Education restores hope for displaced children in Apala

Thousands of families are still living with the consequences of armed violence that forced them to flee their villages. These forced displacements, along with the poverty they bring, largely explain why so many children are out of school. By mid-February 2026, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that 922,000 people were displaced in the province. 

Claudine, 13 years old, from Nyamamba, is one of the many whose future has been compromised by armed conflict. With her mother and four brothers, she walked for two days to reach the village of Apala, driven out by the violence: “We fled the war, leaving behind our home and our school,” she says. 

Welcomed at a site set up for displaced populations, the family survives through small daily jobs. The displacement and the precarious living conditions at the site forced Claudine to abandon her studies. 

A rapid response to protect and educate 

In April 2025, faced with the arrival of thousands of displaced families in Angumu, eastern Ituri, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) launched emergency protection and education activities through its Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), funded by the European Union (DG-ECHO). The main goal: to improve the living conditions of children affected by the crisis, strengthen child protection, and promote inclusive education in a safe environment for displaced or out-of-school children, victims of violence or exploitation. 

Thanks to awareness sessions organized in the village of Apala, Claudine, 13 years old, was able to return to school. She was selected to benefit from catch-up classes implemented by the NGO. Since then, she has made up for lost time and successfully sat for the national primary school exam. She now hopes to continue her secondary education in September 2026, despite her family’s economic difficulties. “I had lost all hope, but today I am preparing to move on to secondary school,” she says. 

Before DRC’s intervention, Claudine was exposed to economic exploitation to support her family. Returning to school has given her another chance, but given the hardships her family faces, her future remains uncertain.  

Despite the response, the needs remain… 

Claudine’s story illustrates the situation of displaced children and the importance of educational programs in crisis situations. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, displaced children continue to face major obstacles to accessing stable and safe education: schools destroyed or used as emergency shelters, school supplies abandoned during their flight, lack of parental livelihoods, trauma from conflict, and more. In the Djugu territory, which borders Angumu and remains plagued by violent conflict, 24,000 children are still deprived of education. 

“I keep hope that the security situation will improve, so that we can return to our village and continue our farming and fishing activities. I miss eating fish.” concludes Claudine.