The Children of Liberty project continues to change lives in a radical and powerful way. When in DRC over the summer we found ourselves talking to one of the boys on the Children of Liberty project. He began to tell us how he finished up leaving child soldiering. He would spend his time in the army looting and killing and raping. One day when he was in a village a man approached him and began to speak to him about how he could help him leave the army and live a better life. As the man continued to talk, the child soldier took out his gun, pointed it at the man’s head and told him to kneel on the ground. He then described what followed as the man knelt on the ground with his hands in the air asking for mercy and continuing to tell the boy he could have a better life.
The child soldier said in amazement that he doesn’t understand why he never shot the man, as anyone doing what the man had done would automatically be shot without a second thought … but something made him have mercy. It was this meeting that led to him leaving the army and joining the Children of Liberty. Later that day we asked Joseph Nsengiyumva if he knew the man who had gone to the village to rescue the soldiers. “It was me,” Joseph said calmly. Joseph had gone to the village to rescue child soldiers and finished up in immediate danger of being killed. We asked Joseph how this affected him and he simply replied that these things happen, but they cannot be allowed to stop the mission. There have been several other times that he has been in the same position whilst rescuing children; with a gun pointed at his head and his life in the balance, but God has always protected him. What struck us most was how he accepted the risk but nevertheless continued the mission. It left us in such admiration of our partners and the life-endangering work they do.
There are presently twelve Children of Liberty preparing to graduate in December. They were given a grant to start up small businesses earlier in the year and those have included selling phone air time, a sewing business, a small restaurant, selling spices, fruit, vegetables and shoes, and a teacher. They have all faced challenges because of the war since they began. Not long after launching their businesses, the main road out of Goma which runs through Sake was closed when Sake was taken by the M23 army and so raw materials and trade have all suffered. Nevertheless, although their income is not high, all of them are managing to move towards graduation in a few weeks – please do pray for them that their lives would continue to make progress. The following extracts come from their reports.
When those twelve graduate we hope, God willing, to take on twelve new rescued child soldiers. We would like to keep expanding the project but we have lost some sponsors and that is reducing the option of taking on more child soldiers above the numbers we have been having on the project. There are many others who need help so if you can spread the word about sponsorship that would be great!
Although not part of the sponsorship programme, there is also a Children of Liberty project at Tongo with especial emphasis on vocational training through the Tongo Vocational Training Centre, set up with support from Cornerstone, a US Christian funding organisation. Construction, sewing and literacy are being taught. Although the area was overrun by the M23 and 19 sewing machines and a brick building machine all looted, the centre continued to operate with 46 students in each of the subjects (138 total). Those students are now seeking work with 17 from the sewing project now employed. Many of those from the construction programme are using the centre and the remaining machines as a base to make and sell bricks. It is by no means an easy situation with unchallenged progress, but we are once again full of admiration for the commitment of Comfort Congo to make the best progress possible in the midst of challenges we cannot imagine. You can find out more about the Tongo Vocational Training Centre by reading our recent blog post.
*Clockwise from top left: Brenda is one of the sewing students at the Tongo VTC; ex-child soldiers sing praise; the Village of Hope in Goma where the Children of Liberty are based
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your support of the Children of Liberty Project which continues to change the lives of young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We ask you continue to pray for the young people, and our amazing partners in the work they do.