Children participating in activities organised by the Karibuni Library in neighbourhoods of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) share the magazine Lire, c’est grandir. Over the course of several meetings, accompanied by a group of volunteer facilitators, children and teenagers read, observe, write and share their reflections in the magazine.
Issue 13 of Lire, c’est grandir begins with the editorial Discovering my country: “Atlases, geography books and dictionaries teach us many things, but... each of us knows our country, sees it with our eyes and with our hearts. How do we perceive it? How do we bestow our riches upon it? How do we deprive it of that which could enrich it, make it grow, even ennoble it?"
Thinking about their country...
Throughout its eight pages, which are filled with photographs, boys and girls express, in French or Lingala, their knowledge and opinions on different aspects that characterise the Democratic Republic of Congo: its people, its natural wealth, its cultures, its many languages, its customs, some testimonies from brave people... And they offer suggestions on how to build a more beautiful country.
“Our country is special because there are things that we only find here, like the Congo River, which is huge. I love our songs with the tam-tams!” (11 years old).
“I think it's special because we have copper and cobalt mines. Thanks to them, mobile phones are made! Isn't that great?” (11 years old).
“If I could visit anywhere in the country, I would like to go to the Ituri forest. I saw a picture of it at school, it's super green and there are lots of animals. Maybe even... elephants!” (9 years old).
“I would like to go to Goma. There's a volcano there! I've never seen real lava. And Lake Kivu, which is also very beautiful” (13 years old).
“If I were the President tomorrow, I would build roads so that people could travel easily, even when it rains, and I would buy buses for children who live far from school” (13 years old).
“I would ban senseless tree cutting and create a large park so that animals would be safe” (13 years old).
Social awareness
By sharing different traditions related to mourning or marriage, they ask questions about customs that help people grow and those that, on the contrary, do not help people's development.
They recognise brave people in the country's history who have defended the dignity of the Congolese people and equality between men and women. They note that, despite the country's independence, it is threatened and suffers aggression. They have no shortage of suggestions for building a better country: ‘recycle waste, convince the President to send criminals to prison, change mindsets and clothing, protect the equatorial forest, as it is the world's second largest source of oxygen, restore justice, reorganise our army, be a good patriot, urbanise cities, fight erosion, solve water and electricity problems, fight tribalism...’
Some adults also contribute to the magazine by sharing their opinions.
The Karibuni Library receives financial support from Solidarität und Kultur, InteRed, and the Javier Oriol Miranda Foundation, among other organisations.
TA Info.
TA Translation Team.
Published in News