Generation
Hope
Generation Hope trains youth in leadership, English and entrepreneurship. It helps young boys and girls to discover, develop and deploy their potential.
ABOUT GENERATION HOPE
The DRC is one of the top five countries worldwide with the lowest number of children in school. By providing a safe haven and funding, Un Jour Nouveau provides an education and the opportunity for children to focus on their studies. This empowers them to expand their horizons and allows them to just be kids, even if it is only for a couple of hours a week.
SPONSORED
Includes very poor families and orphans whose school fees are paid plus uniforms and school supplies. Students participate in a weekly meeting that focuses on leadership, studying strategies, entrepreneurship, and psychology (stress, trauma from broken families, poverty and death). Due to a lack of funding, the sponsored piece will be phased out over the next few years.
UNSPONSORED
Includes primarily homeless street children in Goma. These children come to the UJN Center four times a week to learn about Jesus. UJN also provides them with basic necessities, educates them, and uplifts them. Recently, UJN has taken 12 children from this group and provided housing for them with the goal of reuniting them with their families and reintegrating them into their communities. UJN works with them on literacy and vocational skills that they can use to make money. We also spend time assessing and working with them on their mental health and meeting challenges.
SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION
The various lessons in the Generation Hope curriculum are drawn from the scriptures, to help children attain wholeness. Generation Hope trains youth to become leaders and encourages them to encounter Jesus. We teach beneficiaries about great leaders, past and present, and always emphasize that they have limitless access to Jesus Christ, the greatest example of a leader who has ever lived.
IMPACT
Reunification and reintegration of street children back to their families and back into the community.
Children finish their studies and now are working for UJN or other organizations
More children educated and less children on the street
Children feel a sense of belonging and self-worth, and hope for the future
INFLUENCE
12 children living on the street are currently being cared for at the Kituku house and are working toward unification with their respective families
Education for 140 young boys and girls is sponsored by Generation Hope and the department pays their school fees
From January 2021 to June 2021, 1,483 young boys and girls received leadership training
Through 2020, over 15,000 children have attended the program
TESTIMONIALS
“I had stopped with my studies in tenth grade (K-10) because my parents were not able to pay for my tuition. This led me to live with a big timidity that was rooted in a lack of self-confidence. To me, my life amounted to nothing and I never believed that I was going to achieve anything in the world.
After attending a training for young people in Turunga, organized by Un Jour Nouveau, I discovered that I could still do something because I have great potential lying within me. I found out that I have the gift of leadership.
This led me to create a Peace Club in which I oversee young people, street children, and some adults. Currently, my club is growing and there are a lot of people who are supporting us. I thank Un Jour Nouveau for helping me discover the potential that was hidden in me.”
— Lucien BAHATI (26 years old, young leader living at Buhene in Nyiragongo Territory)
“My mother got divorced 4 years ago and remarried another man who didn’t love me.
After being abused and neglected for a long time, I decided to leave the house and start living, sleeping, and begging on the streets of Goma.
I became a thief and I started drinking and smoking weed. After meeting Un Jour Nouveau, they counseled me and I have been able to stop smoking and stealing. I have given my life to Jesus and I was baptized at the Un Jour Nouveau Church.”
— Dieu-Merci Ayatu (15 years old)
FREQUENTLY ASKED GENERATION HOPE QUESTIONS
Why doesn’t Generation Hope give funds to its beneficiaries so they can start their own businesses? +
The Department recommends young people with entrepreneurial projects contact the UJN HUB.
Why doesn’t UJN create centers to care for street children all over the province? +
We are not financially able to run large centers for street children. We are planning to open another care center in Béni with the hopes of raising enough funds to open more in the future.
Are there girls that live on the street? If yes, what is being done to help them? +
Although most street children are boys, there are some girls on the street as well. Most are sexually, verbally and physically abused by other street kids and adults. There is a need to open another house just for girls, but we currently lack the funding.
What does it cost to run the transitional house (Kituku) for a year? +
The approximate cost for rent, food, staff and program expenses is $12,000.