Congratulations, Graduates!

The results are in...we're delighted to share the news that for the 2024/25 academic year, all 52 of the sixth graders at the Kimbilio Mapendo School have passed national exams and other requirements. Certificates in hand, they move onward to secondary studies!

Kimbilio is charting a path for their resident children as well as children in the local community. This path was direly needed. Before the Kimbilio Mapendo School opened 4 years ago, the lack of educational opportunity in the community was mammoth. The primary school has made a vast improvement in the community landscape. And each year, a new grade of secondary school is added to enable primary school graduates to continue through the secondary years. And Kimbilio won't stop there! In addition to sponsoring students at the nearby #UniversityofLubumbashi for college studies, there are plans and designs in place for Kimbiio to open a vocational college in 2026. Indeed, a path into the future for these children is becoming clearer. We'll share more about the vocational college in the near future.

The latest 6th grade graduating class from the Kimbilio Mapendo School includes 27 girls -- just over half of the graduates. We love this! In fact it's consistent with, or even slightly ahead of, slowly improving #genderparity in DR Congo schools in general. The job in Congo has just begun, though, as secondary school is where the gap widens considerably. Per #UNESCO and #WorldBank data, less than 40% of students enrolled in secondary school are girls. At Kimbilio, the secondary grades in total had more girls (58) than boys (50) in 2024/25. Kimbilio looks forward to maintaining a favorable ratio at graduation!

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Meet Joelle, a resident of Kimbilio's Janet Bokwa home for girls and one of the primary school graduates. She is 15 years old. She came to Kimbilio from the streets via the outreach center and resided in Kimbilio's transit home for girls before moving into Janet Bokwa. Her next step is to commence secondary school for the 2025/26 academic year that starts in a few days.

Kimbilio asked Joelle for her thoughts about her future. She spoke of her passion for teaching, and her dream of being a teacher one day. In her second year of secondary school, when she gets to apply for an elective course of study for the third year, she says she wants to pursue Educational Humanities. This curriculum covers the ethical and professional aspects of teaching with a view to growing the teachers of the future. Outside of school, Joelle said she likes cooking as well as taking care of children. When asked what her best memory from primary school will be, she said it will be the shared mornings of study and recreation with her school friends.

#DRC #DRCongo #PrimaryEducation #SocialImpact #Lubumbashi #Luowoshi #StreetChildren #StreetConnectedChildren #GenderGap