**Fatshimetry: The transformation of former gang members into builders of the Republic**
In a strong symbolic gesture, the National Service handed over this Friday a first batch of 500 benches to the University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), made by former members of the Kuluna gangs, now engaged in a rehabilitation program. This innovative project aims to give a second chance to individuals who once chose the path of delinquency, by transforming them into artisans of national construction.
The initiative, supervised by Major General Jean-Pierre Kasongo Kabwik, perfectly embodies President Félix Tshisekedi’s desire to enhance the potential of every citizen, even those who have made mistakes in the past. By entrusting the manufacture of these benches to people seeking redemption, the government demonstrates its confidence in the ability of everyone to change and contribute positively to society.
Jean-Marie Kayembe, rector of UNIKIN, welcomed this inclusive approach, emphasizing the importance of offering young people dignified learning conditions and promoting a message of hope and transformation. The reception of these benches by the students will be much more than a simple material act, but a concrete testimony to the capacity of man to reinvent himself and to reintegrate positively into society.
The benches, the fruit of the careful work of the “builders of the Republic”, bear witness to a successful transition, a meaningful reconversion. These changemakers not only fashioned useful objects, but they also rebuilt their own identities, going from delinquents to artisans, from destroyers to builders.
This project is not limited to the distribution of benches alone, it is part of a broader approach to rehabilitation and social reintegration. By providing former gang members with the opportunity to train and work constructively, National Service offers them a chance to reclaim their dignity and find their place within the community.
Through this great initiative, the National Service and the University of Kinshasa are paving the way for a fruitful and lasting collaboration, based on the sharing of knowledge, experiences and values. By joining forces, they symbolize the power of individual and collective transformation, and demonstrate that everyone, whatever their history, has the potential to contribute to the common good.
Ultimately, the project of manufacturing and distributing benches by former Kuluna who became builders of the Republic is much more than a simple rehabilitation action. It embodies hope, resilience and the strength of the human will to reinvent ourselves and contribute to a better future. It is the reflection of a society which believes in the capacity of each person to transform, to evolve and to participate fully in the construction of a more inclusive and united future.