DR Congo Nonkilling School Building Moves Forward

The construction of the new “Glenn Paige Nonkilling School” building in Kazimia, DR Congo is progressing well. The project was established by the Great Lakes Africa nonprofit humanitarian organization Mleci (Bemba language for “Nurturing” like mother’s care) and has been accepted by GlobalGiving.org in Washington D.C. in a contest for permanent listing for charitable donations, through which the building project is being funded based on individual donations.

The school has been functioning for more than 5 years now, but the new building will liberate the organization from paying rent for dispersed building providing a modern and spacious environment for a better education. If progress continues at the current pace the first school-rooms will be available in September 2012 to host the 2012/2013 term with over 250 children. Donations to support this nonkilling educational innovation can be made through the link above.

The kindergarten and primary school operate at Kazimia-Katondje, Fizi (South-Kivu Province, DR Congo) and was renamed “Glenn Paige Nonkilling School” by its founders in July 2009. The school was originally founded in 2006 and provides education to over 200 students, who are casualties of war, disease and abandonment. Besides providing free education to the local community, the school also offers breakfast, health care and clothing.

As part of its innovative program, the school introduced curriculum focused on nonkilling following the Kiswahili condensed edition of Nonkilling Global Political Science jointly published and distributed by MLECI and other nonprofits in the Great Lakes region. Mr. Abedi Msikana (Vice-President of MLECI) and Juma Leonard (Vice-Coordinator) have adapted the contents into a new subject called “Nonkilling Society”.

The kindergarten section is designed for children from 3 to 5 and the primary school section teaches students from 6 to 12. Kazimia is located by Lake Tanganyika, and has approximately 18.000 inhabitants. The local administration has just offered 1,5 ha to the School to build their own facilities, a project in which great part of the community is involved. The School project was initiated in remembrance of massacres such as those in Lulinda, Makobola, Bangwe, Baraka, or Bibokoboko. Kazimia is 250 kilometers from Bujumbura (Burundi) and 180 kilometres from Kigoma (Tanzania).