Projects
Ngangi
The Don Bosco Ngangi Centre is an organisation involved in social, humanitarian and educational programmes. It was created in 1988 in Goma. It is part of the non-profit organisation “l’Association des Religieux Salésiens affectés à l’Enseignement, asbl ». It is managed by 4 Salésiens, one of whom is Father Mario Perez who is in charge. He is backed up by a team of Congolese professors, teachers and medical personnel.
Objectives
Ngangi is a professional training and teaching centre which takes care of children in precarious life situations due to war and also following the eruption of Mt Nyiragongo in 2002. Orphans, displaced children, demobilised child soldiers and street kids are all vulnerable.
EALE has been contributing financially to the Don Bosco Centre since 1998, ever since Nicole Esselen met Father Mario and his 250 children.
In 2006, the Centre supports almost 2000 children and teenagers from the ages of 0 to 20 years. Interns, half-board or day children, they all benefit from a proper structure and environment so that they may make a new start in life:
Love and affection: Affection and attention are vital ingredients in helping children regain their dignity and self-confidence and in so doing, rebuilding their lives.
Food: The Centre serves aprox 4000 meals per day: soup, cassava and beans; vegetables, meat or fish are served twice a week.
Shelter: The Centre houses 300 full boarders. The other children, referred to as “amidos”, are housed by foster families that are aided by the Centre.
Medical Care: There is a clinic at the Centre which provides daily medical care and medication. Medication is donated by “Die Johanniter”, a German NGO. Their projects in north Kivu and Ituri are managed by Nicole Esselen.
Schooling or Professional Training: All the children at the Centre receive free schooling and training. Literacy classes for the youngest, primary schooling for children and apprenticeships for teenagers. At the end of all of this, these youngsters have the posssibilty of reintegrating society and providing not only for their own needs but also those of their family.
Accomplishments
Since 1998, « En avant les enfants » has pledged to help children at the Ngangi Centre and has done so through the following:
- Construction of 4 dormitories and a water tank of 300,000 litres.
- Construction of 8 classes and the repair of 5 classes.
- Constructionand tooling of a welding and masonry workshop.
- Construction of 45 houses.
- Renovation of the kitchen.
- Financing of a lorry and supplying drinking water.
- Financing the supply of fish once a week and milk to the equivalent of one glass per child per day.
- Supporting the refurbishment of the sanatorium.
- Supplying medication and overseeing hospital care.
- Financing the salaries of teachers, instructors and medical personnel.
- Financing apprentice kits.
- Donation of various items (shoes, clothing, books, tools, etc.).
Since its inception, the Don Bosco Centre Ngangi has helped almost 25,000 children and youths to once again regain their zest for life.