Joining forces in Angola for the integral development of children and adolescents

"That they may have life and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10). This Gospel passage inspires the pastoral work of the Frei Giorgio Zulianello Center in Mbanza Kongo (Angola).

The Center protects and supports vulnerable children and adolescents who are victims of physical and psychological abuse and have been abandoned by their families. In a special way, this home is committed to promoting the integral development and social reintegration of these youth. 

Angola is a country rich in young people. Almost half of the Angolan population (48.12%) is made up of children aged 0 to 14, women have an average of 6.16 children, and the population growth rate is the second highest in the word (3.52%).

However, according to the National Institute for Children (INAC, in Portuguese), in 2024 more than 36,000 cases of violence were reported in Angola, mainly against children aged 0 to 12, with 75% of violence against children occurring within the family. As another negative impact, in the province of Zaire, the poverty rate exceeds 51%. 

To address these violations and vulnerabilities, a collaboration of several groups united to serve the integral development of these children: some Capuchin friars, a community of Missionarie Francescane del Verbo Incarnato (MFVI) and several lay faithful.  This small ecclesial community seeks to accompany the growth of children and adolescents to ensure and meet their basic needs - e.g. basic nutrition, access to health care, and education.  In addition, to prepare them for reintegration into the family and social context from which they have been rejected, they are offered a program of professional, Christian, and human formation.

Currently, the Center welcomes about one hundred children and adolescents coming from situations of extreme vulnerability, namely, abandoned children, orphans with no living parent, children accused of witchcraft, and victims of human trafficking linked to the neighboring country of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

To further assist the children and adolescents entrusted to their care, the formation program has been recently developed to focus on overcoming the impact of the various forms of abandonment and violence that these youth have suffered, by providing psychological and psychiatric support and guidance. 

With an emphasis on occupational formation, the Center developed a vegetable garden, which has grown so large it is known as “lavra” (a word indicating a very large garden).  This space and voluntary activity instills the value of work, developing skills in the art of cultivation and a general work ethic.  Of course, the cultivated produce also helps to enrich the diet of the youth.

The formation in Church life is fostered through catechesis and the participation in various celebrations, which are designed to develop and mature the faith dimension of each person and to offer a model of living that is based on Christian values.

Finally, for adolescents turning 18, the professional training and human support offered at the Frei Giorgio Zulianello Center, includes assistance in the creation of future plans that anticipate a new life and family experience.