Fatshimetrie, September 3, 2024 – The fight against gender disparities in education is taking on a new dimension in Kananga, Kasai Central, where vulnerable girls from some schools in the commune of Lukonga are now equipped with school kits. This initiative, led by the NGO “Femme main dans la main pour le Développement intégrale (FMMDI)” with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), aims to strengthen young girls’ access to education and combat the cultural and social obstacles that hinder their schooling.
By providing twenty-eight vulnerable girls with schoolbags, ballpoint pens and uniforms, the NGO FMMDI is making a concrete commitment to promoting girls’ education. According to Dieudonné Kabasua, coordinator of the association, this action aims to meet the specific needs of young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, who face difficulties in accessing education due to cultural constraints, family poverty, early marriages and gender-based violence.
Girls’ education is a major issue for the socio-economic and cultural development of a nation. By prioritizing the education of boys to the detriment of girls, society deprives itself of the potential and talents of half of its population. It is therefore imperative to break down these barriers and offer all girls, regardless of their background, the same learning opportunities so that they can flourish and fully contribute to the progress of their community.
The commitment of the NGO FMMDI, supported by UNDP and Koica, is a significant step towards promoting gender equality in the education sector. By encouraging girls to continue their studies and providing them with the tools they need to succeed, this initiative contributes to building a better future for these young women, but also for the entire Congolese society.
Through this action, the FMMDI shows the way and invites other actors to invest in promoting girls’ education. Because it is by offering all girls the opportunity to learn and achieve their full potential that we can build a more just, equitable and prosperous society for all.
Fatshimetrie, at a time when gender disparities persist in education, it is urgent to act and support these initiatives that make a difference and pave the way for a better future for young girls in Kasai Central and throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo.