"Young volunteers in Goma led grassroots psychosocial support for war-affected pupils this week as renewed fighting between the Congolese army and M23 continued to rattle the city. Footage captured at the Goma Institute on Friday shows students taking part in psychosocial sessions led by local volunteers and listening to speeches. "The students saw the lifeless bodies, they lost their loved ones and their parents, and this was reflected in their results, there was a drop in academic performance, isolation, and also aggression among the students themselves, towards teachers, and towards their parents," said Head of Vulnerable Relief Organisation, Kikuni Musagi Espoir. "Therefore, the contribution we should make to the school community is to de-traumatise and provide psychological support to these students who were victims of everything that happened after the carnage of January 25, 2025, in the city of Goma," he added. "I remember the school year just stopped like that," said Dunia Namuisi, a student at Goma Institute. "Some students were traumatised, the situation was turned upside down, and it really affected us; even today, we feel the scars." It comes as fighting has flared again in eastern DR Congo, despite a ceasefire agreed earlier this month. Government troops and M23 group have been clashing in North Kivu, with both sides accused of breaking the truce. Army strikes and rebel counterattacks have forced many villagers to flee. M23 first launched a major offensive in late 2024, capturing towns across North and South Kivu and displacing hundreds of thousands. The government says the militant group wants control of mineral-rich areas, while M23 claims it is protecting marginalised communities. Aid agencies warn that children are among the hardest hit and that psychological support is now as urgent as food or shelter."