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Projects Selected projects Street Child: Project LISANGA

Street Child: Project LISANGA

Since 2022, a little-known conflict between the Teké and Yaka communities in western Democratic Republic of Congo has forced more than 146,000 people, most of them women and children, from their homes. Seven in ten schools have closed, and many children have been separated from their families and left exposed to exploitation and recruitment by armed groups. Street Child's LISANGA project ('Together' in Lingala) works across the worst-affected communities of Maï-Ndombe and rural Kinshasa to ensure children aged 6–17 can be safe, in school and learning. As part of a wider consortium, the project has now reached more than 14,000 children.

A safe place to be a child

For children who have lived through displacement and violence, LISANGA has created child-friendly spaces offering play, learning and psychosocial support, reaching 8,000 children, almost half of them girls. Trained case workers identify and support the most vulnerable, including children who have been abused, exploited, separated from their parents or associated with armed groups, referring them to specialist care. Where possible, unaccompanied children are placed with foster families and helped to reunite with their relatives.

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Back to school

Through community "back to school" campaigns, the project has returned more than 11,000 children to the classroom, around half of them girls, with learning kits and catch-up classes for those who had fallen behind. Twenty four schools have been rehabilitated with safe classrooms, clean water and toilets, and over 200 teachers have been trained in methods designed for children learning in crisis. Where schools have reopened, displaced families have begun to return, and some armed groups have even ceased fire, calling the reopening of schools a sign of hope.

When the Mobondo militia arrived, we fled with these children. We had no idea where their parents were, but I couldn't abandon them. Life in Kinshasa was incredibly difficult. Then we heard about LISANGA, and the staff cared for both the children and me — providing essentials, medical care and school supplies.
Bumbupamba, caregiver of two unaccompanied children

Project support

International development cooperation is currently facing significant financial uncertainty due to funding cuts by national and international donors, particularly since 2025. At its retreat in June 2025, the Board of Trustees of he Stanley Thomas Foundationreviewed the implications of these funding reductions and decided to allocate additional resources to help address the emerging gaps. Street Child was among the organisations selected to receive support through this special funding round.

The Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation is supporting the second and final year of the LISANGA programme with a grant of CHF 100,000, helping to ensure the continuation of this vital initiative at a time when international funding cuts have placed the education of thousands of children at risk.

For more information on the project visit the street child website.