Sylvain’s Journey Home
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Meet Sylvain… Sylvain fled Tshikapa village in Kasai in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2017 after violence broke out. While fleeing, he was separated from his parents and entire family. Here is a picture of Sylvain with Martins Cassongo of the Angolan Red Cross Society (Cruz Vermelha de Angola).CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Sophie Ncube -
Sylvain arrived at Kakanda settlement in northern Angola as an unaccompanied minor. A refugee foster family generously agreed to take care of him as he was separated from his parents. He has lived with them since December 2017. His foster father, Francois Kamabo described Sylvian as a very bright boy, hardworking, and wished him the best of luck as he prepared to head back home to the DRC where he would be reunited with his family.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Sophie Ncube -
The ICRC and the Congolese Red Cross were able to trace Sylvain’s family in the DRC and help put Sylvain in contact with his family before reuniting them with the help of the Angolan Red Cross (Cruz Vermelha de Angola). The team met with him at Lovua settlement and gave Sylvain a backpack filled with lots of educational material and other goodies before his journey back home. Through Restoring Family Links activities, the ICRC and national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies seek to restore contact between families separated by war, armed violence or natural disasters and migration, and reunify them when possible.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Sophie Ncube -
And so the journey home begins… Sylvain pictured here in the car with the ICRC’s delegate Silvia Aquino before they begin the drive to the border of Angola with DRC.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Sophie Ncube -
This is where the journey ends in Angola. The border between Angola and the DRC where Sylvain joined the ICRC team on the DRC side for the last leg of his journey to be reunited with his family. Sylvain shared with us that he wants to be a mechanic when he grows up. We’ll be rooting for him to fulfil all his dreams.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Sophie Ncube
Sylvian is now 16. He fled Tshikapa village in the Kasai, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2017 after violence broke out. He was separated from his parents. On arrival in Kakanda settlement in Angola and he was identified as an unaccompanied minor. He was taken in by a refugee foster family and has lived with them since December 2017. The ICRC together with Angola Red Cross Society, the DRCRed Cross Society and his foster family, have since August 2018 traced, initiated and maintained family contacts with Sylvain’s family back home in the DRC.
