Kinshasa, DR Congo

In the courtyard of an old warehouse, street children wander among rusted car wrecks: in Kinshasa, NGOs are trying to give a future to these young people nicknamed “shégués,” left to fend for themselves in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Abandoned by their parents or fleeing the misery of their homes, thousands of “shégués” survive by scraping by and begging at roundabouts and along the streets of this megacity of nearly 17 million people.

“The problem is widespread; we encounter new cases every day,” says Georges Kabongo, an educator who has been organizing outreach patrols for over 11 years with the NGO Œuvre de reclassement et de protection des enfants de la rue (ORPER).

Every day, his teams crisscross the poor neighborhoods of the Congolese capital to treat and assist the most vulnerable.

– “Razor blade” –

In the back of an SUV, a nurse from the NGO disinfects a long gash on a young boy’s arm. His legs are also scraped.

“The others cut him with a razor blade. They do that to the newcomers,” explains Willie Masalé, wearing a white coat. Next to him, a young girl lies unconscious in the back of a pickup truck. Another, aged 13, hides her pregnancy under a large, dirty sweater

In this neighborhood of Limete, a working-class district in eastern Kinshasa, violence, drugs, and prostitution are part of daily life for the “shégués.” “The girls are also victims of rape; we educate them about the risks of infection and HIV transmission,” emphasizes Georges Kabongo. Each year, the mobile team says it helps more than 800 minors living on the streets.

Many of them are accused of being “witch children” by their families, who are often destitute: “It’s an excuse to get rid of them,” laments Mr. Kabongo.

In the DRC, nearly 75% of the population lives on less than three dollars a day, according to the World Bank. In the capital of this vast Central African country, evangelical churches are flourishing, and fake pastors claim they can “exorcise” “witch children” for a fee.

“Some go so far as to hold them captive, deprive them of food, and subject them to unbearable practices,” the educator denounces.

An 11-year-old girl steps forward, barefoot. Her body is covered in scars. “It was my family who poured boiling oil on me,” says the girl, who chose to flee two years ago with her two older sisters.

The mobile team tries to convince her to come sleep at one of the NGO’s shelters, where she could be housed and fed.

– “Beneficial to society” –

Another organization, the Association for the Support, Education, and Protection of Street Children (OSEPER), focuses on training to “restore hope” to these children who have been rejected by society.

“When you graduate, you can become entrepreneurs,” the French teacher tells the students at an OSEPER training center. The organization offers literacy classes for the youngest students and provides vocational training. About a hundred young people are learning carpentry, sewing, and baking.

“Once they come of age, they’ll be able to work and be self-sufficient. The goal is for these children to reintegrate into society and become productive members,” explains Christophe Moké, an educator at OSEPER.

In the kitchen, Daniel is shaping dough. Before being abandoned by his mother, then his grandmother, he dreamed of a career as a church singer. But since experiencing the violence of the streets, the 17-year-old longs for a “stable life.”

“I often cry at night when I think back on the past,” whispers the young man who spent several months living with a gang of “shégués.”

“Out there, you have to be as brutal as they are. They beat you every day, and you have to steal to eat. I deeply regret many of the things I’ve done,” confides the teenager, who says he hasn’t heard from his family in a long time.

“NGOs are doing the work of parents and the government,” says Désirée Dila, one of the center’s supervisors.

Without government grants, the organization relies on private donations and external partners, such as the French foundation Apprentis d’Auteuil, to operate. Staff members are concerned about a decline in funding for their activities, amid an overall reduction in humanitarian aid.

Humaniterre with AFP