Help Congolese women and children heal from sexual violence

Did you know that every half hour a child in the Kivu is being raped?

My name is Sarah, the founder and owner of Binti Voice Initiative, a women's advocacy platform and here is my story. I was born and raised in Bukavu, a town located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This region has been torn apart by armed conflicts that are fueled by the fight over natural resources, political power, and deep corruption running from Mobutu’s era until now. Behind the headlines, countless women and girls are carrying the invisible wounds of this war. They have been victims of sexual violence, many as young as toddlers.

Rape not only destroy women’s bodies but also tear apart their identity, pride, dignity, and their place in society. Hospitals such as Panzi Foundation, led by the Nobel Prize of Peace Doctor Denis Mukwege, have worked tirelessly to treat these women that are rescued by the Red Cross organization. However, the growing wave of violence has left these hospitals overwhelmed, underfunded, and at risk of attack.

At the moment, many women and children who have suffered the worst crimes anyone can imagine are sitting in hospital beds without the basic medical tools that they need. Some cannot even access simple treatments like PEP kits to prevent HIV after rape. Others are facing life-threatening injuries with no money to cover their care because the war has disrupted the normal course of life in these towns, leaving many families unemployed. As armed groups continue to attack hospitals, patients and doctors are also at risk of being slaughtered unless the international community steps in. This claim is supported by the recent vandalism of Mukongola Hospital, one of the only hospitals that provide healthcare in Kabare, one of the territories of South Kivu.

Your generous support can help provide medical supplies, cover hospital bills for women, and fund trauma care for survivors who have lost everything, and your contribution can help these women reclaim their lives. You can help restore their dignity, their voice, and stand against a war that has used bodies as a battleground.

All the funds will be withdrawn and sent to a trusted person living in Bukavu (Sifa Elysee) through Moneygram who will distribute them to Panzi Hospital and Mukongola Hospital for the purchase of medical equipement for survivors' treatment and paying some of their medical bills. Both hospitals are based in Bukavu, Congo. I will update each donor individually on how their funds were used.

Thank you for your support

Sarah Mugoli Balekage