Léon

In Africa, the voodoo belief are still strong and can make parents reject their child if they suspect that the child is bewitched; this is the case of babies born with a physical anomaly, like angioma, hare lip or any type of disease.

A couple, Antoine and his wife, decided to help these homeless kids by providing the basics: a shelter, water, and some food, when possible. By building a house and an access to a well, Antoine had already done a lot for, what he calls, "his" kids. But provinding food for all of them was the biggest challenge. For that, Antoine was obliged to send the older kids to sell tissues or to clean shoes in the streets of Boma, instead of sending them to school.

After buying and giving Antoine food which would last for about a month, we sat down with him to understand how we could help him and his kids not only by simply providing food but most importantly with a longer-lasting and sustainable solution.

Antoine shared with us his dream and we were amazed how simple it was to help him fulfill it: a henhouse! Yes, a henhouse! Not only would it provide daily food for the kids but also a potential income to buy other provisions.

Vincent followed closely the construction of the henhouse to make sure the money was used efficiently.

The henhouse was finished end of June 2008 and by now has 100 hens, and there are 500 chickens to arrive in june 2012! Antoine currently provides not only a home, water and food to around 20 kids but also gives them the opportunity to attend school. You can be proud to be part of a small but meaningful contribution to the lives of these "bewitched kids"!