Hanging from the door of a mini-bus taxi as it jerks and jinks through traffic, 16-year-old Gires Manoka calls out the van’s destination to potential passengers as it crosses Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

One pedestrian asks the fresh-faced teen if he shouldn’t be in school instead of working.

“I was in grade seven last year,” Manoka replies, “but I had no one to pay my school fees. I got no choice but to hustle; this work keeps my family alive.”

There are thousands of teenagers across the Democratic Republic of Congo who, like Manoka, have to work to support themselves. Many of them have dropped out of school to sell sweets, peanuts, tissues and other small items to passersby.

Boniface Mbalu, a parent, told IPS: “The tough economic situation forces youngsters to work part time to meet their growing needs while going to school. The least fortunate leave school to earn a living.”

He pointed out that education is not free in DRC, and many poor families can’t afford to buy uniforms and other required items.

Dr Paul Basikila, head of the United Nations Children’s Fund office in Kinshasa, said that his agency had taken steps to improve the quality of teaching and help children to go to school. “These measures would be more effective if school fees were also waived, as announced by the government,” he added.

“At the start of the 2012-2013 school year,” he told IPS, “UNICEF launched an awareness campaign in Kasaï-Occidental province to register 40,000 children, including 18,000 girls, in primary school. We have also worked to raise awareness among parents whose children have reached school age.”

Cécile Tshiyombo, a member of the Congolese teachers’ union, said that the problems facing the DRC’s education system are complex. “These kids left to hustle for themselves, children who already work for a wage just like adults: they don’t want to go to school any more. They’re already independent at their age, which is not normal,” she told IPS.

Tshiyombo thinks that many children also turn away from school because what’s on offer is no longer attractive. “The diploma issued at the end of a course of study (at secondary or university level) leads nowhere. If there are graduates selling sweets or ice water to make a living, then what future will younger people see for themselves?”

Joseph Paulusi has been shining shoes since he was 11. Now 16, he told IPS: “I went to school until primary six. But after my father died, my mother couldn’t afford to pay for me to stay in school, so I chose to become a shoe-shiner.”

He has become the household’s breadwinner. “This work lets me help my mother out. With the money I make, about 15,000 Congolese francs per day (around 16 dollars), she is able to feed the whole family.”

Déogratias Nendumba, national coordinator of the government’s effort, said “The Congolese government is well aware of the situation of thousands of children having abandoned school. In response, it has launched a national inquiry.”

The 35,000 children who were surveyed – including more than 25,000 girls – dropped out of school in 2011-2012 for various reasons, such as poverty, war, and the exodus from rural areas, said Nendumba.

“These children have the right to be cared for by society so they can flourish as adults. It’s a paradox that they have to look after their families. Those who do stay in school are often discouraged and lose their motivation when they are regularly chased out of class for non-payment of school fees,” he told IPS.

According to statistics from the service for planning and education statistics, the number of students registered in school at all levels for the 2011-2012 school year rose to 3,158,193, of whom just 624,720 were girls.

“Facing a declining quality of life, we fear there will be far fewer students who finish the present school year (2012-2013),” said Mathieu Kembe, an official at the planning office.

Seated under a tree, biologist Zozo Bazomba welcomes a steady stream of visitors to the Action Nature et Médecine centre in Bumbu commune in the DRC. Suffering from a range of ailments, they have come from across Kinshasa, the capital, in search of sachets of powdered moringa leaves.

Action Nature et Médecine (ANAMED) is a non-governmental organisation leading an effort to promote the health benefits of the leaves and seeds of the Moringa olifeira tree in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The NGO has a ten-hectare plantation of the trees at Mingadi, in the western province of Bas-Congo.

Jean-Baulin Mbo, 68, who suffered a stroke, said that regular consumption of moringa leaves is what is keeping him alive. “I’ve made a habit of eating moringa since I discovered this plant. I often have the powder with tea, in porridge, in milk or in a soft drink,” he told IPS. Others who have come looking for moringa are suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure or poor nutrition.

Elsewhere in the neighbourhood, at the Libondi Health Centre’s nutrition unit, Eric Kiambi marveled at the results he’s seeing using moringa with malnourished children. “Before, we struggled with having too many children to care for while waiting for soy milk from our (donor) partners. But now, with moringa, the centre shelters around 20 malnourished kids,” the nutritionist told IPS.

“Moringa’s become a staple in a fair number of households,” said another worker at the centre, Vénantie Wabo. “It’s an alternative in cases of micronutrient deficits. With nothing more than powdered moringa, one can quickly restore the health of a child suffering from even acute malnutrition.”

Anne Biyela brought her eight-year-old grandson Nkanza to the centre for care.

“When we arrived here, my grandson had swollen feet (a warning sign of kwashiorkor, a severe protein deficiency in children).  Many people thought he wouldn’t survive a week. But a daily helping of porridge with moringa powder has really helped him, and now he’s doing well,” she said.

“The centre encouraged us to use the leaves of this plant as a vegetable in all our meals to maintain the health of the whole family.”

Clotilde Kasowa, a Franciscan missionary who runs an orphanage in the Kinshasa commune of Kintambo, told IPS that none of the children presently in her care suffer from anaemia, thanks to moringa supplements. “They get moringa leaves added to their pondu (a popular Congolese dish of cassava leaves) and the powder in their milk and tea,” she said.

“It’s much better than soy, and we also sell moringa powder. A 75 gramme sachet costs 2,500 Congolese francs (around 2.5 dollars).”

Huguette Ifoto, the head of the kitchen at the orphanage, said they had been caring for nearly 70 malnourished orphans, but only 27 remained after the others got better from eating moringa leaves.

Moringa is also playing a role in protecting the health of people living with HIV. Marie Tsimba’s HIV-positive son was acutely malnourished. “My friends advised me to put some moringa in all of his meals. And 45 days later the results have been excellent, and my son is doing well,” she said.

Jean Lukela, coordinator of a national network of community organisations and support groups for people living with HIV/AIDS, says similar stories are common. “Moringa is a good complement for anti-retroviral medicine. When these drugs were not yet available, we advised people to eat moringa seeds to reinforce their immunity,” he said.

“In fact, we still tell people living with the virus the same thing.”