For children in the world's most dangerous places, survival is not guaranteed.
Every day is filled with unthinkable risk – Conflict. Violence. Exploitation. Abuse. Neglect. Hunger.
The impact is clear to see; the baby crying for milk, the teenage bride, or the child soldier.
And yet, by 2030, 85% of the world’s extreme poor* will live in places so dangerous many won’t survive. These places look like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC):
Since 27 October 2022, Tumaini from the DRC has been displaced by conflict.
“We were sitting at home and all of a sudden we heard gunshots. Dad and mum were not at home but we had to run away alone.” The rebel group M23 had launched an offensive, and now they were in her village. Tumaini and her siblings had no set destination; they just wanted to escape the gunfire. 35km later, they took refuge in Kanyaruchinya refugee camp, north of the town of Goma.
“The first day we spent the night outside before dad and mum found us the next day and dad built a hut,” says Tumaini. Now, the entire family – father, mother and seven children – live in this small shelter made of sticks and eucalyptus leaves.
Tumaini’s mother Honorata, 48, says, “I was out making charcoal. When I came home for the children I found no one. I headed to Goma on foot. On my way I met a child, about two years old, called Akilimali who was all alone. I took him with me. The next day I met my children in the camp.”
Kanyaruchinya camp, hosting more than 30,000 displaced people (the majority of whom are children), has no access to water or hygienic latrines. Near the camp is a school for refugees. The conditions are poor, but the students are still the envy of Tumaini.
“It hurts when I see other children going to school and I can't,” said Tumaini.
For children like Tumaini, there are no simple solutions to their plight. But that's not going to stop us. For over 70 years, we’ve served the most vulnerable children. We strive for a future without poverty – and we need your help to achieve it.
With your support, we can go where the danger is and do whatever it takes to help the most vulnerable children survive, recover and build a future.
From providing emergency medical care and shelter to restoring schools and building livelihoods, we can make change happen. The result is strong communities where children can safely go to school, play with their friends, and dream about the future.
This is Childhood Rescue, and there’s a vital role you can play! Make a pledge to support children living in the world’s most dangerous places today.
* States of Fragility 2022, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
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