War Child has two projects in the DRC, one in the capital Kinshasa and the other in Goma, in the conflict affected eastern region of the DRC.

Kinshasa: In partnership with a local charity called OSEPER, we're providing a vital service to vulnerable girls and young women living on the streets of Tshangu - one of the most deprived districts of Kinshasa. Almost all of the young women are engaged in the sex trade as a means of survival. Our project has four elements:

• A brand new drop-in centre exclusively for street girls. The centre provides one of the only safe havens for girls in Kinshasa. Here they can shower, wash their clothes, get medical attention or talk to a counsellor. We'll be running courses in life-skills, recreational activities and literacy classes.
• A night ambulance that will tour the streets of Tshangu. It will provide both emergency healthcare and also acts as an outreach service - offering guidance and support from women from similar backgrounds who have managed to escape life on the streets.
• Education activities with the local community, government, police and army. We're also tackling the problem at its source. We'll be working with the police and military, street boys and other men to tackle harmful attitudes towards girls, and tackling impunity for perpertrators of sexual violence against them.
• Family unification. For the three year duration of the project we will offer family mediation for those children who want to try and move back home, help them to get back into school, or earn a living alternative to sex work.

Goma:Our project in Goma, North Kivu is specifically aimed at vulnerable girls and young women – those living on the streets; separated from their families because of the war and forced into prostitution; and also former girl-soldiers who had been conscripted into rebel groups. Many of them end up on the streets or forced into sex work to survive. War Child UK is doing all we can to help:

• We’re setting up child protection committees which will enable people in the local community to identify and help protect vulnerable children.
• We’re working with local social services and the judiciary to ensure that they implement the new DRC law on Child Protection
• We’re providing counselling and support to girls to help them overcome traumatic experiences
• We’re helping former girl-soldiers to return to school
• We’re providing literacy and numeracy classes that enable girls who have missed out on schooling to catch up so they can re-enter school alongside their peers.
• We’re providing vocational training in marketable skills like tailoring, mechanics and catering to help girls and young women who aren’t in school to learn a trade and offer an alternative to sex work.