In 2018 a small group from Comfort International, with colleagues from Comfort Congo, took the dirt road north from Goma, before turning left towards Rutshuru and making their way through the Virunga forest to Tongo. The journey required a UN escort as rebel army soldiers used the forest as a hideout and the group were courteously received with finest tea by the UN Indian unit at their base at Tongo. The reason for the visit was to visit the newly built Tongo ‘Epheso’ secondary school for which we had provided some of the funding. Since that time Tongo has endured constant conflict including the extremely sad killing of one of the teachers. Because of the ever-present conflict there are many children from the area who are taken as child soldiers. Some of the Children of Liberty, the Comfort Congo child soldiers rehabilitation programme, came from that area and, after finishing the Children of Liberty programme returned back to Tongo. There are also many other ex-child soldiers there. Our partner, Comfort Congo, has long had a vision to provide vocational training for rehabilitated child soldiers and have worked hard to find a way to begin that.
Last year Comfort Congo and Comfort International had a joint bid for funding accepted by The Cornerstone Trust to purchase land and buildings and equipment to create this resource. The funds allowed the land and buildings (above) to be bought as well as blackboards, sewing machines and materials, carpentry equipment and construction equipment. The war in the area unfortunately intensified and with most people fleeing from the area the Tongo VTC was unable to begin. However, despite the M23 occupying part of the VTC, the first intake of ex-child soldiers has taken place.
Carpentry and brick making
As well as teaching ex-child soldiers vocational skills the VTC is working to bring peace and reconciliation to the community riven by ethnic and political wars. Isaac pictured below moved back to Tongo after graduating from the Children of Liberty at Hope Village and is now one of the leaders of the peace and harmony group meetings in the community. 38 child soldiers have also been attending those meetings. Comfort Congo director, Dieudonné writes, ‘all the inhabitants of the area now enjoy social cohesion and safety that results from useful interactions between ordinary people and former child soldiers because the VTC in Tongo has a positive result as the former child soldiers were a problem for the population.’ Whilst it may be slightly optimistic to consider all the inhabitants enjoying safety it is clear that the work is transforming the attitudes and behaviour of child soldiers.