Lesson plan
Kindoki
Kindoki is thought by its believers to be a kind of witchcraft or possession by evil spirits. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and among Congolese immigrants in Europe, this belief is responsible for acts of child abandonment and ritual abuse of adults and children who were thought to have fallen victim to kindoki. Children who are perceived to be possessed by kindoki are subjected to exorcisms that include beatings, starvation, and submersion in water. The non-profit group Save the Children estimates that 70% of the roughly 15,000 street children in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, were kicked out of their homes after being accused of witchcraft. The majority of witchcraft accusations come from traditional shamans. Some Christian preachers, however, have acted as consultants, by pointing out supposedly possessed children and carrying out "exorcisms".
Article summary
Kindoki is thought by its believers to be a kind of witchcraft or possession by evil spirits. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and among Congolese immigrants in Europe, this belief is responsible for acts of child abandonment and ritual abuse of adults and children who were thought to have fallen victim to kindoki. Children who are perceived to be possessed by kindoki are subjected to exorcisms that include beatings, starvation, and submersion in water. The non-profit group Save the Children estimates that 70% of the roughly 15,000 street children in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, were kicked out of their homes after being accused of witchcraft. The majority of witchcraft accusations come from traditional shamans. Some Christian preachers, however, have acted as consultants, by pointing out supposedly possessed children and carrying out "exorcisms".
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.