Worst place for di world to be small pikin

Democratic Republic of Congo for Africa na di worst place to be small pikin for world and di mata dey get worse.

"Wen you compare di informate from last year and dis year, gender base violence don increase by 47%. Dis na big deal," Sheema Sen Gupta tok.

She be di director of child protection for UN children agency Unicef and she tok to BBC afta she visit IDP camps for di east for di end of September.

"If you look at di eastern part of di kontri, just North Kivu and South Kivu, four out of five girls don experience gender-based violence," she tok.

Di kontri na di size of Western Europe and home to 100 million pipo, plus plenty mineral reserves.

For 2022, Unicef record 3,400 cases of 'grave violations' or serious abuse against children wey dey against di law for DR Congo.

Di cases include 1,600 children wey dem recruit to join armed groups, 700 wey dem kill for di conflict and at least 290 cases of sexual violence.

"As pesin wey dey child protection, I sabi wetin dey happun. But wen you go dia and meet children and young pipo, e go really hit you. Di grave violations wey dis children dey face pain me."

Since di start of 2023, more dan one million pipo dey newly displaced for DR Congo, dis bring di total number of pipo wey dey displaced pass more dan 6.1 million.

Unrest and instability

Di conflict wey bin don dey go on since thirty years ago don lead to death of more six million pipo.

Last year, violence increase as security forces dey battle against more dan 100 armed groups for east of di kontri, despite one big United Nations peacekeeping operation.

Since February, M23 rebel group don dey gain territory.

Over ten years ago na im dem form di M23 rebel wey claim say dem dey defend di interest of ethnic Tutsis wey dey live for DR Congo against Hutu militants.

Di DR Congo authorities accuse Rwanda say e dey support dem.

Pipo wey di conflict uproot from dia village dey mostly end up for camps like Rhoe wey Sen Gupta bin visit.

E dey 45km north east of di provincial capital Bunia and dey guarded by UN peacekeepers.

Yet, for many young girls, e offer little protection.

Sylvia (we change di name) dey just 16 years but she don already become mother of 10-month-old baby wey she born from rape.

BBC speak to her for di presence of her teacher through one Unicef translator.

"Wen I bin dey come back from wia I go fetch water, dem attack me inside di camp," she tell BBC. "E happun just as di sun dey go down. I no sabi di attacker. E bin dey very dark."

Afta e happun, many pipo gada round her but nobody help.

She tink say di pesin wey rape her still dey waka free for di camp.

"I dey provoke and fear dey catch me. All teenagers dey fear for dia safety."

Afta gap of three years, she don go back to school now as part of one rehabilitation process.

"Wen I dey school, my mother dey take care of my baby. Wen I go home, I take care of her," Sylvia say.

Na bamboo sticks and mud wit tarpaulin sheet dem take make her house. E no get electricity. Na only one toilet for about 50 pipo.

"E no safe for di camp wen e dark. Food no dey enough," Sylvia continue.

"I no get papa. I dey wit my mama. I no get any man to protect our family. Leaving our shelter afta sun go down to collect water fit dey dangerous for girls."

Sylvia receive some counselling so she no go reject her child.

Her baby make plenty noise as I dey speak Sylvia mama, Georgina.

"Wiale dey healthy, playful and curious," na so di 40-year-old grand mama, Georgina tok.

Georgina dey make money by doing house work for odas. She na widow and she feel say she dey alone.

"E difficult for her mama to look afta di baby. She (Sylvia) na just pikin," Georgina tok.

Life on the margins

Sylvia and her mama bin dey displaced three years ago from one nearby village wey militants takeover. Dem no sabi wen dem go go home.

"My daughter dey usually get angry. She dey always tink about di attack. She also dey get moody and no go send anybody."

Di head of di school, Lonu Bauojo Innocent, personally motivate Sylvia to attend class.

"E get many like her here. She dey very intelligent and attending school go help her get back to normal life."

Since dem dey rape many girls for dark on dia way to get water, authorities don put new water tanks inside di camp to reduce di risk. Women also dey waka in groups to help keep dem safe.

But di overall climate dey difficult. Police no dey insde di camp to prevent or investigate sexual violence.

And DR Congo goment don ask UN peacekeepers wey dey guard di camp to go by end of di year.

Di UN mission dey face more and more anger unto say dem fail to protect pipo from violence.

Sen Gupta hope say DR Congo go maintain some kain security.

Na general problem everywia as dem dey report cases of rape for refugee camps all ova di world.

"E dey difficult to say weda rape dey go up but e get some times wey some camps dey show say di case of sexual violence dey go up, Sen Gupta tok.

"We sabi say di mata serious for DR Congo, e dey definitely increase."

Dis no be message of assurance to victims, but tiny hope still dey.

Sylvia dey go one school wey dem just newly build, wey dey just outside di camp.

E get three classrooms now and dem dey build four more.

"I dey learn a lot. I also feel happy to dey for school wit my friends."