This is an emergency appeal in response to the recent developments in Goma! This is a rapidly evolving situation, and we are responding as fast as we can, and trying to keep in touch with our staff on the ground.

News report from Reuters: “ A senior U.N. official in Congo said there was now fighting in every neighbourhood in Goma, and the U.N. Security Council will meet on Tuesday to discuss it. Bruno Lemarquis, U.N. coordinator for the DRC "The humanitarian situation in and around Goma is extremely, extremely, worrying, with a new threshold of violence and suffering reached today as active zones of combat have spread to all quarters of the city."

He said the internet service in Goma had been cut, and phone networks were patchy.

"We must act now to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the suffering of the people of Goma."

News Report from BBC News :

“The UN says hundreds of people are wounded and that bodies are lying in the streets of Goma”.

What does this mean for the children of the Lumumba Village?

*Update - the children and families have been found and returned to the village, but there has been a lot of damage & theft . We need to restock & repair , and our training and business programmes have temporarily been stopped . We are working with our team on the ground to assess the security situation, and how much support they will need. We’re not sure how long it will take to get back to normal. Keep supporting, they need you & thank you so much .

This will also help us to rebuild any infrastructure that has been destroyed in the village during this period.