Projects

Inuka

INUKA is a project that gives opportunities to children who have known only war by helping them shape their own future. Young children, and girls in particular, have seen, and been victims of, atrocities that no child should ever have to witness.

INUKA is targeting those vulnerable, abandoned young women and girls, who have been rejected by their family, are homeless or orphaned.

Objectives

The overall objective of INUKA is to contribute to the promotion of peace and national reconciliation in the Great Lakes region. Through its work, INUKA also wishes to help consolidate the recent return of a state of law and order in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Following a meeting with Marguerite Barankitse, better known as Maggy, from Maison Shalom in Burundi, INUKA wishes to develop a South-South Cooperation. With her extensive experience, Maggy is assisting INUKA in better defining and targeting its work.

INUKA specifically wishes to help young girls, by reinserting them with their families or relatives within their own community, ultimately promoting peace. By promoting family reconciliation, and improving living conditions within communities, the aim is ultimately to strengthen national unity, understanding and peace in the region. It is our firm belief that the reintegration of children whose lives have been torn apart by conflicts is an activity that promotes peace and goodwill.

A half-way house made up of 3 maisonettes in which children are organized into groups has been set up in Goma. Each maisonette has a person in charge and all the children have tasks and responsibilities relevant to their age and capabilities. The youngsters are monitored by an instructor who guides and helps them to “stand up and move forward” towards an independent life (followed up by the current organization, school monitoring, proper management of household, kitchen, hygiene etc).

Activities

Self-sufficiency

The period of bringing the children to self-sufficiency takes on average about 8 months at the half way house.

The reinsertion process

At the same time, a team of social workers endeavours to trace and reconstitute the history of the children and often, in so doing, they discover their true identity. Steps are taken to find a family member, establish family reconciliation and reinsert (as far as possible), young girls and their siblings.

Certain orphaned siblings, who are already able to look after themselves, are reinserted in a more independent way in the community. By reintegrating children into families and the community, they then become messengers of peace and reunification.

To date, INUKA has reinserted children in Goma, Kishanga and Bunia (places particularly affected by the war). In the majority of cases, the families of children that are being reinserted live in very poor conditions and have lost almost all their belongings in the war. Based on their level of living conditions, reinserted children and their families receive financial aid and support with an emphasis on schooling.

Integration into the community and promoting peace

In Congolese culture, the education of a child is not only the responsibility of the immediate family, but also of the extended family and in a larger sense, the whole community. INUKA wishes to revitalize the young community in general. With this in mind and with the aim of community integration, other vulnerable children and their families are helped. The type of support that will be given is decided in concert with local authorities who establish their priorities.

INUKA wishes to break away from the culture of dependency that has evolved and move towards durable development. The type of aid that is granted is designed to enable those persons to look after themselves on a long-term basis. With this in mind, INUKA attaches great importance to the young, the family and the community. All are concerned with the creation of durable development and should “stand up and move forward”.

Results

At the end of 2006, after just 1 year of existence, INUKA has touched the lives of more than 1300 people. (345 direct beneficiaries and 938 indirect beneficiaries).

Between November 2005 and June 2006, 19 children and adolescents went through the half-way house and 16 have been successfully reinserted. There has been 1 case of abandonment and 2 girls are still at the half-way house while they complete their professional training in Goma.
Between July and December 2006, 31 children have been taken on board, and 7 of these have already been successfully reinserted.
Currently 28 children are being looked after by Maison INUKA, while their families are found, and while the ties between the children and adults are re-established before finally reinserting them.
All in all, 45 children have been successfully reinserted in Goma, Kitshanga and Bunia and all continue to benefit from follow-up.
With the support of the SELAVIP Foundation and the creation of the John Martin Fund, 27 houses have been rebuilt or built for the reinsertion of children. This has allowed 172 people to have a roof over their head.
198 children are supported academically and their progress monitored.
2 groups of children receive nutritional aid and regular follow-up.
A Congolese team supports 97 children. They have improved their skills through training and courses. They have also set up a health-care fund to which they contribute 3% of their salary per month. INUKA contributes the same sum. Health insurance which involves all is an act of independence and a step forward.
Many other people, who have come to know the work of INUKA are indirect beneficiaries of this work(partners, local or international NGO’s, MONUC, companies,…)

Houses of the center of Inuka have been built by architect Nick Readett-Bayley. This architectural project has won the “Sustainable living by design” price given by the RIBA [Royal Institute of British Architects]. Here are the plan and the Nick's website DOWNLOAD PLAN (pdf document)

http://www.arosarchitects.com/

Download a very complete explaination of the Inuka project here.