Mwangaza is 12 years old. Her favourite things to do are to play with a skipping rope, sew clothes or listen to Swahili music on the radio. However, it’s only recently that she’s been able to enjoy life like a normal child again. At home, near Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mwangaza was living with 18 people of all ages. Her family suffered intense poverty, struggling to put food on the table, unable to pay health insurance, and after Primary 3, Mwangaza stopped going to school altogether. With her basic needs unable to be met, Mwangaza came onto the Street Kids Rescue project, run by our partners at Comfort Congo, and was able to be put into a foster family who she says, “love her and care for her as if she was their own child.”
Mwangaza is now back in school and says her favourite subject is geography as she loves to learn about the elements of the earth. She says, “I have only one objective for this year – 2023, and this objective is to succeed at school and to achieve this goal I must be disciplined in class and follow the teachers without distraction.“
Before, Mwangaza was ashamed to play with other children her age, but now she has her needs met and is surrounded by people that love her and value her. When asked about the change in her life, she says, “Yes, there is a change because since I have been on the SKR programme, I feel like a human and a valued person and I’m not mistreated any more as I was before when I lived in the street.” Mwangaza’s relationship with her biological mother and family is now much better. Where there was once pain and strife, there is peace and love. Where there was once shame and fear, there is joy and hope.
Mwangaza says, “I greet you and present you with my gratitude for the help and the interest that you continue to give me so that I can have a good life and a good future. You are important in my life because without you, I don’t know what condition my life would be in today. I am and I will be always thankful for everything that you did and continue to do for my life. Thank you.”
Although Mwangaza is being supported by the SKR project, she is still awaiting sponorship, along with many other children in similar situations as hers. Please consider changing a life like Mwangaza’s through a monthly sponsorship.