Children come here to enjoy making friends, learning new things, and growing in the truth of God’s Word.
Fidèle’s idleness had worn down his childhood joy.
“At home, there is nothing to do—we just sit with nothing, and there is also hunger.”
He is now learning to smile again.
Students learn from the Word of God.
Several days a week, he leaves home early and walks dusty roads—in the dry season at least—to a little haven on a hill by the water tower.
The closer he comes to the child-friendly safe space created by Samaritan’s Purse in Komanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the more boisterous the air becomes. Those are friends he can hear from a distance.
He feels welcome here. He has many new friends. His hands and mind stay busy learning new things. He hears from the Bible. He has learned to live with joy, and to bring that joy home to his mother.
“If I leave home feeling angry, I feel good once I get here because I find my friends and feel free,” Fidèle says. “I play with my friends, and being here helps me calm down.”
Fidèle learning to smile, laugh, and learn at our child-friendly safe space in Congo.
His friends come from all walks of life in this town south of Bunia. All of Ituri Province has, for many years now, been a refuge for the country’s many war-torn communities.
Decades of armed conflict in Congo has created a near-permanent population of displaced families in Bunia and surrounding towns. They live in makeshift camps alongside longtime residents. These displaced groups are what prompted Samaritan’s Purse to first minister in the region many years ago.
For displaced teen girls and boys, school is not always an option. Work is hard to come by and often unsavory. The Samaritan’s Purse child-friendly spaces provide new and brighter paths to more promising futures. Teachers consistently remind of the promise of God’s presence in their lives.
“I love coming here because I learn the Word of God,” Fidèle says. “They tell us when you grow up, you’ll teach your children, too.”
As he has participated in safe space meetings and heard the Word of God, Fidèle has seen his confidence and relationships grow.
“I’ve learned to love others and to play kindly with my friends. I’ve stopped quarrelling,” he says. “I have also learned to respect my mother. They also have taught us to respect ourselves.”
Children learn to practice better hygiene and to take ownership of shared areas. Our staff members also teach them about life skills including time management, self-discipline, anger and conflict management, teamwork, and good communication.
“When I’m here, I feel free—no one calls me away while we play,” he said. “We are united. There is no fear, because we love and respect each other. This place is full of love and the Word of God. Here, I am well.”
The space for children allows them to learn and grow in a place protected from daily concerns and threats.
