WAPA International ASBL

Organization Description

WAPA International is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting children who are victims of armed conflict. This includes children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups, child survivors of sexual violence, children born of rape, and children displaced by conflict.

WAPA was created in 2013, initially to respond to the specific and largely needs of children exiting armed forces and armed groups — children who, upon their release or escape, faced a critical gap in tailored psychosocial and reintegration support. Over time, WAPA's mandate expanded to encompass the broader range of children affected by armed conflict, including survivors of sexual violence, children born of rape, and displaced children.

In 2026, WAPA International merged with Les Enfants de Panzi et d'Ailleurs (EPA), an organization with a strong presence and recognized expertise in the Democratic Republic of Congo (mainly South Kivu) and in Iraq. This merger brought together two highly complementary sets of strengths:

WAPA's strengths: specific and holistic programs tailored to children affected by conflict, strong fundraising capacity, and an established network of partnership relationships across multiple countries and contexts.

EPA's strengths: a scientifically recognized care methodology, deep clinical expertise in trauma care, and strong community trust built through years of grassroots presence in South Kivu and Iraq.

Together, WAPA International and EPA now form a stronger, more unified organization, combining international reach and fundraising capacity with proven clinical methodology and deep community roots.

Mission and Approach

Our mission is to help children who are victims of armed conflict rebuild their lives through individualized, holistic care that addresses their psychological, social, educational, and economic needs. We believe that lasting recovery requires sustained, tailored support that helps each child heal from trauma and find a genuine path back into family and community life.

To achieve this, WAPA International and its local partners — trained in child psychotrauma — work through:

• Mental health and psychosocial support: individualized therapeutic support grounded in a scientifically recognized methodology and deep clinical expertise in child psychotrauma.

• Education: support for children's return to formal or informal education.

• Socio-professional training: vocational and skills training for older children and youth to support their transition to independent, dignified livelihoods.

• Income-generating activities: economic support for families and communities to reduce poverty-related vulnerability and strengthen conditions for successful reintegration.

• Family and community reintegration: sustainable reintegration into family and/or community life, supported by strong community trust built through our local partners.

Past and Current Activities

Since our founding in 2013, WAPA International has built a network of around ten local partner organizations across five countries: Colombia, the Myanmar/Thailand border region, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with our EPA merger further strengthening our presence in DRC (South Kivu) and Iraq.

Currently, WAPA International:

• Provides direct and partner-delivered support to children who are victims of armed conflict across our countries of operation

• Trains local partners and caregivers in child psychotrauma and trauma-informed care

• Runs education support and school reintegration programs for affected children

• Delivers vocational training and income-generating support to older youth and families

• Participates in scientific research to strengthen the evidence base on effective interventions for children affected by conflict, building on EPA's scientifically recognized methodology

• Conducts awareness-raising and advocacy activities aimed at ending violations against children in armed conflict, at both local and international levels

Future Plans

Looking ahead, WAPA International is planning a significant expansion of its geographic reach and program scope:

• Belgium: expansion of our activities in partnership with Fedasil, Belgium's federal agency for the reception of asylum seekers, extending our support to displaced and conflict-affected children within the Belgian asylum system.

• Burundi: expansion into the Busuma refugee camp, bringing our holistic, trauma-informed approach to children displaced by conflict in the region.

• Deeper integration of WAPA and EPA's combined strengths — international fundraising and partnership capacity alongside proven clinical methodology and community trust — to deliver a more seamless, unified approach across all program areas.

• Continued growth of our research partnerships to further validate and refine our care methodology, and to inform stronger, more effective policy and practice globally.

• Strengthening our advocacy efforts with international bodies and policymakers to reinforce protections for children in armed conflict.

Through this integrated, evidence-based, and child-centered approach, WAPA International remains committed to its ultimate goal: ensuring that every child affected by armed conflict — wherever they are — receives the individualized care they need to heal, while working to prevent and ultimately eradicate the violations that harm them.