DR Congo: In Idjwi, Schools Are Coming Back to Life Thanks to the Elimu Kwa Wote Project
On the island of Lake Kivu, in Idjwi territory, South Kivu province, eastern DRC, classrooms are slowly regaining their rhythm. Books in hand, rehabilitated latrines, distributed hygiene kits, trained teachers, and more confident students all reflect a renewed sense of hope within schools.
The Elimu Kwa Wote project, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is reshaping everyday school life. Beyond infrastructure, a new way of learning and protecting children is taking root, driven by teachers, families, and the students themselves.
In several schools across the territory, the atmosphere has changed. Children enter classrooms with greater confidence, teachers adopt more participatory approaches, and conversations around child protection are now part of school life. Schools are gradually becoming spaces where children are placed at the centre, where their voices matter, and where their well-being is taken into account.
Inspector Mungo Bijira describes this transformation clearly:
“Schools were facing a lack of teacher training and difficult learning conditions. Thanks to the training, teachers now use participatory methods, respect children’s rights more, and improve the quality of teaching. The progress is visible.”
In classrooms, practices are evolving: students participate more actively, ask questions, and grow in confidence.
This transformation also affects the way children are guided and supported. At Kabugo Primary School, Asifiwe Kunanira, teacher and child protection focal point, shares a profound change in her practice: “Before, children’s rights were not respected, and we did not know that children needed protection in the school environment. Today, we apply positive discipline and place the child at the centre of education.” In her classroom, punishment has given way to listening, guidance, and support.
Improved material conditions also play a key role. Latrines are being built, hygiene kits distributed, and girls are receiving concrete support to remain in school. Namwana Maelezo, Inspector and supervising trainer, explains:
“Education staff are now better equipped. Latrines are built, and dignity kits are distributed to girls, improving their well-being and school attendance.”
For many students, these changes reduce absenteeism and strengthen dignity in daily school life.
In classrooms, children themselves feel the difference. At Mugote Primary School, Irenge Ntawi, speaking on behalf of the students, expresses their gratitude:
“We thank the World Vision team for their support, protection, and hygiene kits. We feel safer and motivated to continue our studies.”
School becomes a place where breathing feels easier and where learning is no longer marked by fear.
Agano, a pupil beneficiary, shares a simple yet powerful reflection:
“World Vision brought us books, built latrines for our school, and we would be very happy if our school became even cleaner.”
These words highlight how strongly the learning environment shapes children’s motivation and sense of dignity.
In Idjwi, school is no longer just a place of learning. It is becoming a space where children regain confidence, where teachers rediscover their role, and where communities rebuild their connection with education. In the eyes of the students, between a new book and a more welcoming classroom, a simple promise is already taking shape: a future that begins here, at the heart of the school.