Street Children in Kinshasa and the DRC

Street-connected children in Kinshasa and major cities across the Democratic Republic of Congo are mostly minors driven from their homes by armed conflict, extreme poverty, family breakdown or witchcraft accusations. SAPI Switzerland's mission is to protect them from street violence, restore family ties whenever possible and provide them with access to schooling or vocational training.

Why thousands of children live on the streets in the DRC

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, children living and working on the street is never a matter of choice. Three key factors intersect:

• Conflict-related displacement: violence in Kivu, Ituri and Kasai scatters families and forces many youth into urban centres with neither resources nor family networks.
• Economic precarity and the loss of parents: when a household loses its livelihood, some children leave home to search for survival on market stalls and street corners.
• Stigmatisation and intrafamily violence: children wrongly accused of witchcraft or subjected to abuse are cast out of their homes and left isolated on the streets.

Daily hazards facing unaccompanied children

A child sleeping on the street faces daily exposure to malnutrition, untreated infections, physical and sexual violence, and economic exploitation. Deprived of birth registration and adult guidance, they lose all access to schools and standard health facilities.

SAPI's approach: active listening, family mediation and reintegration

In line with our SAPI-CARE methodology, sustainable transition away from the streets relies on a step-by-step, child-centred accompaniment:

1. Mobile outreach and immediate safety: initial contact with the child, urgent medical evaluation (EHMA component) and placement in a safe environment.
2. Psychosocial support (CARE-MH): emotional stabilisation, rebuilding self-confidence, and structured educational and sports activities.
3. Mediation and family reunification (IDTR): tracing parents or extended family, sensitising relatives to eliminate causes of rejection, and post-reunification monitoring.
4. Schooling or vocational training (CARE-EDU & CARE-RESILIENCE): educational catch-up for younger children and vocational apprenticeships paired with socioeconomic support for vulnerable families to prevent return to the street.

To support these on-the-ground initiatives, visit our page DONATE or read our Publications.