Congo’s Children

Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo have seen their lives threatened, their families torn apart, their schools destroyed, and their futures compromised. Many are homeless—abandoned street children, some accused of witchcraft, others born of rape or orphaned by war.


But while children are the most vulnerable segment of a broken society, they are also among the most resilient.


Congo’s Children tells their stories, accompanied by vivid photography and video and drawing on reporting that has appeared in PBS NewsHour, The Washington Post, TruthAtlas, and other outlets.


“The stunning photographs and deeply moving text of this book offer a fine introduction to the suffering—and hopes—of people in a part of the world we know far too little about.”

-- Adam Hochschild, author, King Leopold's Ghost


“Here's the Congo that doesn't make the news clips or TV screens. The everyday Congo, with people managing to organize, create art, and educate each other despite the odds. A touching paean to the country's resilience.”

-- Jason Stearns, author, Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa


"The Sawyers' book on Congo’s Children is a powerful tool for students of all ages to begin to understand complex issues of poverty and conflict through seeing how knowing people as individuals is a first step in protecting human rights and resolving disputes."

-- John B. Hardman, president and chief executive of the Carter Center