Over the past year, AFJN has done everything it can to raise awareness of the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. From policy analysis to advocacy on Capitol Hill to speaking at events, we are working to ensure that the voices of the Congolese people are not lost. So when a teacher at a Catholic High School in the Bronx, NY contacted AFJN Policy Analyst Bahati Ntama about getting involved, we welcomed their initiative. The school began raising funds to benefit Panzi Hospital in eastern Congo and 20 young women attended the Congo Global Action Conference in Washington, DC last March. 

Distressed by the continued conflict and violence against women in Congo, they have kept up their efforts. And people are starting to notice. On Wednesday, September 24th, the New York Times Metro paper published a story about a five kilometer benefit walk by St. Catherine’s Academy. Click here to read the full story in the NY Times. 

As Bahati noted, “seeing how they took on this issue and educated themselves made us realize we are looking at the next generation of activists .” AFJN encourages school curriculums at the elementary, middle school, high school, and university levels to promote awareness about African issues and to instill in young people a sense of social justice. If you are an educator or a student, please do not hesitate to call or email us to find out how you can get involved in bringing peace and justice to the continent of Africa.