Saving the Congo's 'witch kids'
The population of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is among the poorest on earth. For decades, the Congolese have been blighted by a chaotic political situation, bloody civil wars and an ailing economy. This instability has produced thousands of homeless children. Some lose their parents in armed conflicts, others run away from homes too impoverished to support them. More often than not, they are forced to survive by begging or stealing in the streets. There is, however, one more reason a child can become homeless here.
Related: Homeless kids of Ghana's biggest e-waste dump
A shockingly large number of kids are thrown out of their homes after being accused of witchcraft. The accusation may come from a family member, a neighbour or even a local priest.
Many Congolese are highly superstitious, and such accusations can be valid grounds for expelling their children. Priests carry out exorcisms on a regular basis, but, clearly, some “kid witches” are beyond help: whether they cry, steal, make mischief or their behaviour just seems uncanny – these are tell-tale indicators of a budding evil sorcerer.
Related: Tanzanian albino children are attacked by witch doctors and their henchmen
Abandoned by their families, these kids are forced to beg and steal in the streets. The aim of the first homeless shelter in the country’s capital, Kinshasa, is to save them from vagrancy and bring them back to their families.
The head of the shelter, known here as Ché Guevara, was once homeless himself. He knows of the struggles of street life – and the lure of easy money – that the kids face, and is working hard to give them a second chance.
-
25:38119602 October 2017 00:00
-
52:001027905 July 2017 00:00
-
27:37344726 April 2017 00:00
-
26:041279112 February 2016 00:00
-
27:181907006 February 2017 00:00
-
26:211715711 October 2017 00:00
-
26:45623715 December 2017 00:00
-
26:12168817 April 2014 00:00
-
25:3886622 December 2014 00:00
-
27:30123521 April 2020 18:13
-
25:56907102 November 2015 00:00