The context of violence in the city of Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, makes many children victims of family abandonment, abuse, and homelessness. This situation forces them to commit crimes, which in many cases leads to their imprisonment. Conditions in Congolese prisons are precarious. We are talking about one of the 41 poorest countries in the world.

In prisons, they continue to be in a context of violence, being marked for their entire lives. And although detained girls represent a smaller percentage, they incur far greater risks of sexual and psychological violence.

The consequences of these experiences for children and young people are psychological problems that prevent them from reintegrating socially, malnutrition, and the lack of access to an education that can help them in their future.

At CODESPA we work for the protection of children, facilitating their social and economic reintegration

We help these children and young people by giving them psychological support to recover from often traumatic pasts. We carry out educational activities for formal values ​​and peaceful coexistence. At the same time, together with other children, they attend educational courses to be able to know and learn the laws, to avoid a possible return to crime.

Additionally, we work to sensitize the community and the families of these children so that they are accepted and reintegrated into society. Finally, we encourage these young people to access educational and training courses: mechanical workshops, driving, sewing, bakery, and hairdressing, among others. We help them find a job that takes them away from the streets.

At CODESPA we have been working in the province of North Kivu and more specifically in the city of Goma since June 2006.

We want to break this cycle of violence so these people are not cut off from society. But we need your help to get it.

But we need your help.