The Congo Children Trust is a registered small charity in Wales and England. They support street children in the D.R.Congo through projects and partner organisations. The vision of the Congo Children Trust is to "improve the quality of life for children living on the streets in the Democratic Republic of Congo". [1]
The Congo Children Trust was formed in 2007 by Ian Harvey. [2] Ian set up the trust after working in Kinshasa, which is the capital of D.R.Congo, during the first democratic elections in 2006. [3] During this time, Ian observed a sharp rise in the numbers of street children since previously working in the D.R.Congo in the 1990s. The increased number of street children in the D.R.Congo had been a result of the wars [4] during 1996-1997 and 1998-2003. [5]
It is estimated that there are 250,000 children living on the streets in the D.R.Congo. Children find themselves homeless through a number of factors, accusations of witchcraft, [6] poverty, a death of one/both parents due to HIV/AIDS or malaria, extended family being unable to support the child and parental separation. [7] Whilst living on the street the children are exposed to daily violence, sexual, physical and emotional abuse. [8] The street children lack secure access to their basic needs such as food and shelter. [9]
The Congo Children Trust's main project is Kimbilio, which receives 98% [10] of the funding raised by the trust. The Kimbilio project, set up in 2009, is based in Lubumbashi, D.R.Congo. Kimbilio runs a day centre and four homes for street children in Lubumbashi and seeks to reunite children with their families. [11]
In 2021, Kimbilio opened a primary school for former street children and children whose families are on zero or low income. [12]
The Congo Children Trust has no paid members of staff in the UK, all staff are volunteers. [13]
Ian Harvey is the founder of the Children Congo Trust and set up the Kimbilio project. Harvey attended the University of London, where he studied Social Anthropology. After being qualified as a Social Worker, Ian worked in child protection. Harvey managed Manchester's social work team, where he supported and assessed unaccompanied asylum seeking young people and children. In 2009 Harvey moved to D.R.Congo and set up project Kimbilio. In 2013 Harvey returned to the UK to oversee the development and running of Kimbilio. [14]
Mark Gant is the treasurer of the Congo Children Trust. Gant is the Head of Modern Languages at the University of Chester. [15] Gant was involved in the establishment and initial planning of the Kimbilio project.
About 98% of the money funded by the Congo Children Trust goes to the Kimbilio project. The Kimbilio project uses this money to support street children, for example school fees, food, staff payments, construction costs and health care.
The Congo Children Trust runs through donations, fundraising and grants.
Politics of the Democratic Republic of Congo take place in a framework of a republic in transition from a civil war to a semi-presidential republic.
Ground transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has always been difficult. The terrain and climate of the Congo Basin present serious barriers to road and rail construction, and the distances are enormous across this vast country. Furthermore, chronic economic mismanagement and internal conflict has led to serious under-investment over many years.
Kinshasa, formerly Léopoldville, is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages situated along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one of the world's fastest growing megacities.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as Congo-Kinshasa and formerly known as Zaire, is a country in Central Africa bordered to the west by the South Atlantic Ocean. By land area, the DRC is the second-largest country in Africa, after Algeria, and the 11th-largest in the world. With a population of around 112 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populous officially Francophone country in the world. The national capital and largest city is Kinshasa, which is also the nation's economic center. The country is bordered by the Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, and the Cabinda exclave of Angola.
Lubumbashi is the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the country's southeasternmost part, along the border with Zambia. The capital and principal city of the Haut-Katanga Province, Lubumbashi is the center of mining in the region, acting as a hub for many of the country's largest mining companies. No definite population figures are available, but the population of the city's urban area is estimated to be around 2,584,000 in 2021.
Wimbi Dira Airways was a scheduled and charter, passenger and cargo airline based in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It serves the country's main cities. As of May 2014 all of their planes were reported to be in storage.
The University of Kinshasa, commonly known as UNIKIN, is one of the three major universities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, together with the University of Kisangani and University of Lubumbashi. Originally founded in 1954 as Lovanium University during Belgian colonial rule, the current university was established following the division of the National University of Zaire (UNAZA) in 1981. It is located in Kinshasa.
Rail transport is provided in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer du Congo (SNCC), the Société commerciale des transports et des ports (SCTP) (previously Office National des Transports until 2011), and the Office des Chemins de fer des Ueles (CFU).
The Democratic Republic of the Congo was one of the first African countries to recognize HIV, registering cases of HIV among hospital patients as early as 1983.
Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are both nationally and internationally state owned and operated.
Korongo Airlines sprl was an airline from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, headquartered in Lubumbashi. It was founded on behalf of Brussels Airlines and other Belgian investors in 2009, and operated scheduled regional flights from its base at Lubumbashi International Airport.
Trust Merchant Bank or TMB, is a commercial bank based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with its headquarters located in Lubumbashi. The bank began operations in 2004. TMB operates in all sectors of the local banking market, including in retail banking, SME banking, corporate banking, and mobile banking.
Prostitution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is legal but related activities are prohibited. The Congolese penal code punishes pimping, running a bawdy house or brothel, the exploitation of debauchery or prostitution, as well as forced prostitution. Activities that incite minors or promote the prostitution of others have been criminalised. The government does little to enforce the law. During the colonial era and the years that followed independence, the Ministry of Health issued calling cards identifying professional sex workers and provided them with medical health checks. However, this system was abandoned in the 1980s. Public order laws are sometimes used against sex workers. Street prostitutes report harassment, violence and extortion from the police. UNAIDS estimated there are 2.9 million sex workers in the country.
The history of the Jews in the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be traced back to 1907, when the first Jewish immigrants began to arrive in the country. The current Jewish Congolese population is mostly of Sephardi background.
Attacks in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, were launched by supporters of religious leader Paul Joseph Mukungubila against television studios, the airport and a military base in the capital on 30 December 2013. The state security forces responded, killing around 54 of the attackers. An additional 47 of Mukungubila's supporters were killed in separate clashes in the cities of Lubumbashi and Kolwezi and around 100 people were arrested.
Thérèse IzayKirongozi is a Congolese industrial engineer. She is notable for designing traffic robots that were initially placed in two locations in Kinshasa towards the end of 2013. By 2015 five robots were in use in Kinshasa and one in Lubumbashi. The use of robots as traffic lights may be unique to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo there is a significant community of Chinese migrants located in the capital of Kinshasa and the mineral rich southern Haut-Katanga Province. According to official figures from the Chinese embassy, there are 5,000 Chinese living in the DR Congo, though the actual number is believed to be far higher. More recent estimates vary from 5,000 to 50,000. The Mining industry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a main reason for Chinese people moving to the DRC.
Project SIDA (1984–1991), or Projet SIDA, was a joint scientific project between Zaire, the United States, and Belgium to study AIDS in Central Africa. Headquartered in Kinshasa, Zaire (DRC), Projet SIDA was designed as a collaboration between foreign scientists with experience studying epidemics and local scientists and physicians familiar with the local culture and customs. Initiated in 1984, Project SIDA began under the direction of Jonathan Mann with funding from the U.S. and Belgium, as well as support from the Zairian government. Project SIDA was based at Mama Yemo hospital in Kinshasa.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.