Our partners at Let Africa Live realized that providing housing for students removes a significant barrier to education and contributes to their healing process.  In 2010, Let Africa Live (LAV) began construction on a dormitory in their training center in the city of Bukavu to house 40 female students and their children.  Due to insufficient funds, they needed to stop the project halfway (photo below.)  

To help complete the dormitory construction Mwendo Congo committed to raising $71,000.  In July 2017 we reached our goal! 

The dormitory construction was completed in early September 2017.  The dormitory rooms are filled with 18 students and their children!  One of the students, Zawadi expressed her gratitude:

This is the first time in my life I will live in a safe house with metal doors and windows. I will be safe here. 

Below are photos of LAV students and the completed housing.

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Thank you letter from LAV staff and students

Dear members of Mwendo Congo,

The LAV staff along with the girls and boys at LAV learned that today you will be celebrating the success of project SHE to provide dormitory rooms for female students and their children while pursuing their training at the LAV center in Bukavu.

We say a huge thank you to the Board of Mwendo Congo which has agreed to integrate the project SHE in its priorities of 2016 -2017. Thank you also to the Education Working Group which has engaged in many strategies in order to raise the funds.

To read the full letter click here.

 

What Safe Housing Provides

  • Removes students' daily walk to class, sometimes amounting to 1-3 miles each way
  • Provides a safe space to sleep for students recovering from trauma
  • Provides child care for students' young children while their mothers are in class
  • Offers a place to focus on studying, rest, and healing during 8-month training course, removing stress of trying to meet basic daily needs
  • Affirms students' dignity and instills feeling of self-worth
  • Creates a community of learners with peer classmates

The faces of SHE