The Kimbilio Mapendo School is back in action. Week one of the 2024-25 academic year has been completed. We hope you enjoy seeing a few photos from the first week.
Primary and secondary education are not a given for children in the DR Congo. The country is working toward free primary education but the path toward increased enrollment as well as basic availability of quality education has been bumpy. 7.6 million children aged 5 to 17 are not in school. (Source: UNICEF) 67 percent of children who enter first grade will complete sixth grade and only 3.4 percent of ten year olds can read a simple text with comprehension. (Source: USAID) Enrollment drops off for secondary school, especially for girls. Schools, when they exist, can be difficult if not impossible to reach in rural areas.
At Kimbilio, we are educating children that would not be able to attend school otherwise. The former street children that reside at Kimbilio's homes are students at the Kimbilio Mapendo School. So are local children from the community whose families could either not afford to educate them elsewhere, or have no way to transport them to schools that are further away. Kimbilio keeps the school fees extremely affordable, and provides scholarships to some street children that Kimbilio has reunited with their families. The environment is inclusive, enabling former street children to develop relationships and a sense of community with local children.
#primaryeducation #backtoschool #DRCongo #Lubumbashi #HautKatanga #streetchildren #orphans #poverty #humanitarianaid #homelessness
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