Remember Youth for Change
Why Our Work is Critical
Remember Youth for Change is teaching skills that help former child soldiers and displaced children in refugee camps return to their lives — and return to joy.
For 18+ years the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has been embroiled in a bitter civil war that has affected over 40,000 children from the ages of 6-16. Conscripted child soldiers form 30% of soldiers operating in various militia groups in the DRC, according to the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC.
Remember Youth for Change (RYC) is a registered non-profit in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since 2016 we have been working with youth impacted by the ongoing civil war, with special attention paid to former child soldiers. Our mission is to bring hope for traumatized youth affected by war in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
RYC offers these children skills training, mental health support, and community reintegration. We build back up their confidence through professional trade programs such as carpentry, tailoring, and agriculture, as well as basics like reading and writing workshops. Our goal is to equip them with skills that lead to economic opportunities and brighter futures.
For children, the benefits of play are well documented, and include improved stress-coping and ability to regulate emotions. This makes community reintegration by “kids helping kids” through group activities such as music, sports, and drama even more essential.
