Provide Former Children Soldiers A Brighter Future

We titled this report "All Hands-On Deck" because it's been an incredibly hectic time in the DR Congo for BBS and our local partner Remember Youth for Change (RYC).  As a result of multiple projects, addressing multiple needs, it's meant that the team, local experts as well as an incredible group of local volunteers have been very busy.

Before providing a snapshot of the last few months, we wanted to share an update about the situation in the eastern DR Congo overall. Unfortunately, the number of people fleeing for the refugee camps outside Goma continues to grow because of the overall instability in the region.  A fragile cease fire was announced approximately three weeks ago, and the Movement 23 (M23) has withdrawn from a few areas in the DRC's North-Kivu province including towns such as Bugina and Bambo. However, on April 27 African News reported that "vehicle traffic has still not resumed on the 100-km road to Goma, except for a few trucks and motorcycles." The net result is that for many individuals returning home is still not an option and for now the camps are where they will be residing.

It is under this backdrop that BBS and Remember Youth for Change delivered humanitarian aid packages to families in the Rusayo and Bulengo camps on March 2. The aid was made available from the awarding of a grant through the new Hope in Crisis Fund established by GlobalGiving. The aid packages contained food staples such as beans, rice, oil, salt, flour, and tarpaulins.  The tarpaulins were a high priority need requested by village leaders, who are now residing in the camps, because many families were living in substandard shelters or in the open. The families selected to receive the aid were determined through a process that had multiple criteria points such as one or two parents, number of children within the family unit, age of parent/adult responsible for multiple children (many are elderly), pregnant women with children and no additional support, etc. In total 574 direct beneficiaries (families) and 3,839 indirect beneficiaries were impacted by this emergency aid program.

During the aid delivery process in March, RYC identified another important priority which was a lack of hygiene pads for women and girls for their menstruation cycle. In response to this lack of supplies the sewing program, that we introduced in our first report, started to create reusable hygiene pads utilising the appropriate fabric that RYC had on hand plus fabric that the BBS network had donated in early 2023.  From March 5 through until the end of April, the sewing program created kits that included multiple pads plus the necessary support items, such as soap, for 1,000 women and girls.  On April 30 a hygiene education day was held where women and girls from the camps learned how to keep the pads plus, each participant received one kit for their own use.

One of the most important priorities for BBS and RYC is balancing the immediate needs in the camps with the long-term community building and livelihood creation for former child soldiers.

With an eye on the future, the agriculture program has started with the planting of the first crop of potatoes and the beginning of the skills development project in mid-April.  Also, the arrival of the additional sewing machines has happened, and we'll soon start to expand the tailoring program through a truly innovative project which we'll announce in our next update (we're just finalising the details... and we’re very excited too)!!

As we wrap up this update, we want to take a minute to highlight and acknowledge the amazing local volunteers. The preparation and delivery of the emergency aid required a tremendous amount of time and very long days, but we were able to create the packages and deliver everything in a matter of days. Then they geared up and did it again at the end of April.

To our donors, we want to thank you for your continued support. While it's been a hectic couple of months, it is through your support that we've launched the long-term programming with the agriculture project as well as the expanded tailoring program.

We know that it's going to be a busy upcoming six months, but we're excited about the projects that are gearing up and the hope we’re creating for not only the former child soldiers but the communities overall.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2022 experienced a significant uptake in civil unrest which led to an influx of women, children, and the elderly into refugee camps outside of Goma, the capital city of North Kivu province in the eastern DR Congo. Specifically, Goma is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi.

With the arrival of so many individuals into the camps, our partner Remember Youth for Change (RYC) quickly pivoted from everyday programs to deal with the humanitarian crisis that was unfolding.  One of the critical immediate identified needs was for clothing for the children because many arrived with few (if any) changes of clothes because of the quick evacuation from their villages.

Remember Youth for Change mobilised the individuals currently in the sewing program as well as others into a "sewing bee" to create as many sets of clothes as possible utilising available fabric including that BBS provided late last summer courtesy of two private donors.  The sewing volunteers required one month preparation time and on December 29 the RYC team of volunteers distributed the new clothes and in total 315 children were helped.

On December 29, RYC also hosted a play afternoon filled with games, songs, and storytelling plus special snacks to create a joyful break for the children.

The feedback from the mothers was one of overwhelming appreciation and they were genuinely touched for the support they received during this difficult time.  For the children, it was an afternoon of laughs and fun that provided a much-needed break from their daily routine.

The donations we’ve received through this page for the sewing program now have had a huge impact not only on the lives of former soldiers but on the children in Goma’s refugee camps.

As a supplement to this report, we're providing a number of photos so that you can see your donation at work. We are truly grateful for the support of our community for the DR Congo programs and especially during this period.

We look forward to sharing more about the impact of your donation in 2023 and as the situation unfolds on the ground we will report back accordingly.

Thank you again and best wishes to all in this new year.