### Access to medical care in Kinshasa orphanages: a major humanitarian challenge
In a context where access to health care is vital for survival, children of the Kinshasa orphanages often find themselves on the front line of health difficulties. Between budgetary precariousness, the management of limited diseases and resources, these structures face a challenge that few speakers really seem to understand.
#### An alarming reality
At the Hoe orphanage, located in Mont-Ngafula, Marie-Noëlle, the manager, testifies to the daily struggles to meet the basic needs of the 30 children welcomed. With a single source of funding from a small shop, the establishment lives to the rhythm of sporadic donations, often based on the generosity of volunteers. This commendable model leads to financial insecurity which directly affects access to health care.
The testimonies of Marie-Noëlle and other officials of orphanages like Maman Colette, from the Bomoko orphanage to Selembao, highlight the urgency of this problem. Children, often affected by diseases such as malaria and typhoid, do not have access to adequate medical follow -up. When this happens, the solutions adopted remain rudimentary and unsuitable for a professional care framework.
#### Intervention of churches and communities
It is interesting to note the important role played by churches in this context. In many cases, they represent the only health support available to these orphanages. Prudent assistance visits and collective prayers provide a form of spiritual comfort, but this material support remains insufficient to create a lasting health system.
The requests for the organization of fundraising, raised by Marie-Noëlle and Maman Colette, underline the need for more structured supervision. The dependence on occasional donations illustrates the systemic challenges faced by orphanages. Only a concerted approach – involving the State, NGOs and the private sector – could stop this spiral of despair.
### children’s specific needs
The orphanages do not only welcome children without family; They also host individuals with specific needs, ranging from chronic diseases such as asthma to reproductive health problems. Maman Colette thus evokes the absence of basic but crucial supplies, such as hygienic towels for adolescent girls, accentuating the often neglected realities surrounding intimate hygiene.
This alert situation on the need to review the public health and social inclusion policy surrounding these establishments. What measures could be put in place to ensure that these children have access to the same health standards as any other young person? This question remains open.
#### A future to redefine
The challenges faced by Kinshasa orphanages go beyond dysfunctions in medical care. They also relate to the structuring even of the resources made available for education, nutrition and well-being.
The future of children welcomed in these orphanages depends on the implementation of sustainable and innovative solutions. Cooperation between the government, the community and private actors can play a key role in creating a more united care ecosystem. It is essential that all stakeholders are involved to transform this reality and guarantee that each child can benefit from the resources necessary for a healthy and fulfilled life.
As it stands, the voices of Marie-Noëlle and Maman Colette recall the urgency of a collective action. Faced with this health and humanitarian crisis, their determination to support these children deserves much wider attention. Their experiences could serve as a catalyst for a more inclusive dialogue and an awareness of the need to give priority to the most vulnerable groups of our society.