Soldiering out of desperation

Twenty-one boys' lives are moving in a better direction, and Kimbilio is among the partner organizations seeing this through.

In the DR Congo, children are recruited as well as forced into militias, and they also volunteer for the armed forces. Child soldiers, known as kadogos in Swahili, are most prevalent in the war-torn east of the country, but the southern provinces face the issue as well. Children under 18 are not permitted, under either national or international law, to enlist. Nonetheless, in cases where children choose to join or volunteer, the common reasons include extreme poverty and lack of opportunity. Children join or volunteer to avoid starvation and to find a path forward when their lives don't have one. Street children do so for the added reasons of seeking a semblance of structure and a sense of security.

Two weeks ago, the Congolese government removed a number of under age children from Kamina military base in Haut-Lomami Province. Kamina is about 600 kilometers northwest of Kimbilio's home city of Lubumbashi. Kamina base is known for its military training, and these children had come to Kamina to train.

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In partnership with the Congolese Department of Social Affairs, twenty-one boys removed from Kamina spent 3 days at Kimbilio's boys transit house. These children ranged in age from 12 to 16 years. Kimbilio housed and fed them while arrangements were finalized for their onward destinations. Some boys then went to Kinshasa, while others went to Kolwezi. All were headed to opportunities for training in a variety of domains, including mechanics, construction and carpentry -- significant steps toward a better future.

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