Altuofianco supports the work of the GAJEN Center, which takes care of children who do not have adequate nutrition in the Isiro area – Democratic Republic of Congo.

GAJEN (Groupe d’Appui aux Jeunes et aux Enfants Nécessiteaux, Support Group for Youth and Children in Need) is a support center created by the Consolata Missionaries in 1998 to provide food, medical assistance, and other forms of help to malnourished children, people with disabilities, the poor, the sick who cannot go to the hospital, and prisoners.

At the Center, work is done every day for children on several fronts:

• Registering children suffering from malnutrition.
• Daily care, medical visits, and treatments.
• Distribution of two daily meals from Monday to Friday.
• Training and raising awareness among mothers and families about nutrition, hygiene, and learning a trade.

One of the fundamental activities is providing two daily meals, five days a week: one based on cornmeal, soy, milk, and sugar; and a second meal based on local legumes, eggs, poultry, fish, pork, or beef.
On average, about 100 young guests are served at the table every day.

It is necessary to ensure that these 100 individuals receive two meals a day, five days a week, throughout the year.
We are told that a malnourished child can recover if the mother regularly brings them to the Center for four months; recovery takes time.

What does Altuofianco want to do?

We want to provide our monthly financial contribution to ensure the daily functioning of the canteen.

Some ideas about the costs:

• Cost of 2 meals for one child for one day: 1 euro.
• Cost of meals for 100 children for one day: 100 euros.
• Cost of meals for 100 children for 22 days a month: 2,200 euros.
• Cost of meals for 100 children for a full recovery cycle (4 months): 2,200 x 4 = 8,800 euros.
• Cost of meals for one year (3 cycles, for 300 children): approximately 27,000 euros.

Can you help us? There is a need!!

Altuofianco OdV – IBAN IT 11O0 6230 0162 6000 0152 60136

To learn more:

About the GAJEN Center:

https://www.rivistamissioniconsolata.it/2022/01/01/congo-rd-perche-abbiano-la-vita/

About the social and economic situation of the Congo DRC:

The DRC ranks 180th out of 193 countries according to the 2024 Multidimensional Poverty Index Report by UNDP; about 79% of the population lives below the poverty line, and the country’s illiteracy rate is around 23%, reaching 34% for women.

Poverty is widespread and severe; the main source of income in Isiro is subsistence family farming, with crops like cassava, maize, and rice.

Few families can afford to send their children to school.
From a healthcare perspective, local facilities are insufficient and often poorly equipped.

The local population faces common diseases such as malaria, respiratory infections, and malnutrition, worsened by the lack of access to medical care.

Even potable water is a limited resource.