Emedu lives on the high plateau of South Kivu in the Eastern DR Congo, one of Children in Crisis’ school building and teacher training programme areas.

She is 12 years old and only about to start year 2 of Primary School this year, very late, even for this remote plateau area. It turns out that Emedu’s father was a member of the FDLR, one of the main factions involved in the conflicts on the plateau. Her mother was a member of the Babembe tribe, one of the more persecuted tribes in the conflict.

For years, Emedu had to live with the FDLR fighters in the forest, while her father would have gone on missions with the FDLR fighters. When she was around five years old both of her parents fell ill and died, leaving her an orphan in the company of the FDLR. Emedu was then forced to leave the forest as no-one would care for her. She was taken in by a family who lived on the edge of the forest and she was put to work as a “house-girl”. Emedu was not allowed to go to school much, mostly working on household chores, tending fields and looking after the family’s children, who would go to school. As a result it took Emedu six years to complete Year 1 at school.

Only last year, through word of mouth, did Emedu’s grandparents hear of “a girl from the forest” who was living with a family. They realised it could be their grand-daughter. They took her in and now care for her properly. They are keen for her to go to school. She will now look to complete her schooling as quickly as possible, hoping to become a teacher as she says she realises how important school is, having been denied it for so long.