14-04-2023 | di COOPI

DRC. Renovated in Fataki-Djugu a space for minors victims of violence

Has just ended in Fataki-Djugu, Democratic Republic of Congo, the renovation of the Apemi office. Apemi (Association for the Promotion of Maternal and Infant Care) is COOPI’s partner in the Ituri province to implement the project "Integrated multi-sectoral emergency assistance in nutrition and child protection for the population affected by the humanitarian crisis in central Djugu" active from September 15, 2022 to November 30, 2023 and financed by the United Nations Humanitarian Fund. Béatrice, who is its coordinator, recounts:

Our association has now existed for more than a decade and a half, it was created in 2008, and we have five main areas of activity: protection, health, nutrition, agriculture, and education. Our mission is to provide physical and psychological support to children who are victims of violence".

Precisely because of its work in these areas, Apemi was selected by COOPI for the purpose of supporting the rebuild the Congolese civil society despite continuing internal conflicts since the civil war of the 1990s. To promote continuity of project activities and leave the opportunity for Congolese to be agents of change, COOPI and the Humanitarian Fund collaborate with local associations such as Apemi.

Specifically, in addition to dealing with children malnutrition, the Multi-Sectoral Emergency Assistance project aims to provide transitional and long-term assistance for 300 children left alone and 100 children enlisted in armed groups, but also psychosocial assistance and recreational activities for 16,000 children suffering the direct and indirect consequences of the fighting. Moreover, monitoring and documentation activities of the serious violations of children's rights in the region and a work to raise awareness and prevent gender-based violence in communities is put on place.

In the past months, Apemi has also received assistance from COOPI to rehabilitate the “Childhood’s Friends” space, which was in a precarious condition. Thanks to these efforts, now its serve as an office, listening point, and child-friendly safe space.

All this makes it much easier for us to provide psychological support to the children. We are now stable, we have a well-defined address, and this means that children who are victims of sexual or other violence know where they can come to be heard. We would like to thank COOPI for its support in terms of tools, training and supervision, and for helping us build a plan to continue our work after the project ends". Beatrice concludes.

COOPI has been working in the country since 1987 to improve the living conditions of vulnerable populations, with a focus on people with special needs, and has a specialization in taking care of children, both in situations of violence and acute malnutrition.