The next project we’ve planned is to build a new house for the orphans in Butembo. This house will be the 3rd of 4 planned houses for the 58 children who have lost their parents from the multiple conflicts in North Kivu, DRC.
Each house costs around £36,000. This is a collaborative project with St Andrew’s Church, Oxford, the Congo Church Association CCA and Church Mission Society Ireland CMSI. CMSI have built the first house and are raising funds for the second house (orphanage director Mbambu outside the new house in above photo). St Andrew’s Church had a grant for £16,000 that Semiliki together with CCA successfully applied for. We are each hoping to raise a further £10,000 to give a total sum of £36,000 which will also build a kitchen block that will serve 2 houses:
We have also been discussing plans for enhancing the orphanage’s family reunification, fostering and adoption programme, with the hope that the houses will in the future be used more for intermediate stay for children until they find a permanent home, and as office space to support social welfare programmes.
