Support and reintegration of children and young people living on the streets

Four different projects are currently aimed at supporting and reintegrating street children and young people in Kinshasa. These are the “Street Children Project”, funded by Belgian Cooperation, “Tremplin”, funded by Enabel, the Belgian development agency, “Elenge na Mosala”, funded by the Brussels-Capital Region, and finally the “Learning Pathway”, funded by the King Baudouin Foundation.

• Project duration: 2022 - 2026

Our objective:

To promote the empowerment, socio-professional reintegration and dignity of young people living on the streets of Kinshasa by offering them a learning, training and support programme tailored to their needs.

Our actions:

• Reception and support for young people living on the streets, more than half of whom are girls;
• Vocational training in informal trades (cooking, beauty, cutting and sewing, electricity, mechanics, etc.)
• Practical internships with master craftsmen in the informal sector;
• Additional training in digital marketing, soft skills (behavioural and social skills) and entrepreneurship;
• Distribution of integration kits containing useful tools to help young people who have demonstrated strong motivation and empowerment skills to start their own businesses;
• Development of an inclusive approach promoting girls' access to traditionally male-dominated trades;
• Integration of a research component with UNIKIN (University of Kinshasa) to analyse integration pathways;
• Capacity building for teams at partner centres (psychosocial support, career guidance, integration).

Our Impact:

These projects offer a concrete alternative to exclusion for particularly vulnerable young people. They provide them with useful skills, recognise their potential and reconnect them with their economic and social environment. In this way, they help to build dignified and sustainable life paths.