So-Called Child Witches Campaign

For thousands of children living in the DRC, the ongoing conflict has resulted in their expulsion and marginalization from family life and into a life on the streets. An estimated 70,000 "unaccompanied" children are living throughout the country, many of whom have resorted to life on the streets. This marginalization is compounded by the belief in witchcraft in the DRC; thousands of these children have been accused of being child witches.

To address this worrisome trend, SFCG-DRC initiated a concerted multi-media campaign aimed at changing attitudes about children and witchcraft in the Congo. The program relied on radio programming, music videos, theatre performances, and a television documentary to demonstrate that children should not be viewed as a curse, but rather the future of the country. SFCG-DRC also convened workshops that brought together children from the streets and community stakeholders to discuss strategies for debunking this stereotype and creating opportunities for leaving life on the streets.

The television documentary was released officially in June 2004. The film informs the population about the rights of children through a variety of elements and investigates the child-witches phenomenon in DRC along with causes and effects. The film includes a wide range of footage including interviews with "exorcists," so-called child witches, government ministers, police, doctors, and journalists. The documentary has already been broadcast on twelve television stations throughout the country.

SFCG-DRC's efforts have thus established the groundwork for a holistic and sustainable solution to this issue. The Congolese government, which before the campaign had largely ignored these marginalized children, has formed a Commission headed by the Ministry of Social Affairs to work on developing a coordinated policy for assisting these children. The local media's tone has also shifted away from statements that reinforced the belief in child witches and towards a viewpoint that reflects the SFCG campaign.

As attitudes change, the Congo's marginalized children will have opportunities to leave life on the streets and rejoin their families and communities as productive citizens.

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