DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
OF Congo

FOBEWorld

Founded in 2016, Fobeworld uses football and storytelling to empower adolescents with resilience, health information, and services to prevent these issues, promote mental health and education, and help them lead productive lives.

Every young person needs tools to navigate life and health challenges. In the DRC, many children and adolescents face poverty and violence from ongoing armed conflict for decades, making them vulnerable to preventable diseases, sexual abuse, gender-based violence, and child soldier recruitment and lack of education.

Our main activities include "Kick Out Abuse," an educational and abuse prevention football-based program, "Score Against HIV," a football-based program focused on HIV prevention. "Mupira wa Amani Tournament" promotes health awareness, conflict resolution, and confidence-building through football Championship. Additionally, "Hadithi za Ujasiri" program empowers adolescents by teaching them storytelling skills, enabling them to express their experiences and build resilience. Through these initiatives, we inspire and equip youth to overcome challenges, prevent illnesses, and create lasting positive impacts on their lives and communities.

ORGANISATION DETAILS

PARTICIPANTS

Our programs are designed for children and adolescents aged 0 to 18, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or background. We focus on those living in conflict-affected and impoverished areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo, providing them with essential tools and support to effectively navigate life and health challenges.

LOCATIONS

North-Kivu Province: Goma (Goma city, Bulengo IDP Camp), Nyiragongo Territory (Kanyaruchinya & Kibati IDP camps), Masisi Territory (Camp de réfugiés de Mweso), Rutshuru Territory and Lubero Territory

country statistics

180 out of 189 in Human Development Index rankings (UNDP, 2024)

Average annual salary per person $660 (World Bank)

23.4 million experiencing crisis and emergency levels of food insecurity (WFP, 2024)

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the second largest country, by land mass, 14th most populated country in the world. In 2024 the average age was 16.9, making it the 6th youngest population in the world. This is a trend is predicted to continue as the birth rate is also one of the highest in the world (CIA World Factbook, 2024).

Since the 1960s the DRC has been affected by ongoing civil conflicts clashes between the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) and the M23 rebel group, as well as other armed groups which carry out widespread attacks against civilians. (Amnesty International, 2023)

The DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 77% of its population living in poverty and earning less than $1.90 a day. (Fobeworld, 2023)

Conflict and violence led to 3.8 million people being internally displaced in the DRC in 2023 alone, the second highest figure globally after Sudan, only a slight fall from the record of 4 million in 2022. The DRC is one of the two countries most affected by conflict displacement globally since 2016. (Internal Displacement, 2023)

Since January, 940,000 more people were displaced due to escalating violence. 7.3 million are estimated to be currently internally displaced in the country (WFP, 2024).

Due to increasing levels of urbanisation, cities such as the capital Kinshasa are seeing an increase in urban sprawl with limited facilities and quality housing. UN Habitat estimates a shortfall of 4 million housing units with 265,000 new houses needed per year to bridge the gap. (UN Habitat, 2023)

More than 3.3 million children are estimated to be deprived of adequate healthcare (Fobeworld).

In December 2023 the Congo river levels rose, leading to the worst flooding the country had seen in sixty years. In Kinshasa 221 people died with 500,000 people being made homeless by the disaster and moved into temporary overcrowded camps (Reuters, 2023).