Educate 130 Children of Rape Victims in DR Congo

When I first noticed Claudine in a photo, there was a problem. Older than most but attending school for the first time thanks to our program, Claudine had been given a blouse that was too tight for her (Photo 1). "Get that girl a new blouse, please!" I pleaded. AMCAV used their own funds to purchase a new one for her and sent me a photo of her wearing it (Photo 2). In both photos, Claudine looked like she could use a boost of confidence, and I hoped for the best for her. Indeed, Claudine excelled in her studies. At the end-of-school-year exams, Claudine scored so high that the school authorities determined she should be moved from 5th grade primary to 7th grade secondary! And so, as one of the 150 kids this program supports, Claudine became the first AMCAV student to attend the local secondary school in Rwenena. She continues to excel in her studies. In the third photo here, Claudine returned to the primary school to visit friends and check in with AMCAV's director, Bernadette Ntumba. What a striking transformation from the year before! Claudine's mother is lucky enough to have a parcel of land provided as one of AMCAV's income generating projects, and when she saw Bernadette for the first time since Claudine began secondary school, she thanked her profusely with a simple but poignant gift: a basket of fresh green beans! We continue to be grateful for all the support you have provided to enable not only Claudine's education but also that of our other 149 kids. We hope you will consider a(nother) donation to keep this program going strong and to continue to affirm the self-worth, grow the self-confidence, and of course provide essential education for these kids. Thank you!