We are currently working alongside Congolese community leaders to rehabilitate 267 war-affected children in northeast Congo. This program is entirely funded from whistle-sales. Your purchase works to restore their lives.
After the Falling Whistles journal entry, we knew that the rehabilitation of children in the war-region was an emergency that demanded immediate attention. We soon learned that this was not only a humanitarian need, but a strategic one as well. Without rehabilitation, children often turn to street violence or fall back into the violence of war.
Congo is home to our world’s deadliest war. It is complicated and there are a wide variety of players pulling tangled strings. But times of great crisis often birth new generations of visionary leadership. This is currently taking place in Congo.
We have partnered with these Congolese leaders to rehabilitate the children of their community traumatized by war. The programs are Congolese envisioned, Congolese operated, and Congolese led. These young visionaries are whistleblowing from inside the war-region. With great diligence and sacrifice they have pulled together their community and built programs that lift the shadows of trauma and provide hope.
They are our partners, brothers and sisters in arms. Together, we are working to give a new generation of whistleblowers the tools to lead their people in peace.
To stop the cycles of violence, our partners take the children through four stages of rehabilitation:
1 . Expression Therapy. Through sports, dance, art, music and photography, children are taught to express themselves and work through their trauma. This process can be deeply healing as a child's personality and social skills return.
2. Primary Education. We help pay the tuition for children who are ready and willing to take classes in local schools, so that they are able to attain a basic Congolese education.
3. Job Training. The children are given a choice to learn mechanics, carpentry or tailoring. The process of working with their hands to create or repair something is additionally rehabilitative and gives them the skills to survive and create a living for themselves.
4. Human Rights Education. A rehabilitated child must be given the tools to be a whistleblower and stand for peace within the war-region. This training teaches them their inherent value and the power of their individual voice, as well as their basic rights as a human being.
Additionally, the children are given a nutritious meal every day. Each step of rehabilitation focuses on reintegrating children into their communities, revitalizing their social skills, and allowing them to thrive again in Congolese culture.
Operating in a war-region is precarious work, and, at present, security concerns prohibit us from revealing the names and identities of those involved. We look forward to the day when we can introduce you to these local leaders, the children they are working with, and show you the vital importance of your support.
Though helping these children may be most important, it is only the first step in a long road to peace in Congo. Fight with us toward the end of this war and continue to be a whistleblower for peace.