HCLS started as the vision of a Congolese couple, Dino (Mozart) and Sephora Kile. They were living in Bunia during the Second Congo War, but they were forced to flee the violence and became refugees in Uganda and then Kenya.
From very limited resources they started providing basic support to a small number of homeless, parentless children in Bunia while Mozart completed theological studies in Nairobi, Kenya. While researching and writing his thesis (coincidentally related to the growth in the numbers of parentless children as a result of the Congo Wars) it quickly became apparent that very little effective work was being undertaken, primarily due to a lack of resources.
The very practical vision that grew from his research was shared and developed with a long time childhood friend from Australia, the son of missionaries who had worked closely with Mozart’s parents. As people in Australia started to understand the need, and the potential for an education-based program was realised, resources started to come in, allowing a gradual ramp up in HCLS activities.