Congo Children Trust

Join us in celebrating the graduation of four young women from one of Kimbilio's two Sewing Schools. The young women were awarded their diplomas and they each received a manual sewing machine and supplies to enable them to start up their own sewing business. Joelle, one of Kimbilio's recent graduates, first arrived at our transit house for girls in 2019 after being found living on the streets at just 16 years old.  In 2021, she was successfully reintegrated with her biological family and enrolled in Kimbilio's sewing course. Now, at 21, she has successfully graduated and is ready to launch her own business, which will provide opportunities for both herself and her family. Congratulations to Kimbilio Sewing School Graduates! #streetchildren #lubumbashi #congodr #internationaldevelopment #livelihoods # #entrepreunership #vocationaltraining #economicstrengthening #empowerment

Kimbilio partnered with Days for Girls UK to provide reusable sanitary pad kits and menstruation education to the girls residing at Kimbilio's long-term and transit homes. Period poverty -- causing women and girls to struggle to manage their menstrual cycles -- impacts more than 500 million people worldwide. In Kimbilio's home province of Haut-Katanga, period poverty is severe. The cost of disposable sanitary pads is roughly $3 per month, and an average family has several daughters. In a place where $2 per day is typical income, the cost of these pads is prohibitive. This can lead to poor school attendance by girls when they have their periods. Thank you Days for Girls UK!! #periodpoverty #lubumbashi #menstrualeducation #streetchildren #DRC Days for Girls International

We celebrated the end of the school year on July 2 for the more than 300 students at Kimbilio's school in #Lubumbashi, #DRC. And...drum roll...we're delighted to announce that all 40 of Kimbilio school's pupils in their final year passed their national exams marking the conclusion of their primary education! They will proceed to secondary school. Kimbilio's school has had a fast-paced, remarkable journey since we began making its first batch of 20,000 bricks for its foundation in 2018. Now, we educate more than 300 children on a daily basis - street children in our care as well as local children from our impoverished community who otherwise would not have the opportunity to go to school. Ours is an inclusive school where we strengthen community cohesion by educating street children alongside local children. Congratulations to all our primary school graduates! We are proud so of you! For more information about Kimbilio please visit: https://lnkd.in/g8v3r2fH Isabelle Bryan Ian Harvey #education #lubumbashi #internationaldevelopment #streetchildren #DRcongo

Fatou is home Fifteen year old Fatou has returned home to her biological family in Fungurume after 2 years with Kimbilio. Fungurume is a cobalt and copper mining town along the road to Kolwezi, about 200 kilometres from our Kimbilio centre in Lubumbashi. Reintegration of street children with their families is at the heart of what we do, and one of our greatest motivators. Hats off to Kimbilio's reintegration team for another job well done. Here is Fatou, on her way home and then with her family. #kolwezi #reintegration #streetchildren #homelessness #cobaltmining #lubumbashi #congodr Isabelle Bryan Ian Harvey

Kimbilio participated in the International Bureau for Children's Rights (IBCR) second workshop as part of the Consulting Committee for Child Rights. IBCR works with governments, community organizations, children and professionals around the world to ensure that the rights of every child are respected. Kimbilio Director Carine Bahati and four youths from Kimbilio - Germaine K., Dorsen, Jean, and Germaine N. - represented Kimbilio during the 3 workshop days. We are honoured to partner with IBCR on this very important project in the DR Congo. Follow this link to learn more about the project: https://lnkd.in/ew5Kes2N Isabelle Bryan Ian Harvey International Bureau for Children's Rights #drcongo #streetchildren #childprotection

We invite you to celebrate Pascal whose life was turned around after receiving support from Kimbilio. Pascal was 14 years old and living on the streets when he came to the Kimbilio Day Centre in 2014. He was offered accommodation in one of the Kimbilio homes and school fees were paid for his education. Pascal subsequently went on to the University of Lubumbashi and has just graduated in psychology.  Congratulations Pascal!!🙌 Watch Pascal's story here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e3GRcQnK Isabelle Bryan Ian Harvey #streetchildren #lubumbashi #congodr #childpoverty #internationaldevelopment

We invite you to celebrate Pascal whose life was turned around after receiving support from Kimbilio. Pascal was 14 years old and living on the streets when he came to the Kimbilio Day Centre in 2014. He was offered accommodation in one of the Kimbilio homes and school fees were paid for his education. Pascal subsequently went on to the University of Lubumbashi and has just graduated in psychology.  Congratulations Pascal!!🙌 Watch Pascal's story here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e3GRcQnK Isabelle Bryan Ian Harvey #streetchildren #lubumbashi #congodr #childpoverty #internationaldevelopment

We need your help to build the new Kimbilio Day Centre. For 24 hours from 5am on the 28th November, #globalgiving have a pot of $1.2million to distribute proportionally to participating projects. Those with the highest level of donations on the day will receive a larger proportion of the funds.   This new centre will offer street children we work with in Lubumbashi a place of safety and security. Somewhere to come for food, clean water, a place to wash, medical care, a listening ear, pastoral support and the opportunity to reconnect with their families, if this is possible and safe. The building will also offer a hair dressing salon for teenage mum’s that we have trained in order to establish their own business enabling them to feed their children. We will also include a shop where parents we train in sewing skills will be able to sell their goods to raise funds to feed their children. The new building is needed as we’re unable to use our current site in the longer term. It will also provide us with our own base which will be open 24/7 for vulnerable children to access. You can donate via the weblink below.   Thank you!! https://lnkd.in/ehafpDKe

Thank you Kumi Consulting Ltd for supporting Congo Children Trust's efforts to provide a better life to children living in the streets in #lubumbashi #givingtuesday