This article contributes to the stock of scientific knowledge by showing the effect of orphan status on child labour and school attendance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). While the abolition of child labour is undeniably one of the major tasks assigned to the International Labour Organization (ILO) when it was founded, child labour remains a severe problem worldwide. In many parts of the world, especially in developing countries, children do not have access to school. Instead of ending up in school, millions of children are forced to engage in child labour in income-generating and non-income-generating activities. Little researchers have yet made it possible to obtain simultaneous information on child labour, school attendance and orphaned children. This paper describes the research that tries to make such a connection. Data used is from the out-of-school children and adolescents (OOSC-DRC-2012) survey organised by the Ministry of Primary, secondary and Vocational Education. Using a bivariate probit econometric model and testing the endogeneity with an instrumental variables approach, funding of the analysis supports the assumption of a significant negative relationship between child labour and school attendance. The result shows also that being orphaned reduces a child's likelihood of school attendance and increases the probability of entering the labour market. It is underlined that most children are present in non-income-generating than income-generating activities.

This paper explores the deconstruction of child labour in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sites, highlighting different perspectives. Despite the economic benefits to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), ASM poses challenges, particularly where children are concerned. ology: Our study uses a convergent parallel mixed methods approach to interpret qualitative and qualitative data based on the conceptual framework of human capital. Trivariate probit and Tobit models were used for quantitative data and content analysis was employed for qualitative data. We collected primary data by interviewing children involved in artisanal mining activities. Interviews were conducted with consent from the children and their parents or guardians. We adopt snowball sampling due to the lack of a database. The Centre of Expertise on Mining Governance (CEGEMI) developed the data collection instruments in collaboration with Inner City Fund (ICF) International and validated by the United States Department of Labour. We found that limited access to education leads to decreased school attendance rates among children, pushing them towards engaging in hazardous and non-hazardous economic activities within the DRC's mining areas. Moreover, excessive working hours negatively impact children's academic performance. Consequently, there is a trade-off between attending school and engaging in child labour at ASM sites in the DRC. This study did not consider domestic activities carried out by children. This could give even more detailed results. Governments and partners must prioritise creating a comprehensive list of hazardous activities for children in the ASM context. Careful conceptualisation is necessary to ensure the clarity and effectiveness of this list. Raising awareness about the merits of removing children from activities related to mining is important for households living in and around ASM sites. Interventions aiming to reduce child labour and increase school attendance in ASM zones must remain mindful of the socio-economic and school infrastructure needs.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), e-learning is a new concept for academic institutions. Covid-19 has reignited the debate about using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) within institutions. Technology is evolving exponentially, and Information and Communication Technology-based is now essential in all sectors. During the lockdown, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the educational institution's closure, e-learning became the rule, and face-to-face (in-person) teaching was the exception. Based on qualitative data on information and communication technology use with non-structured interviews in higher institutions in Bukavu, this paper attempts to understand the obstacles to the transition from face-to-face teaching to e-learning during the Covid-19 period. Our results show that many educational institutions lack information and communication technology tools and infrastructures. The Covid-19 pandemic advent brought most educational institutions to stop activities.

Climate-related disturbances are increasingly identified as major determinants of food insecurity in fragile environments, yet empirical evidence remains scarce in conflict-affected areas such as the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Using high-frequency FAO DIEM-Monitoring surveys (2022–2026), this paper estimates the causal effect of climate shocks on household food security in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tanganyika. Food security is measured with five validated indicators (FCS, HDDS, HHS, FIES, and rCSI); capturing multiple dimensions of access, consumption, and coping. To address endogeneity in self-reported shock exposure, the authors apply an instrumental-variable Conditional Mixed Process (IV-CMP) model and triangulate results with a pseudo-panel fixed-effects ordered probit model based on FIES severity. Objective climate proxies (rainfall and NDVI) are used to reinforce robustness. The results indicate that climate shocks lead to a significant deterioration in food consumption and raise the likelihood of households experiencing both moderate and severe food insecurity, thereby undermining sustainable food security. Effects are heterogeneous across provinces, reflecting the interaction between climate variability, conflict intensity, and market access constraints. Female-headed households are disproportionately affected in some areas, highlighting gendered vulnerabilities, while income, education, livestock ownership, and land access mitigate vulnerability. These findings highlight the need for integrated and sustainability-oriented policy responses combining climate-smart agriculture, adaptive social protection, early warning systems, and conflict-sensitive programming. Overall, this research advances existing knowledge by delivering rigorous causal insights based on multiple food security indicators and advanced econometric techniques in a highly fragile setting.

The purpose of this study is to show how political discourse has influenced the introduction of free-of-charge Basic Education (FFBE) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the 2019-2020 school year, following President Félix Tshisekedi's election promise. This article analyses the link between political utterances on free-of-charge decision and their implementation in the provision of public services. The paper is based on an assemblage framework to analyse stakeholders in FFBE implementation. Using press articles and secondary data from official reports, we found that the obstacles in implementing FFBE may be explained by the need for a properly concise public policy about free education, the mismanagement of different stakeholders, the lack of transparency and economic constraints. The population concerned is all the stakeholders in the education system in the DCR. To arrive at our conclusion, we used the assemblage method. In DRC, the promise of FFBE faces significant challenges, notably funding shortages, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of trained teachers. The economic instability in the region hampers government investment in educational resources, often resulting in fees being imposed by schools despite official policies promoting free education. Future research could focus on innovative funding models, such as community-based initiatives or partnerships, to enhance educational delivery. Additionally, exploring the impact of digital learning tools could provide insights into bridging educational gaps, especially in remote areas where access to traditional schooling is limited.