I am no longer afraid of my future
By Julie Gilbertine Uwimana, DRC Communications
At dawn, many children in Mungunga camp leave the tents that they share with their family members to walk 2-3 hours to pick firewood in Virunga Park. If they are lucky, they can then sell it in town for US$2 a day to provide for their families. Not only is it illegal to take wood from the park, but the forest is filled with armed groups who often take advantage of the young children.
To help address this, World Vision provided vocational training to displaced young people in carpentry, hairdressing and dressmaking as an alternative to gathering firewood. Many originally came to the camp following conflict in eastern DRC between different armed groups. Yet as their hopes to return home looks more and more distant, the camps became slums on the outskirts of Goma town. It became an option for people who have nowhere to go and no regular income.
The vocational program, however, is helping young people imagine life outside the camp. Meshake is 16-years old and lives with his sister. He knows that he must leave soon as the Mungunga camp will be close soon to encourage displaced people to integrate better with the host city around Goma, or return to zones deemed safe. Meshake and his family are hoping to return to their home town of Pinga in the next couple of months, but to do so he will need to learn a trade.
He picked learning carpentry skills as he figures that most communities need someone who can build things. "I stopped going to school because my parents couldn't afford my school fees. They have returned home to Pinga to set up a new house. My sister and I have really struggled to find enough food to eat and were often looking for wood in the park for sale”, Meshake said.
We spent many days without eating. Today however I can build things with my hands via World Vision's carpentry class. I am hoping to return home to Pinga to join my parents and open a carpentry workshop to pay the school fees of my brother and sister. I'm no longer afraid for my future," Meshake says, beaming.
“This project is going really well. Many are interested to join the project, but we have to limit the number of children to 20 for lack of budget. Many still needs help in Mungunga Camp,” said Jean Marie Vianney Misabiro, the project coordinator.
