DR Congo: "We can't save everyone, but we can change a destiny"

By Tatiana Ballay, Communications Officer

The suffering of a street child

My name is Samuel, I am 13 years old, and I have lived through horror. Not in a book, nor a movie, but in my own life. I faced fear, and abandonment. I have slept under porches, rummaged through food scraps, and prayed that an adult wouldn't harm me. What I experienced, no one should ever have to go through.

But today, my life has changed. Today, I go to school. Today, I sleep in a real bed. Today, I have a family. But before this, I was a lost child, a street child.

Where it all started: The broken dream

I have only vague memories of my mother. At the age of 5, my uncle took me and brought me to live with him in the city, hoping to offer me a better life. For years, I believed that this dream would become a reality. But everything changed when my uncle got married.

At the beginning, his wife welcomed me. But gradually, she began to treat me as a burden. When my uncle left to work elsewhere, the mask fell off. She would only speak to insult me, and deny me the food she prepared, and even the water she made me fetch.

One day, she mercilessly said to me, "Get out of my house. You are nothing but a vagabond."

That's how I began to wander the streets alone.

Three months of survival: The invisible suffering of a forgotten child

I tried going to my maternal aunt's house, but she too was unable to help. So, I lived on the streets. For three months. Three months of struggling with hunger, seeking a little comfort in churchyards where I would fall asleep, hoping that some security would find me there. Three months watching children of my age go to school while I fought to survive.

"The worst was not the hunger, but the oblivion. It was as if I had ceased to exist."

And then, one day, a light appeared in my life.

The encounter that changed everything: A saving look

That day, I sat in front of a small market. I no longer expected anything, no longer hoped for anything. And it was at that moment that Ms Rachel saw me. She knew what I had been through. Gently, she approached and asked, "Samuel, do you need help?"

I wanted to say no. I was wary. Too many broken promises had made me lose all trust. But this time, something was different. Behind her stood her husband, Pastor David, who looked me straight in the eyes and said: 

 "You are not a vagabond. You are a child of God. And a child of God deserves to be protected."

They extended a hand to me.

Why them?: The strength of a transformative training

Ms Rachel and Pastor David had understood something that many adults ignore: they knew that every child, no matter who deserves to be protected and loved. They had undergone special training as part of the implementation of the Channel of Hope for Child Protection approach, an initiative by World Vision.

Pastor David explained to me one day, "When I took this training, I realized that protecting a child is not just a moral duty, it is an act of faith. How can one preach God's love and ignore the suffering of the littlest ones?"

And his wife, Ms Rachel, added: 

"We had always wanted to help, but before CoH, we didn't know how. This training opened our eyes. It taught us to see children as God sees them: precious, worthy of love and protection."

Thanks to this training, they knew how to identify a child in danger, provide a stable environment, and mobilize their community to protect children.

A second chance: Starting to live again

The first days spent with them were filled with fear. Fear of being rejected, fear of being a burden. But every morning, Ms Rachel would say to me, "You are home here."

Every evening, Pastor David prayed for me, saying, "Samuel, God has never abandoned you. Neither have we."

Gradually, I began to hope again. Little by little, I began to live again. Today, I go to school. I sleep in a real bed. I have a family.

A message for those reading my story: The power of a glance

I was one of those children who are forgotten, who are learned to be ignored on the streets. But one person saw me.

 "We can't save everyone, but we can change a destiny."

Pastor David and Ms Rachel chose not to look away. And thanks to them, my life has changed.

All names have been changed to protect the identity of the individuals mentioned in this story.