In recent months, the situation in North Kivu has increasingly deteriorated. The capital Goma has been particularly affected as fighting between the rebels and the government army has reached the very outskirts of the city. Some heavy weapon fire has struck the market and houses in Mugunga, a neighbourhood on the far outskirts and fallen just a short distance from the 'Floribert Bwana Chui' School. More than 1,000 children from the nearby refugee camp are currently studying here. Read more
Mugunga is a neighbourhood on the western outskirts of Goma that since 1994 has become a transit and first reception site for refugees fleeing the clashes and fighting in the hills surrounding the city.
In recent weeks, tens of thousands of refugees have poured into makeshift camps on the outskirts of Goma. Most of them are children fleeing war and the danger of forced conscription. The school named after Floribert only stopped classes the day of the heaviest bombardment. Lessons have continued regularly to support the families and children as they try to live as serene a daily life as possible.
Even the school's well has now given the possibility with connecting pipes to give water also to the refugees coming down from the hills and passing on the main road.
In the nearby neighbourhood of Ngangi, there is a group of refugee-children that the Community has been helping with food distributions.
Lately, public attention has focused on the plight of children, the majority of whom in North Kivu are not registered at the civil registry office. The book 'Being born is not enough' on the 'Bravo!' programme was presented at the Catholic University, and a pilot project linked to the Floribert School to register children attending the school in the civil register will start in the coming months.
