Children's Colonies

Why did King Leopold II want to set up children's colonies at Boma and Leo?

To supply more soldiers for his army.

Explanation:

These colonies aimed to supply soldiers. It was named as children colonies because children collected from Boma and Leo, specifically for military training under clergy and for vocational education. Theses colonies were set up by Catholic missionaries. These missionaries were from Belgium and supporter of the King and his regime. Children under these colonies were orphans because, in Africa, there was a strong sense of family and clan ties. The concept of orphanage did not include in their society.