* Update on 20/03/2025 : Thanks to your generous donations, Didier has managed to escape the Tanzania, although with some injuries. He urgently needs money for basic survival, including to afford a place to stay, and pay for water and electricity, and food. The situation in DRC remains very unsafe so until he can go back, he needs our support. Thank you again! *

This fundraiser is organised on behalf of Didier Aksanti and all funds are being transferred directly to him.

Hello dear friends,

My name is Didier Aksanti, and I am a 26 year old climate and social justice activist from Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Right now, I am trapped in Goma, fearing for my life as the M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, continue their brutal attacks on civilians.

I have spent years fighting for justice, but that fight has made me a target. I have already survived violent attacks, including being stabbed multiple times, and now, with the rebels in control of my city, my life is in even greater danger. I need your help to escape.

On Monday, January 27, 2025, the M23 rebels invaded Goma, killing at least 3,000 people, displacing 700,000, and leaving the city in chaos. The lakes are filled with corpses, and we are forced to drink the water unfiltered. Every day, the violence gets worse.

This violence is largely driven by the illegal and dangerous extraction of eastern DRC’s minerals—resources like cobalt, coltan, and gold that power the phones, laptops, and electric vehicles of the world. The companies and governments of the Global North fuel this demand -- yet we pay the price with our lives.

Even before the rebels took over, I was attacked and seriously injured simply for speaking out. Now, activists like me are being targeted. I spend most of my time in hiding, and I am scared I won’t make it out alive.

I urgently need to leave the DRC and find safety—but I can’t do it alone. I need your help to cover the costs of escaping and rebuilding my life in a place where I can be safe and continue my work. I want to keep fighting for climate justice and human rights, but I can’t do that if I don’t survive.

Please, if you can, donate – any amount will help. Your support could save my life.

Sharing this appeal with your friends and family could help me reach more people who can help.

Thank you for your support,

In solidarity,

Didier