Goma, 31 July, 2021 / 10:00 pm (ACI Africa).
Members of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are resettling hundreds of children who had been evacuated from their Centre following the May Nyiragongo volcanic eruption in Goma.
“Youth who were evacuated from Don Bosco Ngangi Centre in Goma, during the Nyiragongo volcanic eruption have returned to the Centre,” SDB members at the facility say in a Tuesday, July 27 report published by Mission Newswire.
When the volcano erupted on May 22, the leadership of Don Bosco Ngangi Centre recall in the report, “Salesians, Salvatorian Sisters and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians had to remove all of the children from the Maison Ushindi orphanage and the young residents of the Saint Kizito Institute in order to keep them safe.”
“Lava reached several villages, destroying homes, cultivated fields, electrical lines and water tanks. Many people left their homes not knowing how long they’d be gone or if they would have a home or possessions when they returned,” SDB members say in the report.
During the evacuation period, they say, “for a week, 283 children, 187 older youth and 82 adults found refuge in the Salesian farm in Shasha, where the living situation was difficult due to lack of space and sanitation facilities.”