In Bukavu, the ringing of the school bell has always marked more than the start of a new year. It is a signal that life, in all its ordinary rhythms, continues. This year, that sound carries a different weight. More than a year into occupation, “normal” has been redefined for families across our community, and yet, children are still lacing up their shoes, packing their notebooks, and walking through the school gates.
At Panzi, education has never simply been about the classroom. Panzi Foundation empowers our community to dream bigger, gain new knowledge, and build a foundation for a more hopeful and independent future. This back-to-school season, that mission feels more urgent, and more necessary, than ever.
Ahead of the 2026-2027 school year, Panzi distributed school kits and supplies to 220 beneficiaries from two of our programs: 63 beneficiaries and their dependents, of our transit and community center, Maison Dorcas, and 157 current and former beneficiaries of the Save A Girl, our program supporting girls ages 10 to 14 we rescued from brothels in Bukavu.
This support arrives at a moment when everyday life itself has become harder to sustain. For parents like Ms Furaha, this support has brought real relief: “We are so grateful to the Panzi Foundation and its partners for continuing to support us and our children.”
The war has disrupted many facets of life: closed banks, border crossings, and major roads, displacements, leaving many households without a steady income. Amid these disruptions, Panzi’s assistance eases the financial pressure on families, helping children stay focused on school, and giving parents one part of daily life that still feels within reach. Yet our efforts are only as effective as the partnership we’ve built with our community and with parents.
Yves Shangalume, Panzi Foundation’s Director of Administration and Finance, spoke to the importance of this partnership during such a difficult period: “Parents and the Foundation must come together and each play their part,” he said. “Dr. Mukwege’s concern, and the Foundation’s, is to see this generation study, because depriving a child of an education is depriving them of a future.”
That concern has taken on new urgency, as the Ministry of Education in Kinshasa recently suspended academic activities in areas occupied by rebels, while the rebels stepped in to choose who runs these schools in the East. These decisions have left many students’ futures uncertain, caught between competing authorities.
Panzi continues to offer more than material support — we are walking hand in hand with families and students, providing financial support throughout a student’s entire academic journey, in some cases through university, with a vision of investing in the future of an entire generation. As Dr. Denis Mukwege has said, depriving a child of an education is depriving them of a future. As this school year begins, we wish every student the courage and success to pursue their dreams, and we hold onto hope that a return to normalcy is not far off.
