Our Work:
Thierry’s Project
DRC
Thierry’s Project
A future without child soldiery
That was the dream of Thierry Shabani. Thierry, a former child soldier, desired a better future for his fellow combatants who, like many young people in South Kivu, endured the challenges of life in the armed groups. After recognizing the possibilities of leaving the armed groups and assisting his fellow child combatants to do the same, he started an organization dedicated specifically to the demobilization and reintegration of child combatants in South Kivu, and convincing armed group leaders to cease the recruitment of children into the fighting groups.
A Partnership begins
A few years after its founding,
Thierry reached out to IPI during our first journey to the Congo to explore partnerships there. This led to a partnership with IPI to demobilize child combatants and fulfill Thierry’s vision of a Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where children could just be children, without involvement in fighting groups. After his death in 2021, IPI launched Thierry’s Project to commemorate his legacy and ensure a path out of child soldiery for all who desire it while reinvigorating community solidarity.
To achieve this, the project raises funds to gift goats to child soldiers once they leave armed groups. For every former child combatant who receives a goat, another vulnerable child in that same village is gifted a goat to promote solidarity, community building, and economic growth.
Why goats?
Goats play an important role in the local economy where former child soldiers return post demobilization. In the DRC, approximately three-quarters of the rural population own a goat (often many) and can account for over 70% of a household’s income, according to the International Livestock Research Institute. A goat provides a continued source of income for the recipient and contributes to the community’s well being. A goat represents an investment in the child’s future, allowing them to build wealth, independence and, ultimately, freedom.
IPI invests in a particular type of goat that often births twins. This allows the recipient to build a herd more quickly and inherently increases its value. The goats can be sold to pay for a sustainable future like educational costs, business investments, or healthcare.
End child soldiery now
Make Thierry’s dream a reality.
