This project will provide the funds to purchase a site which will become a multipurpose support centre for vulnerable children&families at risk of breakdown -a safe place for street children to eat, access clean water, play & be listened to; family& community support for families on the edge; life skills training for former street children as well as parents of children without an income. Providing families with an income could be the key to preventing their children ending up on the streets.

Kimbilio has opened an amazing primary school, the only one in the area, offering the chance for former street children & local children living in poverty, to attend school! We will be giving the children the very best opportunities in life. Your support will enable more children to attend, as well as offering quality education. We are the only school in the area to provide computers and IT training, putting Kimbilio students ahead of the game when it comes to further education & finding a job.

There are thought to be thousands of street children in Lubumbashi alone, and since 2009 Kimbilio has been helping to reunite these children with their families. We take the time to get to know each child on a personal level, before locating their family and helping them to rebuild their relationship. This is a challenging and emotional process, but giving children this second chance can be life-changing.

Every day, young children are being exploited to work in the artisanal mines in DR Congo. The hours are long and they are often threatened with violence, all for 8p a day. Operating in Katanga province, close to these mines, Kimbilio is able to offer support to some of these young children; transforming their lives from exploitation to a hope-filled future. Kimbilio offers holistic support to children who have lost contact with their families and are trying their best just to survive.

Mary has been based in Congo since 1965.During this time she has developed a small health centre into a 180 bed hospital and maternity, serving a wider area and needy population,close to the Angolan border. She has recently been instrumental in the building of a new primary school in the village.This year marks her 80th birthday and the anniversary of 55 years of working in Congo. Presents can't get to her due to coronavirus border closures so we are raising funds for her work instead.

Street Girls in Congo are vulnerable to sexual exploitation, violence and addiction, and are often invisible on the streets. The Kimbilio projects offers on the street support to approximately 35 girls a week and provides a loving home for up to 24 street girls. If and when it is safe to do so Kimbilio will try to reunite each girl with her family.

Empower street children through education by helping us to build a Kimbilio primary school. Street connected children have little or no access to education, especially if they are a girl. Help us provide an inclusive school for these marginalized girls and boys, where we strengthen community cohesion by educating them alongside local children. Education will enable the children to transform their futures.

We like Christmas to be special for all the children we support at Kimbilio. Each year we have a special party. We make sure all the children get a present. For children who have been living on the streets an event like this is a big deal & being offered a present rather than begging on the streets means a lot. This year we opened a Primary School for over 150 former street children & children whose families can't afford to send them to school. We'd like them to have a party & present too.