The wall of Hope

On June 30 a Wall of Hope was unveiled in eastern Congo as a permanent reminder that children should not be used as soldiers. The Wall is part of a campaign which has reached 3299 people across 15 remote villages. Church leaders to women’s groups to the children themselves, have pledged that they will do all they can to stop children being recruited into armed groups.

June 30 was the anniversary of 50 years of Independence in D.R. Congo and local peacebuilder Henri Ladyi worked with the local community in Beni to celebrate with a peace procession involving the national police, state services and all members of the community.

Traditional music and dance brought the community together and Henri’s organisation ran speeches and workshops on the rights of the child, and the need for peace in Congo’s future. The unveiling of the Wall was a central part of the day and the Mayor has declared it a permanent memorial to children.  The pictures show the will of the people to stop violence in their lives.

The Wall is part of a campaign that has used the personal testimonies of children who have been victims of forced recruitment into armed groups, as well as messages of support from Peace Direct supporters.

In just three weeks Henri has reached 3299 people, including 1172 children. He has held 4 conferences on child protection and ran 15 workshops in rural villages using projected messages from Peace Direct supporters for the children of Congo. Eight of the 30 children who were rescued by Henri in May have helped to connect with those children who are still members of the militia, to show them that they do have an alternative.

Henri plans to erect another wall in Butembo and to run more workshops, so if you haven’t done so already, please leave your message of hope for the children of Congo.