Exchange Program to Help Children See Eye to Eye
Oscar Benjamin had a vision when he was seven years old to help children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), a country located in Central Africa. It is a country marred by violence and beginning in 1998, some five million people were killed in the Second Congo War, according to online estimates.
"Children live in slums here because their parents or guardians have little to no money for education, clothing, shoes, housing, medicine and food. They are surrounded by so many hardships, frustrations, and a lack of basic care because their loved ones have died, were lost in the war or have contracted AIDS," Oscar said.
In 2006, Benjamin's childhood vision became a reality when he formed Eye to Eye Child Care (EECC), a community based, child welfare organization that helps children in Uvira and Fizi in the DR Congo get off the streets, out of the slums, and into school. Eye to Eye