The Young Men’s Clubs Against Violence (YMCAV) project was officially launched on June 7, 2017 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The project was launched by the Governor of Kinshasa, represented by the Provincial Minister of Education, Environment, Communication and Gender. The objective of the event was to explain the project and share the results of the formative research carried out at the end of 2016 to inform the adaptation of intervention. Over 100 people participated in the launch, including the Swedish Ambassador, the representatives of the project’s beneficiaries and many other high level authorities.
Led by the Living Peace Institute (LPI), Equimundo’s strategic partner in DRC, and Equimundo, the YMCAV project aims to reduce street violence by both preventing 10- to 19-year-old boys from joining – and by helping them leave – Kulunas, or local street gangs, which are increasingly affecting the Kinshasan municipalities of Kintambo, Bumbu, and Makala. To inform this approach, the formative research aimed to better understand how norms around manhood are related to the phenomenon of young men joining these street gangs.
Read more about the formative research and the Young Men’s Clubs Against Violence project here.
The YMCAV project is funded by the Swedish Embassy.