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Boulevard du 30 Juin, Arret VodaCom, Gombe Division, Kinshasa.
OUR VISION: To build a strong platform that shapes to graduate holistic development through undertaking initiative for social change among the young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo
OUR MISSION: To expose the potential hidden skills of Congolese young people by using our own skills, experience and collective energy to design and deliver initiatives at all levels in the country.
The Collective of Youth Organizations for Solidarity in the Democratic Republic of Congo known as “COJESKI/DRC, is one among the oldest the grass-root national youth plat-form under the Civil Society, it is by nature a Human Rights Forum of various youth Non-Profit initiatives, and a Non-Governmental initiated in DRC. In 2021 was energized and started a reform process to help spearhead community driven development initiatives and enable needy community groups participate in integrated activities to achieve civic engagement, development, quality livelihood and be self-sustainable Development
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The very first ideas to initiate COJESKI network started in 1993 by a young person called Fernandez Murhola who first of all called it “Collectif des Organizations des Jeunes du Sud-Kivu” and was triggered by the following events:
The Democratic Republic of Congo by then Zaire entered into the democratization process as the main model of governance, but also the country welcomed millions of refugees from neighboring countries mainly Rwanda and Burundi which also created various security challenges. The need for young people to participate and play a civic role in the management of the country’s affairs became one among the aspiration of young people and in order to achieve this, the idea of creating this network emerged from a young student in Bukavu, South Kivu Province by the name of Fernandez Murhola. It was also observed that young people did not have spaces where they can interact among themselves and the youth agenda was not among the priority of the state. The need to retool, empower the youth, professionalize young people and helping them to organize better in order to influence positive change also became a priority.
As, he involved others and with the interest from various youth led initiatives, COJESKI then became a legal entity in 1995 and focused on young people in South Kivu with the following activities: To empower the youth, to help them to get more organized, to advocate for their participation in decision making at all levels, to promote network among the young people and push for a youth agenda in DRC.
Unfortunately the current war we still have in DRC which started in 1996 forced many leaders of COJESKI to leave South Kivu Province towards Kinshasa, neighboring countries like in Burundi, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania to seek asylum and in the process some were relocated to developed countries such Belgium, the United Kingdom, Norway, the United States of America and Canada. COJESKI from its creation was called “ Collectif des Organisations des Jeunes du Sud-Kivu » which means « Collective of Youth Organizations in South Kivu” COJESKI had then to adapt to this new reality of young people in various countries and Provinces of DRC.
In 2007 the Ageneral Asssembly held in Kinshasa adopted the resolution to make COJESKI a National Youth Network, and the following changes were introduced such the name which became “Le Collectif des Organizations des Jeunes Solidaires du Congo-Kinshasa” which means “the Collective of Youth for Solidarity in Congo-Kinshasa (COJESKI-DRC), registered as a national NGO since 2003.
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Challenges
Since 2008 a new team of leaders was elected to manage the network at national level and in 11 former provinces for a term of four (4) years in the offices, but this team could not manage to organize elections anymore and no General Assembly was held since then up to now. In the process the DRC changed from 11 former Provinces to the 26 Provinces since 2015 and in this way COJESKI-DRC was to put in place leaders to represent the Network in all these new Provinces. This was not done. The National leadership became weak and lost the support of various actors until the network at a certain point disappeared completely.
Current reforms and actions to be taken
Putting in place a national coordination in Kinshasa, putting in place an national office in Kinshasa and recruiting a strong human resource,
Activating and putting in place a coordination team in each Province and at least an office where to work from,
Proposing Constitution Amendments,
Having in place regular Provincial General Assemblies and from these they will be able to elect leaders who at the same time will elect the National Coordination,
Putting in place a National Secretariat in Kinshasa in order to carry out the activities of the Network,
