe. I like going to school, and the teachers are nice. I hope that one day, I can go to Maison Magone to learn woodwork."

Maison Magone is one of the skills training centers that accommodate youths over eighteen.

The centre, which is run by Salesian priest Michel Zwaenepoel boasts a boarding house and a large vegetable garden, and offers various training programs. "There is masonry, shoemaking, small scale agriculture, woodwork, and so on," Zwaenepoel explained.

"OMM has two farms as well. Which are situated outside Lubumbashi. This is where we accommodate youngsters who have an interest in farming and agriculture. And there is a cheese making workshop too."

All in all, the NGO has about 800 former street children and youths under their wings in their various homes and training centers.

Yet, despite the achievements, the past year has not been easy. In December 2007, the World Food Program (WFP) decided to stop its financial contributions for food. "Up until last year, they provided us with the financial means to buy food for our children – an amount of $16,000 a month," Meert said.

"The aid was stopped, we were told, because street children in the DRC are no longer seen as a priority. Fortunately, a Lebanese mining company, which operates in the area, decided to help us out. It is however uncertain if we can count on their support next year."

The latest difficulty arose in October 2008, when the municipality of Lubumbashi ordered Bakanja Ville to be closed down and summoned for all street children to be relocated to a government centre.

This facility is situated near a large military camp in Lubumbashi, which is a big concern for Meert and his colleagues.

"Soldiers are not famous for treating these children well; they consider them to be a nuisance. We have put in an application to visit the centre, to see what is behind the walls. So far, we have not had a reply," he said.

"The children are afraid as we have seen an increase of the number of youths coming to Bakanja Ville. They are scared of sleeping on the street, fearing that they'll be arrested as the. I was told by the local department of social affairs that the children that refuse to cooperate, will be thrown in jail."

Meert is partially skeptical about the decision made by the authorities. "We have been threatened before to be shut down, but we are still in operation. That does not mean, however, we are not alert."