"A child does not have the right to be in the army, nor the right to be
on the streets but the right to an education" - Davide, 16, expresses the life of a boy forces to become a soldier.
A new centre in Lubumbashi is helping street children make sense of their lives through art, says mission partner Ian Harvey
Centre Kimbilio, a welcome and accommodation centre for street children in Lubumbashi, DR Congo recently organised an art exhibition of work produced by former street children at the centre working alongside Joel and Patrick, two Congolese artists.
Joel and Patrick have been working alongside the children at Centre Kimbilio over the past year assisting them to learn new skills.
This use of art with the children has helped them to make some sense of their lives and experiences of living on the street.
The picture above is by 16-year-old Davide (not his real name). He was born in Lubumbashi. His mother died when he was around six years old. He has been supported by his father following this but left home due to family difficulties and lived on the streets for several months before coming to Centre Kimbilio.
Davide uses red and black, strong colours, to express the life of a young man who became a soldier. He gives a message in Swahili saying, "Busoldat hapana, bushegue hapana myie ni masomo" - "A child does not have the right to be in the army, nor the right to be on the streets but the right to an education."
The title of the exhibition – ‘Shegue’ – is a slang term in Congo for street children, thought to have derived from the independent spirit of Che Guevara the revolutionary who spent time in Congo in the 1960’s.
Present at the opening night of the exhibition was the Bishop of the Anglican Church of Congo as well as representation from the Mayor of Lubumbashi and the Minister of Women, Children and Gender.
Over 100 other people come through the doors to view the art as well as hear more about Centre Kimbilio’s plans to build a larger purpose built centre outside of the city, where more children can be assisted to rebuild their lives and learn new skills to help them reintegrate into their families and society.
Centre Kimbilio is looking for more supporters to assist them to realise this vision. The art workshops with the children and exhibition was part funded by Trust Greenbelt. Centre Kimbilio is working in partnership with the Anglican Church of Congo and is supported by CMS and the Congo Children Trust.
Ian Harvey is a CMS mission partner and helped to set up Centre Kimbilio.