Focus on Festisol in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The 2025 edition of the Festival of Solidarity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) stood out for its richness, intensity and the diversity of the initiatives carried out across the country. Co-ordinated by Pool Malebo DRC, under the leadership of the international solidarity organisation ASU MONDE, Festisol – which has been running in the DRC for five years – has become an unmissable event bringing together a large number of stakeholdersIt focuses on education for citizenship and international solidarity (ECSI), with the aim of challenging preconceptions, inspiring people to take action and promoting alternatives based on solidarity.

Raising awareness in local neighbourhoods: the work of Riverains du Fleuve

The ‘Les Riverains du Fleuve Congo’ collective has carried out a series of grassroots initiatives in areas particularly vulnerable to environmental and health challenges, notably in the informal settlement of Pakajuma. A visit and awareness-raising sessions were organised there, in partnership with the lead organisation ‘Les Amis des Oubliés’, which regularly supports local residents through community clean-up initiatives, assistance for prisoners and social support. Discussions focused on health and hygiene issues, against a backdrop of numerous structural challenges.

A second awareness-raising session was held in the Cité du Fleuve neighbourhood, with a particular focus on environmental protection. The hospital, a member of the collective, played a key role: a doctor spoke to highlight the direct links between poor sanitation and the onset of disease, whilst encouraging simple, accessible and sustainable actions, emphasising the local communities’ capacity to take action independently of external aid.

Festisol DRC Stakeholder Meeting: strengthening mutual understanding and coordination

Another highlight of this fifth edition of Festisol was the national meeting of Festisol stakeholders in the DRC, held during the Steering Committee meeting in Kinshasa. This opportunity for discussion enabled the collectives to introduce themselves, share their experiences and strengthen the synergy between the stakeholders.

In the DRC, Festisol is driven by strong momentum, with a very high level of engagement both in the capital, Kinshasa, and throughout the country. The east of the DRC, despite facing a complex situation, is no less committed to this movement. Local groups have nevertheless organised activities, such as the Bukavu group’s work on raising awareness and preventing gender-based and sexual violence in schools.

This meeting of stakeholders gave each representative of the collectives present the opportunity to share the highlights of their Festisol, whether past or future:

FUNA Collective: guidance sessions for community leaders and moral discussions between orphaned children and children living with their families, focusing on human values, lasting peace and social cohesion.
TSHANGU Collective: an educational campaign on eco-citizenship and waste management, forming part of a wider project linked to International Volunteer Day (5 December) and the International Year of Volunteering 2026, with Festisol as its starting point.
The Congo River Residents’ Collective: raising awareness of diabetes through a network of 100 pastors, initiatives for people with disabilities, and campaigns on health and the environment.
The DJUMA, LUKUNGA, Mont Amba and KASAI organisations: outreach programmes in schools, environmental education, hygiene, nutrition, green entrepreneurship, waste recycling and support for children in difficult circumstances.

A highlight for the Tshangu collective

In Kinshasa, Festisol marked a particularly significant moment with the organisation of a major community event by the Tshungu collective in the Masina Sans Fil neighbourhood, in the heart of the Tshangu district. The day was intended to serve as a concrete illustration of the link between solidarity, volunteering and environmental protection, in an urban context heavily affected by the challenges of poor sanitation and flooding.

To ensure the smooth running of this initiative, the collective organised two preparatory meetings, which enabled all the collective’s member organisations to be involved and helped to strengthen cohesion amongst the volunteers, thereby laying the foundations for an effective and coordinated collective effort.

Indeed, one of the collective’s first initiatives was to raise volunteers’ awareness of specific environmental issues, in particular the importance of recycling and sorting household waste, and its implications for public health. Emphasis was placed on the central role of volunteers as agents of change within their own communities, capable of raising awareness, mobilising others and leading by example through simple yet sustainable actions. This stage also served as an opportunity to highlight the importance of International Volunteer Day, celebrated every 5 December, and to emphasise that the 2025 edition of Festisol marks the starting point for a renewed momentum in 2026, which has been designated the International Year of Volunteering.

In a second phase, the volunteers were deployed in pairs across the streets and plots of Masina Sans Fil. This community-based approach encouraged direct, personalised discussions with households on the sustainable management of household waste, keeping plots and streets clean, and preventing health risks associated with unsanitary conditions. Beyond the technical messages, the discussions highlighted the close link between solidarity and civic engagement.

The third highlight of the day was a series of sessions on environmental citizenship aimed at young people and children. Through age-appropriate discussions, educational messages and practical examples, the facilitators encouraged the youngest participants to adopt responsible behaviour towards the environment and, in turn, to become ambassadors for raising awareness within their families. These activities helped to reinforce the idea that the sustainable transformation of neighbourhoods also depends on instilling, from an early age, the values of responsibility, solidarity and respect for nature.