Goma is a major city of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The city is the capital of North Kivu and is similar to Bukavu from ethnicity and geographical point of view. It runs along the bank of the Lake Kivu in the Rift Valley, the grand lake region in central Africa. Kivu is situated not far from crater of Nyiragongo volcano, which is always active. The city’s recent history has been marked by the final eruption of this volcano in 2002 ad by the Ruandese genocide in 1994.
Evening view of Goma with Nyiragongo in the background.
The hard life in the barracks at the outskirts of Goma.
The effects of these events can still be seen in the city and its surrounding area.
The unpredictability of this volcano puts the people of Goma and the surrounding villages under a great risk. Volcanologists claim that in case of a violent eruption Goma might become the new Pompei. Another factor that is complicating the situation in Goma is the continuous flow of refugees of war who come from the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Refugee families at the school in Goma in 2012, during the MP3 rebellion. They remained in this zone for months. This area has been used as a shelter and the desks of the school are used to produce heat.
There are a lot of street children in Goma. Most of them are orphans or have been abandoned by their parents. They wander around the city in groups and they are often involved in acts of micro criminality.
The Volcano Nyiragongo is situated in Virunga national park which is known as “the Park of gorillas”. In case of an eruption not only the lives of human beings, but also the lives of these gorillas, which are already risking extinction, will be in danger.