Democratic Republic of the Congo - A health centre for street children in the city of diamonds

30 March 2017

(ANS - Mbuji-Mayi) - A healthcare centre for street children, many of whom are involved secretly and illegally in searching for diamonds, will be built on the initiative of the Spanish NGO Manos Unidas at the Salesian complex Muetu Don Bosco in Mbuji-Mayi, in the south-central Democratic Republic of Congo, where about a third of the world’s industrial diamonds are extracted.

The Salesian property manages a primary school, secondary school, a professional training center, a parish and a shelter for street children, which can accommodate 80 children, although it welcomes about 400 every day.

Children living on the streets, those who steal in the markets, do not go to school, suffer from malnutrition and suffer from diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, epilepsy and tuberculosis will be taken care of in the health center. 40% of children are sick and need daily medical care. In general, families live in extreme poverty and in Mbuji-Mayi hundreds of thousands of families set out to search for diamonds in harsh conditions due to the sub-tropical climate with an average temperature of 35 degrees and very high humidity, no drinking water, no electricity and no roads. Families are very numerous, with an average of 6/7 children, and they have serious problems of survival and suffer domestic violence. Since the age of five the little ones are exploited for the search of diamonds while girls and teenagers become prostitutes to bring money at home.

Source: Fides Agency

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ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

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