Strengthening Families in DRC

Observing and making understandable an holistic approach to strengthen families in Democratic Republic of Congo

By working on three levels: the child, the family and the community, SOS Children’s Villages NGO wants to sustainably improve the living conditions of vulnerable children of this generation, but also those of the next. A very coherent and pertinent holistic approach for this program called “Ŝanĝo” (“Change” in Esperanto language). The program is currently spreading in Burundi, Senegal and Democratic Republic of Congo and figures out a crucial digital component to meet impact.

This aspect has just been awarded by the Africa Museum of Belgium with the support of the Directorate General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD) as part of the biennial event Digital4Development.

WHAT WE DID

The mission entrusted to Visual Exchange was to observe, document and make understandable the holistic approach and the impact of the Family Strengthening Program of the NGO, including its digital uses. The Ŝanĝo program embrace, among others, training, health, income-generating activities and an important awareness-raising component on child’s rights supervised by SOS Children’s Villages DRC staff and provided by active and committed young people. Radio broadcasts, posters, public debates, all means are good for these young leaders to convey their message to the community and take actions to ensure that these rights are respected. A still relatively modest program, but very coherent and very promising, initiated and supported by SOS Children’s Villages Belgium and funded by the DGD, the King Baudouin Foundation and Wallonia-Brussels International.