• Overview
• Objective
• FPSC in Congo
• Summary
• American Initiatives’ Involvement: How Your Donations Help
• Where We Want to End Up
• Photos
• Videos

Overview

Objective

American Initiatives is working with Congregation des Sacres Coeurs to improve the education of people in the Kinshasa region of the Congo through development projects focusing on primary and secondary education, with a special emphasis on women. Broken down by gender, the illiteracy rate for women ages 15 and up is 44.9%, compared to only 34.5% for men. In rural areas the enrollment rate is only 43% compared to 71% in urban areas (UNESCO).

This program addresses two main issues of the educational system in Kinshasa, which suffers from two basic problems:

Limited access to primary education. There is a high level of absenteeism, particularly of girls, who are often kept at home to care for younger family members. The percentage of primary school girls out of school is 53% (World Development Indicators Database). Young women 15-24 are 10% less literate than their male counterparts, and without proper schooling are at a much greater risk of poverty, gender discrimination and exposure to HIV-AIDS.

Poor quality of education. Education materials in this region are often rare (if available at all), and as a result are very expensive. Additionally, unmotivated educators and deteriorating school infrastructures contribute to a widespread decline in educational quality.

FPSC in Congo

Since 1996, FPSC has fulfilled various projects in the Congo. In 2006, FPSC initiated a new plan designed to improve elementary education and adult literacy and vocational training, targeting women in the capital of Kinshasa. Of the local partners that FPSC associates with American Initiatives will work specifically with Congregation des Sacres Coeurs.

Summary

This project seeks to improve access to elementary education for the children of Kinshasa, and focuses on two specific areas:
Constructing and expanding educational centers
Purchasing new educational materials and equipment

The Congregation des Sacres Coeurs is in the preliminary stages of constructing an elementary school next to the secondary school Pere Damien in the Mokali neighborhood of Kinshasa, but more can certainly be done in the region.

American Initiatives’ Involvement: How Your Donations Help

We will partner with the Congregation des Sacres Couers to provide funding for the construction of the elementary school in Mokali, Kinshasa. Additionally, American Initiatives will help with the purchasing of new school equipment and educational materials. Through this project more kids will have the opportunity that they deserve to attend school in Mokali, Kinshasa. DONATE

Where We Want to End Up

Our desired results for this project's completion:

• An increase in the school enrollment rate
• Improved self-esteem and empowerment of female students
• Closing the gender gap by focusing on the literacy rates of females and encouraging their families allow them to be students