Voix du Paysan to train and inform citizens: a commitment to social and climate justice.
Every morning, from Monday to Saturday, on the islet of Muhembe in the Ntambuka chiefdom, children brave the waters of Lake Kivu in a small, non-motorized canoe, alone, to reach Nyamizi Primary School, located on a neighboring islet. Without adult supervision, these schoolchildren face the risks of strong winds and capsizing, exposing their lives to danger on a daily basis. A hidden reality, but one that should alert the authorities before tragedy strikes.
Civil society actors in Idjwi, committed to social justice, denounce this alarming situation and issue an urgent appeal. They remind us that governing means anticipating and call for action before disaster occurs. They stress that the increasingly unstable climatic conditions on the lake worsen the risks for these children, whose only fault is wanting access to education.
In the face of this emergency, concrete solutions have been proposed: providing the children with a safe motorized boat, or building a boarding facility in Nyamizi to spare them these perilous crossings. Voix du Paysan joins this appeal to inform, mobilize, and remind us that education should never be a matter of life or death. It is time for the authorities and partners to act to protect the future of these young students.
— The Editorial Team
Idjwi: Between Hope and Danger – The Risky Daily Journey of Muhembe’s Schoolchildren on Their Way to School
