AJEDI-Ka is a local organisation based in Uvira, South Kivu Province, Eastern DRC. It was founded in 1989 on the initiative of local notability and youth engaged in the fight against erosion and the protection of the environment. In 1998, following the multiple wars striking DRC in general and eastern DRC in particular, the organisation started to work in the area of child protection. AJEDI-Ka is based on:
I. OUR VISION
- A world where every child regardless of their social, religious or cultural origins can live in an environment that protects these rights with dignity, security and strict respect for their fundamental rights.
- A world where every child has the chance to express himself and participate in any initiative that concerns him: "If you do something for me, without me, you do it against me."
- Living in a world with trees, because without the tree there is no oxygen, without the tree there is no life.
To this end, AJEDI-Ka is actively committed to the defence, protection and harmonious development of the child throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is also committed to taking action to protect the environment with the help of children.
II. OUR MISSIONS
The foundations of AJEDI-Ka's commitment to children are the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), adopted by the United Nations in 1989 and ratified by the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as other international and national legal instruments and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions to combat the use and abuse of children in conflict and post-conflict situations.
AJEDI-Ka, contributes to the implementation of these commitments through missions that:
- Defend and protect the children who are most affected by war and other forms of violence;
- Promote the development of all these children by contributing to access to education and health; and
- Support change by leading advocacy actions at all levels (local, national and international).
III. OUR ACTIVITIES
- Community awareness through tools such as video;
- Capacity building of civil society actors to better respond to the six grave violations of child rights during and after armed conflict;
- Advocacy at local, national and international levels;
- Research, action, and participation; and
- Community reintegration of children affected by armed conflict and other vulnerable groups in the community.