Maison Karibu : Support and reintegration for young mothers in street situations

Context

More than 30 000 children live in street situations in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. These children are denied access to their fundamental rights, including housing, adequate food, free access to healthcare and education, the right to an identity, and protection from violence and discrimination.

Girls, who represent 25% of these children in Kinshasa, are more vulnerable, as in addition to suffering physical and psychological trauma, they mainly survive through begging and prostitution.  This increases the risks of assault, infections or sexually transmitted diseases, and unwanted and early pregnancies. Every year, 3’000 children are born on the streets of Kinshasa, with many being later abandoned or drawn into human trafficking networks.

In this context, Maison Karibu provides accommodation for around twenty underage mothers and their babies living in street situations, for a period of three years. A genuine place of recovery, the educational team welcomes and supports them to rebuild themselves, learn to parent their children, regain their self-confidence, restore family ties, and develop a plan for their future lives.

Local partner

Solidarité Batoto

Activities

Thanks to a local outreach network carrying out street visits, young mothers and their children living in street situations are referred to Maison Karibu. There, they find a safe place, suitable nutrition, and access to clean water, hygiene facilities and clothing. This support meets their basic needs and helps to establish a climate of trust.

These young mothers and their children receive prenatal and postnatal follow-ups, along with appropriate healthcare. Families are supported with the process of registering births with the civil registry, an essential step towards resocialisation and obtaining an official identity for their children. The young women welcomed at the centre also benefit from educational support for themselves and for their children of school age. To strengthen their skills and prospects, this assistance continues even after they reunite with their families.  

A vocational training centre offers courses in beauty therapy, dressmaking, computing and secretarial work, followed by supervised work placements. A crèche looks after the children during the training sessions.