Accelerating girls’ education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of 25 priority countries identified by UNICEF for girls’ education. In 2004, one of the objectives was to enrol an additional two million children – at least half of them girls - at the beginning of the new school year in September. A major obstacle to enrolment was the cost of educational supplies – hence it became a focus for the Country Office’s efforts.

In 2004, Supply Division, in close consultation with the Country Office, procured over $2.5 million worth of educational kits for DRC. Based on the specifications developed by the Country Office and the Government, nearly 46,000 student kits and 7,000 teachers’ kits were packed at the UNICEF warehouse in Copenhagen over a 16 week period. Staff volunteered to pack some of these kits as the order was urgent, and to allow regular warehouse staff to respond to orders from other countries without delay.

It was decided that the kits would be shipped from Copenhagen to three entry points (Goma in the Northeast, Matadi on the West coast and Lubumbashi in the Southeast). From there, the kits would be sent by plane, truck, boat and bicycle to distribution points. Head teachers, teachers and children came to pick up the supplies. Children were there to witness that schools had received their educational equipment.

At the beginning of September, as planned, 2.3 million children (half of them girls) went back to school with UNICEF supplies. In addition, UNICEF had provided over 54,000 teachers with teaching equipment.

Related: