DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

More than 2.7 million children under 5 have died due to the effects of conflict since 1998.  In total 5.4m people have died - that constitutes the biggest death toll of any conflict since World War II.

Music Therapy for street children

It’s estimated over 13,000 children are living on the streets in Kinshasa. War Child has been working alongside Didjak Munya, a well know Congolese rapper, hosting rap battles with street children in the city as well as children living in the City Of Hope Internally Displaced Persons Camp.

Under Didjak’s guidance the children were given the chance to write and record songs, which as well as unleashing their creativity raised their awareness of issues such as HIV and gender based violence.

Click here  to see the pictures and videos of from our rap battles.

Vulnerable girls

War Child is currently setting up a programme for vulnerable girls in eastern DRC. We will be supporting street girls, girl mothers, former child soldiers, sex workers and victims of sexual violence by providing short-term shelter, encouraging them to return home where possible and when not, helping them cope on their own through education and vocational training programmes.

‘City of Hope’ Internally Displaced Persons Camp

Set up in response to severe floods in 2007, the City of Hope settlement in Kinshasa is home to 10,000 people with few facilities and services. The war was left local authorities unable to support them. We’re building three drop-in centres for children living in the camp that will provide education and vocational training.