Kimbilio

Kimbilio

Our Africa Mission partner is Kimbilio in DR Congo

Kimbilio – Congo Children’s Trust (CCT) – Overview 

Congo Children Trust (CCT)– CCT was set up and registered as a UK charity in 2007 in order to raise the funds to establish Kimbilio.  The project funds for food, school fees and uniform, health care, staff costs, construction etc are channelled to Kimbilio via the Congo Children Trust. Read more about them on their website congochildrentrust.org 

What they do

Kimbilio support street children and former street children through 4 centres in Lubumbashi the second city of D.R.Congo.  They  work in partnership with the Anglican Church of Congo to provide this support to street children. Their main aim is to reconnect children with their their parents whenever possible and appropriate, and reintegration into society.

Services

Centre Kimbilio – A day centre providing support and practical care, food, safe place to wash, literacy classes, recreational and educational activities.  This centre is open 3 days a week and receives between 50 and 60 children each day.  They attempt to reintegrate children who have recently come onto the streets with their families as quickly as possible to prevent them from becoming established on the streets.

Kimbilio Homes   At their four homes they offer children the chance of stability and care provided by the Congolese families who live on site .

Friends of Kimbilio – This is a group made up of mostly expat volunteers in Lubumbashi who give their time, resources and finances on a local basis to assist the work of Kimbilio.

Kimbilio Management Committee – This is a team of local experts and individuals with experience in management, youth and social work who give their time voluntarily to provide oversight, guidance and accountability to the work and development of Kimbilio. They meet on a quarterly basis, chaired by Sarah Trice.

Kimbilio Primary School  – was set up to provide a high standard of education to former street children and children in the local area whose parent’s wouldn’t otherwise be able to send them to school.

 Kimbilio Young Mum’s Training School – They offer hair and beauty training to enable teenage mums to have new positive opportunities to support their young children and prevent them from having an upbringing on the streets.

Kimbilio Sewing Schools – They provide training to mothers of children who have been on the streets due to poverty, to learn new skills which will help them to feed their children again.

Vision – As well as expanding the service provision in Lubumbashi and developing more preventative services we have a vision to work in other cities in D.R.Congo where there are many street children in need of support.

Current financial situation – Most funding comes to Kimbilio via UK Churches, schools and individuals.  Their current incomings and outgoings expenses parallel each other and at times they have to restrict some service provision as a result of lack of funding. They have no large funders and are looking to expand their funding support base and are actively searching for new partners to assist in this area.

Key People

Ian Harvey – Kimbilio Founder and Director.  Ian living in Lubumbashi for 5 years and worked alongside the Congolese team to establish the projects.  During this time he was supported via CMS as a CMS mission partner.  Although CMS no longer support this project, Ian who is now based back in the UK, is involved in promoting, awareness raising, fund raising and supporting the project through the UK support base. He also holds weekly Skype meetings with the management team in Lubumbashi and is involved in approving budgets and transferring funds to Kimbliio on a monthly basis.

Mark Gant – Trustee and Treasurer of the Congo Children Trust.  Mark is based in Chester, UK.  He has been a trustee since the Congo Children Trust was registered in 2007.  He visited Lubumbashi in 2007 and was involved in the initial planning process for the setting up of Kimbilio with the Anglican Church of Congo. He has visited Lubumbashi twice since that time.  He manages the CCT accounts and is the main contact for donations.

Sarah Trice – Chair of the Kimbilio Management Committee and Volunteer Co-ordinator of the Friends of Kimbilio in Lubumbashi.  Sarah lives in Lubumbashi and formerly managed an internet provider in the city.

All of the above people work voluntarily for Kimbilio.  As the work is growing in DRC and the UK, there is a need for full time paid member of staff to take on the increasing responsibilities.  Funds are needed in order to enable this to take place.

Our Websites    congochildrentrust.org   lifeinlubumbashi.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/groups/kimbilio/?fref=ts

www.justgiving.com/congochildrentrust/

www.congochildrentrust.org