As the year draws to a close, UCLouvain is supporting a project to provide psychosocial support and reintegration for street children in Kinshasa. It has pledged to double donations from its staff in favour of this project.

Vincent Blondel, rector of UCLouvain is appealing for solidarity for this project:

The complexity and urgency of the societal challenges we all face are leading universities to strengthen the impact of their missions in favour of the development of a fairer, more sustainable and more equitable society.

Last March, I travelled with delegations from KU Leuven and UCLouvain to Kinshasa to strengthen UCLouvain's collaborations with several Congolese universities. I was able to fully appreciate the quality of the work of the very talented young researchers who are involved in high-level research projects, and the potential of the young people trained at these universities. But I was also able to see the gigantic difficulties faced by Congolese society.

In Kinshasa, over 25,000 children and young people live on the streets, without any resources, or any social or family framework. Louvain Coopération, our university NGO, works alongside these children to help them build a better future for themselves. As part of this project, young children are taken in and cared for, returning to school and finding a home. Adolescents, for their part, gain access to appropriate training and are then supported in setting up a viable and dignified professional activity. On the strength of its university base, Louvain Coopération is developing exchanges of knowledge and experience with researchers at the University of Kinshasa, in order to strengthen the socio-educational and psychological approaches to this project.

I would like to appeal to your solidarity, by inviting you to take part in the major 1+1 campaign, for which the'UCLouvain is committed to doubling every euro* you donate in order to support this oh-so-important project.

You will discoverherewhy your donation will make a concrete and lasting difference.

*UCLouvain is committed to doubling staff donations for this project, up to a maximum of €35,000.