Democratic Republic of Congo Letter Exchange
RESPECT International has successfully launched a letter exchange programme with the refugee communities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Dieudonné Amisi Mutambala, RESPECT country coordinator, and his team have worked hard to implement the programme.
A total of 720 students, aged aged five to eighteen from several schools are taking part in the programme. 520 letters have been sent so far and 80 children have already found a pen pal from Anwatin Middle School, Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA). Katy Lynch efficiently coordinates the programme there.
In addition to being a wonderful programme to develop friendship and lessen the feeling of isolation for refugees, it proves once again to have definite educational values, as Katy Lynch describes:
"The exchange [is] wonderful for my students! Every class had a discussion about refugees in the world, we discussed the definition of the word 'refugee' (which was new to most students) and then discussed how to prevent war, refugees, etc. The students were very concerned with the situation in the DRC and wanted to do more for their pen pals. […]
"My students […] would really like to learn more about the war, the schools where the children learn, the places where the children live. We would like some more information about how long the war has been going on, how long they have been refugees, and how long they went without school."
The refugees are delighted by this exchange and displayed joy when they received their letters, a feeling shared by their families and the communities in general, as Mr. Mutambala told us. The children particularly enjoyed the photos, sent along with the letters. They were particularly interested by questions regarding their everyday life. Some other materials were provided, like a T-shirt, a card deck and school supplies.
The refugees hope to receive more material help from their pen pals. Their American counterparts are planning on organising fundraising events and sending the money to their partner school, in addition to sending more everyday items.
The biggest difficulty encountered by the American students was of a logistical nature. The letters reached them in May, and they had little time to write before the end of the school year. But this was quickly solved by providing personal addresses and international response coupons – as opposed to the school's address – to ensure the continuity of the exchange throughout the summer vacation.
The refugee students face a challenge of an emotional nature, they are hoping for more pen pals to answer about 450 letters are still left unanswered. But their teachers do a wonderful job of instilling hope and patience. No doubt the RESPECT International programme is a wonderful reward for students who surely deserve it.