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DR CONGO / LAKE
STORY: DR CONGO / LAKE
TRT: 3.30
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: KSWAHILI / FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 4 MARCH 2011 GOMA, DR CONGO
1. Various shots, Bernard working
2. Various shots, Bernard meets Anthony Lake
3. SOUNDBITE (Ksawahili) Bernard, Former Child Soldier and Carpenter:
“I will become an important personality one day, because I work very hard. With this job of a carpenter, I’ll buy my own car. Today, I live peacefully with my wife and my child.”
4. Various shots, Bernard at work
5. Wide shot, Corneille walking
6. SOUNDBITE (Kswahili) Corneille, ex-child soldier in transit:
“I am from Mweso. I was on my way to Kitchanga to buy clothes when some armed men kidnapped me. I didn’t know why they kidnapped me, and brought me to Tongo. Some days, they would beat me very hard and lock me up. Eventually, the Monusco found me in Tongo, and put me into the demobilization programme.”
7. Various shots, Anthony Lake visits children in class
8. SOUNDBITE (French), Fidele Rutabagisha, CTO CAJED Director:
“We organize literacy classes for the children who have never been to school."
9. Various shots, Bernard working
10. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director
“I can’t think of nothing more outrageous than when children are being used in armed conflicts and sexually abused. So I have visited various programs such as Heal Africa and CAJED. They are doing wonderful work, combating these problems. So UNICEF is here and will here to make the people of this country and specially the people that I met today and yesterday rebuild and makes their hopes real”
11. Various shots, Bernard working
12. Med shot, CAJED children play and sing
UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake visited Goma in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo last week to advocate for greater protection of children as conflict continues to undermine their well-being.
He met Bernard, a former child soldier, now successful carpenter who lives a decent life with his wife and child.
SOUNDBITE (Kswahili) Bernard, former child soldier and carpenter:
“I will become an important personality one day, because I work very hard. With this job of a carpenter, I’ll buy my own car. Today, I live peacefully with my wife and my child.”
In 2001, Bernard was only 11 when he was captured by an armed group in front of his school and was obliged to fight as a soldier. Two years later, he was lucky to escape and join UNICEF’s partner CAJED, a local NGO, for his rehabilitation. He is one of many.
SOUNDBITE (Kswahili) Corneille, former child soldier
“I am from Mweso. I was on my way to Kitchanga to buy clothes when some armed men kidnapped me. I didn’t know why they kidnapped me, and brought me to Tongo. Some days, they would beat me very hard and lock me up. Eventually, the Monusco found me in Tongo, and put me into the demobilization programme.”
In eastern Congo, some 25 youths aged between 14 and 17 are demobilized from armed forces or groups every week. The first step on their return to a normal life is registration at the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC MONUSCO, before they are transferred to foster families or a transit center like CAJED.
SOUNDBITE, (French) Fidele Rutabagisha, CTO CAJED Director
“We organize literacy classes for the children who have never been to school."
Accelerated classes for those who used to study are also set up as well as arts and crafts such as wickerwork, drawing, painting, and we also have carpentry.
Children in the DRC face multiple challenges to their survival, health, and welfare. This is especially true regarding sexual violence and the use of children by armed groups. In 2010, 14,591 new cases of sexual violence were reported in DRC, including thousands of children.
While there has been progress in releasing and reintegrating children who have been associated with armed forces, (in 2010, nearly 5,000 children were reintegrated into the community) recruitment of children remains a serious problem in DRC, with renewed insecurities in unstable areas.
SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director
“UNICEF is here and will here to make the people of this country and especially the people that I met today and yesterday rebuild and makes their hopes real”
The impact of conflict on children is far-reaching. Around 1.7 million adults and children have been displaced in recent years, with nearly half a million refugees seeking shelter in other countries. Many of them have lost everything.
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