In eastern DRC, where violence increased sharply in 2025, those aspirations are fragile.
Jérémie, Shadrac and Esther in front of their school in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The region has faced decades of conflict, but with recent attacks, tens of thousands of families have been forced to flee their homes; It is estimated that, as of September 2025, there were 5.3 million internally displaced people in the country.
Schools have been destroyed or occupied by armed groups, and children are the most affected by the crisis. Exposed to persistent insecurity, hunger, trauma and protection risks, girls and boys with disabilities are at particular risk. Nationally, an estimated 6.4 million children remain out of school.
Without safe and functioning schools, dreams of leadership and peace have little room to grow.
That reality is driving a new two-year, $10 million program funded by the United Nations’ Education Can’t Wait (ECW) fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises.
The initiative will reach more than 62,000 children affected by the crisis in the province of Ituri, giving priority to girls, internally displaced children and the most vulnerable.
Kennedy and his colleagues visit the new classrooms and latrines under construction in the province of North Kivu.
While primary school enrollment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo rose nearly 70 percent between 2011 and 2020, renewed conflict in the east now threatens to undo those years of progress.
Schools are not only being damaged or destroyed; Insecurity is exposing children to serious protection risks, including recruitment by armed groups, gender-based violence, abduction and serious psychological trauma.
Adolescent girls are especially vulnerable when schools are unsafe, closed, or located far from their homes, increasing their exposure to exploitation, abuse, and early school leaving.
In this context, education is more than a development objective. It is protection and stabilization.
The new initiative joins other programs from which more than 125,000 children have already benefited.
These include the construction or rehabilitation of safe classrooms, teacher training, learning materials, school feeding, and psychosocial and mental health support.
The new classrooms are not cosmetic; They are essential for safe and effective learning.
In areas affected by displacement, schools have been forced to have double shifts or group several classes in a single room. New and rehabilitated structures reduce overcrowding, create safer and more gender-responsive spaces, and signal stability to communities recovering from violence.
A attends class at a school in the province of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
At Mabanga Primary School in Goma, new classrooms are transforming the daily learning experience. “I’m very happy to see the new classrooms being built because now I can study with my friends without being bothered,” said Kennedy, 8, as she watched the construction underway.
For years, two classes were crammed into a single space, making it nearly impossible for students to listen or concentrate.
According to Ituri’s new program, the focus goes further. In addition to infrastructure, the initiative strengthens the capacity of teachers, expands psychosocial and mental health services, strengthens child protection systems and addresses the risks of gender-based violence.
Alternative learning pathways, including catch-up programmes, ensure that children who have missed years of schooling are not left behind. Support for children with disabilities is also a priority.
For business and political leaders concerned about global instability, the implications are clear. Fragile contexts such as eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are home to rapidly growing young populations. When children are excluded from education, cycles of poverty and conflict deepen, undermining economic growth and regional security.
Educating children pays long-term dividends: higher lifetime earnings, better health outcomes, greater civic participation, and a lower risk of recruitment into armed groups.
In eastern DRC, Shadrac’s presidential dream, Jérémie’s call for peace, and Kennedy’s anticipation of learning without distractions are reminders that the country’s future is already in its classrooms, or waiting to be rebuilt.