“School-age children are paying an unacceptable price for the growing conflict and insecurity in eastern DRC,” said UNICEF Representative Grant Leaity.[1] If you have been privy to world events over the past year and a bit, you might have heard about several ongoing issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo (“DRC”), a country located in central Africa. The DRC is facing a myriad of issues specifically in the eastern region, where rebel military groups have been seeking control over the mineral-rich regions near the Rwandan border. The ongoing geo-political climate has forced thousands of families to flee their homes, depriving children of access to education. According to UNICEF, from January 2022 to March 2023, at least 2,100 schools in North Kivu and Ituri have closed due to the worsening security situation.[2]
A major rebel group perpetuating violence, the March 23 Movement (“M23”), is comprised of ethnic Tutsis who were formerly part of the Congolese army.[3] M23 has been especially active in the eastern part of the DRC, near the Congo-Rwanda border. Rwanda has been accused of having ties to M23. The root of this fighting can be traced back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, where Tutsis, the ethnic minority in Rwanda, were killed by Hutus, another ethnic group. After the genocide, some of the perpetrators were alleged to have escaped into the DRC, leading to an invasion of eastern DRC by Rwanda and Uganda.[4]
We live in a world where we see many examples of education being a privilege rather than a fundamental human right. Unfortunately, when a country is in disarray due to internecine conflict that causes mass displacements of people, children suffer the most. They are unable to safely attend school and are forced to endure traumatic conditions due to the violence. For instance, in the eastern region of the DRC, there is a small village called Nyantende that is impacted by the wider conflict surrounding it. Aristide Burume, a Congolese man who immigrated to Canada with his family in 2005, would send any extra money he had back to his parish in Nyantende to help children go to school.[5]
Many of us have heard stories of our parents’ experiences in their country of birth and the difficult choice they made to leave and come to Canada. Once here, many of our immigrant parents continued to support their families and wider community members back home. That support is what the Nyantende Foundation seeks to build on.
The Nyantende Foundation is driven by the belief that education is a basic human right and is committed to making this vision a reality. The Nyantende Foundation is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to providing the economically vulnerable youth of Nyantende access to education.[6] Originally started by two students at Queen’s University, the Osgoode chapter has existed since 2021.
When asked by a reporter from the Queen’s Journal why they believe education should be prioritized in addressing conflict in DRC, founders Jon Skarsten, Spencer Goodwin, and Aristide Burume, explained that “Nyantende Foundation focuses on education because, being at an academic institution ourselves, we see the role it has played in our lives. Being literate is an essential skill that many of these youth have never been taught. Giving youth the opportunity to learn about the world around them will empower them, thereby opening doors to employment and positive change in the community.”[7]
Last year, our Osgoode chapter raised over $500, which translates to over 100 months of schooling for children. We are hoping that as a school community, we raise even more money for this great cause. You can support this amazing cause by checking out the Nyantende Foundation at https://www.nyantendefoundation.org and following the Nyantende Foundation – Osgoode Chapter on Instagram at @nyantende.osgoode.
[1] UNICEF Press Release, “Conflict in eastern DRC is having a devastating impact on children’s education”(29 March 2023), online: <https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/conflict-eastern-drc-having-devastating-impact-childrens-education>
[2] UNICEF Press Release, “Conflict in eastern DRC is having a devastating impact on children’s education”(29 March 2023), online: <https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/conflict-eastern-drc-having-devastating-impact-childrens-education>
[3] Gerald Imray, “What’s happening in eastern Congo and why aid groups are warning of a new humanitarian crisis” (19 February 2024), online: <https://apnews.com/article/congo-crisis-m23-kivu-2c1c7789e499622e377eefcacc833ec2>
[4] Center for Preventive Action, “Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo” (20 June 2024), online: <https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/violence-democratic-republic-congo>
[5] Trilby Goouch, “The Nyantende Foundation” (8 November 2012), online: <https://www.queensjournal.ca/the-nyantende-foundation/>
[6] Nyantende Foundation, “Our Purpose” online: <https://www.nyantendefoundation.org/about/our-purpose>.
[7] Trilby Goouch, “The Nyantende Foundation” (8 November 2012), online: <https://www.queensjournal.ca/the-nyantende-foundation/>