Vocational training, a springboard for the future

In Kalemie, a cooperative brings together young masons, dressmakers, computer scientists and painters displaced by interethnic conflicts ravaging the province of Tanganyika. Trained by UNICEF, with support from the Canadian government, Education Cannot Wait and the Global Partnership for Education, these adolescents have also taken literacy and marketing courses to best position themselves in the job market. All were provided with a kit specific to their profession.

Simplice, 20, arrived in Kalemie after fleeing violence in his village. Thanks to training in masonry, Simplice is now autonomous. "Thanks to this training, I am able to build a house and it is easier", explains Simplice.

At the age of 15, the young Kabongo has never been to school. Brush in hand, Kabongo carries out the final touches on the portrait of a client. The young boy chose painting because he has always loved to draw. Specializing in portraiture, Kabongo helps his family survive and does not intend to stop there. “I want to become Kalemie's greatest painter,” he says with a broad smile on his lips.

Madeleine chose to cut and sew and received all the necessary equipment to start her business. Determined to succeed, she spends her days sewing with other teens trained in the same field as her, never losing her smile. UNICEF aims to train and equip more than 150 displaced young people to find their place in society.