RELEASE OF UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED CHILDREN

Mukulu with his father and Isaac — Released from prison after being wrongly accused

TransformDRC’s Justice & Advocacy Ministry has expanded to operate in Kinshasa, the capital city of DR Congo. It is led by Isaac Munanga, a lawyer specializing in representing unjustly imprisoned children pro bono.

Isaac visited the prison and identified several of the most vulnerable children who needed someone to defend them. Below you will find out about three cases that were successfully concluded in June 2025.

Background:

Life in prison is very difficult in DR Congo. For children, it is even worse because they are vulnerable, catch diseases amidst poor sanitation, and suffer from hunger. Many children die because of these issues. Also, food is not provided by the prison, so if no one brings in food, they go hungry.

Most of the children in prison come from poor families whose parents are not able to pay a lawyer to represent them. The judge will not release the children unless a lawyer appears on their behalf.

TransformDRC Actions:

Mukulu, a 17-year-old boy wrongly accused of stealing food from a shop, spent one full year in prison because there was no one to defend him. Isaac discovered him in the prison and successfully defended him so that he was released.

Ndoba, a 16-year-old boy, was accused of stealing some pieces of bread because of hunger. He spent five months in prison until we successfully pleaded for his release.

Enoch, a 17-year-old boy, was the victim of an arbitrary arrest. He spent three months in the children’s prison until Isaac represented him. His case was dismissed and he was released.

Outcomes:

Children and families: The children and their families believed their release from prison was a miracle, and they were very happy. 

Judges in children’s court: The children’s court judges also rejoiced. They are not able to release any prisoner without a lawyer representing them.

Other lawyers: Lawyers saw this, learned that TransformDRC is a Christian organization, and wanted to know more about what we do. They said they will imitate our good behavior of helping poor people.

Get Involved:

Give: Please consider making an additional donation to help us sustain our efforts in eastern DR Congo. Give here.

Pray: The Transform DRC staff asks that you continue your prayers for peace in their region, for their families, and that they will be a light shining Jesus to others in this difficult time. 

Thank you for making this work possible.