The private school "Jewels International School of Kinshasa" dedicated this Friday, February 23, to the martyrs of atrocities in the Eastern part of the DRC. During an awareness-raising session, the school helped children understand the causes of the ongoing war in this region of the country, where thousands of children and families are displaced on the roads.
To show their solidarity with the victims of this war, students and teachers at the school wore outfits in the colors of the DRC flag.
More than three hundred students gathered in "the English courtyard" to commemorate this day.
Teachers took turns using posters to explain the repeated causes of these wars, which primarily aim at looting the country's natural resources.
"The war doesn't end in the DRC because multinational companies want to buy the minerals that the country is rich in, such as coltan and cobalt, at a low price. It is like cobalt, whose ton costs 32,000 USD, but in the DRC, children working in the mines are paid two dollars and fifty cents. This is called 'conflict entrepreneurship' meaning people do business by killing, by destroying others. But, we say enough is enough, it must stop!" an educator explained.
On their part, children also expressed themselves, each communicating in their own way what they had understood and also sharing a unique message for the occasion.
"The DRC has experienced the twenty worst years of its existence with the war. I believe that we should not kill for minerals. I believe that it has to stop because human life is worth more than minerals," a student added.
Parents present at the event appreciated this initiative to raise children's awareness. It was with the national anthem, "Debout Congolais," that the ceremony concluded.
MMC / RO