Learning to Live Without Fear
DR Congo is home to some 43,000 refugees who have escaped violence and instability in neighbouring Burundi. More than half of these refugees are children who have witnessed terrible events during their journeys to safety. Find out how War Child works to rebuild their resilience and wellbeing.
Samuel is eight years old - and his story is sadly typical of the children who call a refugee camp home. Samuel was just seven when armed men came to his house in Burundi. His father was forced to lay down on the floor and threatened with a knife. Samuel saw it all unfold in front of him - and the memories continue to haunt him.
"The rest of us were very afraid,” he recalls. “We all ran away - my mother, brother and sisters. We were hiding when our father later found us. The mob had stripped him of his clothes."
The family escaped to DR Congo - where they spent their first six months in refugee camp with no running water or electricity. Food was rationed and the children were beset by nightmares.
Dealing with Adversity
Samuel now takes part in War Child’s emergency response programme inside Mulongwe camp in the South Kivu province of DR Congo. The programme allows children like Samuel to participate in psychosocial support activities designed to help them process their traumatic experiences and protect them from further harm.
Participating children learn how to deal with adversity and resolve conflicts and disagreements without resorting to violence. Creative activities such as music and dance serve to build their resilience and foster positive attitudes.
“He was previously very angry and withdrawn. But he has learned to open up. I see a happier child now.”
Samuel's mother Jeanne
Samuel’s mother Jeanne has certainly noticed a difference since he joined the programme. “He was previously very angry and withdrawn,” she comments. “But he has learned to open up. I see a happier child now.”
*All names in this story have been changed to preserve the safety of the children who take part in our programmes.