Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kisangani (Fides Service) - A roof over their heads, regular meals, a chance to learn to read and write and acquire a skill. All this is provided for about 87 girls and boys who have found a new home in Catholic institutes for street children in Kisangani (Democratic Congo). The first home was opened more than ten years ago by Dehonian Missionary Father Giovanni Pross as Maison St Laurent for prisoners released from prison. About two years later, seeing the tragedy of growing numbers of abandoned street children, Father Pross opened the home to these unfortunate young ones.
Today Maison St Laurent gives a roof and a future to 53 children aged between 6 and 14. Another group of 8 youngsters aged 14-22 live at Maison Janvier, and 26 girls live and learn at Maison Bakita, run by Comboni Sister Giovanna Valbusa. The centres have 17 animators to provide education, assistance and professional training for the young people and the initiative is backed by the International Red Cross Association and various private Italian donors.
It is in the last decade that the problem of street children emerged in Congo as a consequence of widespread poverty which increased during the two wars that disrupted the country since 1996 and led to the disintegration of families. At present there are several hundred children on the streets of Kisangani mainly for three reasons: separation of parents, death of the mother, often of AIDS, expulsion from the family of one of the children after a family tragedy. In fact many families, unable to come to terms with tragedies, put the blame on a family member accusing them of being an evil spirit and banning them from the home and community; very often the family member is a defenceless child. LM (Fides Service 15/7/2003 EM lines 32 Words: 372)
