Our Aim

4Watoto wants to paint a balanced picture of Africa, DR Congo, Goma and the 4Watoto foundation without pushing the hard side away under an overly positive image. Through education, the 4Watoto foundation wants to connect the people involved both internally and externally, for example by exchanging knowledge and experiences. Precisely because 4Watoto operates in two countries, it is a great opportunity to establish a connection here.

1. Equality

Although we may be very different from each other, and thus end up in a polarization, we can also recognize and celebrate these differences. 4Watoto believes that once this step has been taken, we can focus together on a society in which there can be more growth towards each-other. This growth can ensure a lot of knowledge transfer.

So creating awareness has a lot to do with the creation of connections between different groups of people. And perhaps these different groups of people are not that different at all. After all, we are all human, with the same palette of emotions and feelings, regardless of external circumstances.

Raising this awareness also ensures that people start to look at each other with different eyes. This mutual understanding, this cooperation and the knowledge transfer that results from it, will influence the degree of equality we feel for another.

2. Own actions & Sustainability

Globally, more and more people are able to spend more money on fewer and fewer primary needs, increasing the pressure on natural resources. Explosive population growth, dynamic consumption patterns and a continuously evolving technological market have made environmental problems an everyday problem (Tellegen and Wolsink, 1998: 16-19), which will increasingly require action.

Environmental issues fundamentally reflect Ulrich Beck's risk society: as environmental pressures and burdens spread disproportionately geographically, the human behaviors that lead to climate change will continue to increase in number and intensity until we succumb to our self-love. In our experience, this downfall mainly relates to the devaluation that our lives are subject to when the ethical-moral implications of a world without respect for Mother Earth begin to define us.

Although the buying drive within DR Congo remains fairly quiet compared to "richer" countries, the country is part of the hyper-capitalist world in which we are moving.

Since the chance of a higher income after a training at 4Watoto is likely to increase, we want to educate children well about topics such as their own behavior, climate change, sustainable solutions, the finite nature of natural resources. So that they can take this knowledge with them in his / her life and pass it on to the people they will inspire.

Within our capabilities, 4Watoto will always act sustainably, both in construction and projects with, for example, SuperAdobe or by using recycling / second-hand items.

We are for a synergy of the environment and society. For sustainability, global awareness and a focus on what connects us (rather than an emphasis on differences).

4Watoto offers education, not for indoctrination of a particular view, but with the aim of pursuing the search for a balance between us and Mother Earth.

3. Breaking stereotypes about Africa

4Watoto wants to address the clichés about Africa and show that not everything that initially comes to mind is actually a good reflection of the continent and / or the people.

"Africans are ..." "Africa is ..." Fill in yourself. Africans are this or that? No. Africa is this or that? No.

It is not possible to enter into this generalization without becoming erroneous in your statements or reasoning.

Africa is a continent, not a country.

Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people.

It is not everywhere dangerous, rough, primitive or corrupt as described. In many places it is clean, safe, vibrant and well-developed.

4Watoto wants to paint a more balanced picture of the African continent through a diversity of stories and make its audience aware of the patterns that perpetuate injustice.

We quote the renowned Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:

 “I think the bigger story of Africa is still about disaster. About a place in need, ”she said in an interview with the BBC last year. But Africa is a complex place, she continued: "With a lot of problems, but also with a lot of innovation, and dreams and talents." “Africa is much more developed than the average Westerner thinks. Today, economic growth has been around 5 percent for about 10 years, with peaks of 8% in countries such as Ethiopia and Ghana. So while there are certainly regions that are plagued by slow development due to conflict, this does not apply to the entire continent. ”

You cannot achieve anything with cynicism, and neither with high blood pressure. Acceptance, listening and staying in dialogue is what we believe works. 4Watoto wants to create a climate in which we all go through a constant learning process in order to eventually understand that we are all the same; Human.

4. Breaking stereotypes across the western world

4Watoto wants to address the clichés about the Western world and show that not everything that initially comes to mind is actually a good reflection of the continent and / or the people.

Europe is not superior, Africa is not inferior. In fact, it is ironic that countries such as France depend on their post-colonial economic income and thus the wealth of Africa. Easy said; a large group of people still think that the Westerner must be the savior of the otherwise oh so pathetic world and another large group of people see Europe as paradise.

Both is more erroneous than claiming that Mac Donalds sells pure and healthy food. Europe is not heaven and certainly not a continent where everything is going perfectly and it is not developed in such a way that there are no blemishes on our oh-so-democratic policy.

Although many want to publicize this all too often under the heading of pride. The past painful, glorious for the winners, disastrous for the losers. Welcome to war and power conflicts.

When peace will prevail is also a mystery to us, the only thing 4Watoto wants is to contribute by promoting connection instead of dividing the world by means of divide and rule.

It is a shame in our view that when we first meet, the terms white and black haunt our minds instead of fellow human beings. 4Watoto wants to bring people closer together.

You cannot achieve anything with cynicism, and neither with high blood pressure. Acceptance, listening and staying in dialogue is what we believe works. 4Watoto wants to create a climate in which we all go through a constant learning process in order to eventually understand that we are all the same; Human.

5. Decolonization

Decolonization is necessary in both worlds. Decolonization within the Western world implies the awareness of the privileges obtained from the colonial period. Within Africa it is about raising awareness about the trauma suffered and breaking free from dependence.

A real paradigm shift in consciousness, overcoming imposed thoughts and understanding of privilege is necessary. But above all, recognizing that there are indeed differences and that we are on this earth equal and together.