Article
When a community becomes a driving force for change
In the village of Kaniola in Walungu territory in South Kivu province, Marina Mwabakolenyanja gently cradles her two-year-old grandson Patrick. Just three months ago, Patrick’s life hung in the balance as he battled severe malnutrition. A community health worker visiting their village noticed Patrick’s alarming co...
Article
Nyunzu training project provides out-of-school adolescents with new opportunities
The Institut National de Préparation Professionnelle (INPP) training centre in the Kamituga area of Nyunzu is buzzing with activity as 77 adolescents in boiler suits carry out a variety of tasks including masonry, carpentry, brick laying, mechanics, soap making and food preparation. “Our objective is to train youn...
Article
Training to be electricians, adolescent girls in DR Congo hope for better
Three weeks into her training, Esther, 18, is already pretty handy with a screwdriver. “Since I was young, I’ve been interested in technical things,” she says. “And I thought that it would help me look after myself and my family.” Esther is one of five adolescent girls in a class of almost 30 studying building ele...
Article
Learning new skills to earn an income and be self sufficient
In Izenge, the presence of Furaha in the village carpentry training workshop surprises many villagers. For 4 months, the teenager has been diligently training with two other apprentice carpenters. “People laugh at me because I do carpentry, a man's job according to them, but I don't care”, Furaha explains confid...
Article
Empowering vulnerable adolescents to reduce HIV infections
Un jeune boulanger. Originally from a village in the province of Sud-Ubangi, Franck left school because he didn’t have enough money and ended up living on the street. “You have a lot of problems when you don’t have money”, says Franck, who now works as a baker. UNICEF and its partners support the development of income-generating activities to help…
Article
From mining to carpentry
Plane in hand and a determined look in front of his workbench, Josué decided to turn a difficult page in his teenage life. A few months ago, the young 17 year old was working in artisanal mines in Kipushi in the province of Haut-Katanga. "My father abandoned us when I was 9 years old, so I had to join my mother i...
Article
Vocational training for a brighter future
Thanks to an IT training course in Kolwezi, Ornella (19) is now a data entry specialist. Only a few months ago, the young woman was working as domestic help in a quarry and had never imagined she would be able to work in an office. "I didn't feel like I had a future," explains Ornella. Like many other children in ...
Article
A new start for children who have come off the streets
At an emergency reception center in Bandalungwa, around twenty children form a circle around their support worker and discuss best practices for community living. Although these children have had different journeys, they share similar experiences. Only a few days ago, the majority of them were living on the street...
Article
Pastries to help rebuild the lives of displaced young people
In Tanganyika province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the security situation is jeopardising the future of children and young people. Often forced to flee the violence, they leave behind all their memories but also their hopes. In Nyunzu, UNICEF and its partners have set up a socio-professional rei...
Article
Back to civilian life
In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), successive brutal attacks continue to threaten children and their families. Many children are being recruited as militia fighters, sexually assaulted and victims of other terrible violations of their rights., Children facing the impact of the viole...
Press release
UNICEF launches groundbreaking Generation Unlimited initiative with Kinshasa Digital Academy to train 10 million youths by 2030
KINSHASA, 9 NOVEMBER 2021, – Kinshasa Digital Academy and UNICEF have announced a significant new partnership to launch Generation Unlimited in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The scheme – which will initially be in Kinshasa but later introduced to other parts of the country - provides a career lifeline to...
Article
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 adolescen...