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Democratic Republic of Congo: in the slums, we no longer expect anything from the elections
Democratic Republic of Congo: in the slums, we no longer expect anything from the elections – (France info)
The Democratic Republic of Congo votes, starting Wednesday, December 20, to elect its new president. The inhabitants of Pakadjuma, a slum in Kinshasa, have stopped believing in electoral promises.
Although the Democratic Republic of Congo is a country full of natural reserves, two-thirds of its population lives below the poverty line. The 44 million voters are disconnected from politics and electoral issues. In Pakadjuma, a slum in the suburbs of Kinshasa with 50,000 people, many residents will not go to vote. The neighborhood has many issues, such as sanitation and education.
Prevent young girls from falling into prostitution
And through education, certain actors in the slum like Éliane Kibudi, founder of the Pakadjuma Résilience association, intend to eradicate kuluna, young delinquents, from the neighborhood and prevent young girls from falling into prostitution. “Many young girls who are mothers today (…) did not have the chance to go to school like you and me”, she explains. His goal : “reenergize them, talk to them about the importance of school.” Abandoned by politicians, the inhabitants of Pakadjuma learned to rely on each other and stopped believing in electoral promises.
