Broadcasting “the voice of an angel”

“Now, other children look at me with respect”

Christine was just a baby when her community branded her a “sorcerer.” By 12, she was known as a “witch.” Why? Her mother grew ill after Christine was born, dying within a year. Somehow, many in the community agreed, the little girl was to blame.

“When such things happen, people here say the baby has ‘taken’ the mother,” said Christine’s father, who loves her dearly. “That was the genesis of this problem. It’s culture.”

Life grew steadily worse. “Going through a day at school was torture,” recalls Christine. “I avoided collecting water from the well, at times when there were many people. I knew what they were saying behind my back.”

The cruelty made Christine question her very worth. “I started thinking something was wrong with me,” she said. “Only my dad and my family loved me. I was crying. I wanted to run away from everyone and everything.”

The suffering of children

From here in Canada, it’s easy to judge the culture in other places—especially when we see children suffering. It’s also important to understand the context from which such patterns might emerge.

Christine lives in Tshimbulu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where, in 2017, people discovered mass graves after a period of deadly conflict. The horror affected everyone, children and adults alike.

In the swirl of that communal anguish, Christine and several other girls faced rejection, abuse and violence, notes Grace Nzeza, a child protection officer with World Vision. “The suffering of children here was rampant and unattended.”

How we helped Christine heal

World Vision applied for funding from Global Affairs Canada, to help children growing up amidst armed conflict. Grant secured, they honed in on the needs of girls and boys like Christine. Careful listening was the first step.

“We learned that many children were experiencing physical, social and psychological pain,” says Grace Nzeza. So, World Vision developed programs to help struggling children to heal and thrive.

As part of the work, we invited Christine and other children to join the Healing in Harmony program—a music therapy for survivors in traumatized populations—offered in a partnership between World Vision and the Panzi Foundation.

Artists, not patients

“The children that we assess to be troubled [like Christine] were taken in as artists and not patients,” explained Junior Tshiasuma, a psychologist with the Panzi Foundation.

In a community where adults rarely listen to children, kids are raising their voices to lead change. Field teams helped the group turn parts of Christine’s story into song lyrics.

It turned out “the witch” had the voice of an angel. The participating children selected 12-year-old Christine to be their lead singer in a recording.

Now, Christine’s voice rings out through local radio stations, relaying a strong message to parents, community leaders and teachers. “Stop mistreating children” is the central theme.

The child of World Vision

“When my friends asked me to be the lead singer [in the recording of the song], I felt World Vision was listening to me,” said Christine. “I had something nice for others to appreciate.”

The song is joyful, hopeful —and crystal clear in its words for others. Children need care, not cruelty. They need inclusion, not rejection. They need encouraging words, not labels.

"People like my song,” said Christine. “They sing it when I pass by. Now they call me ‘the child of World Vision.’ They don't say ‘the witch’ any longer.”

A childhood derailed by abuse is now on track, with Christine choosing the direction. “I enjoy going to school now, because the other children look at me with respect,” adds the emerging advocate.

“My family and I feel proud.”

Click to listen to Christine’s song