Binwa

Binwa

Binwa is 40 years old and has 5 children. In 2010-2011, she spent three months the SOS FED center in Mboko. Binwa lives in Quartier II, a neighborhood in Mboko. She is a survivor of sexual violence. I interviewed Binwa at her home in Mboko, on a beautiful September evening. Unfortunately, her husband could not be present, as he was at the hospital looking after a sick child.

Binwa had been raped by armed men while alone in her fields. When her husband’s family found out about the incident, they counseled Binwa’s husband to leave her, as she had “become the wife of another man in the forest”. Binwa’s husband heeded his family’s advice, and forced her to leave their home. Binwa attempted to explain to her husband that she had been raped and therefore the incident was not her fault, but to no avail. Binwa resided for several months at the home of a neighbor, and then went to the SOS FED center in Mboko to receive psychosocial and socioeconomic assistance.

Wilondja Lubunga, the SOS FED Mboko reintegration officer, met with Binwa’s husband three times while she was at the center; two of these times, Wilondja was accompanied by the mwami (traditional chief) of Mboko Quartier II. Wilondja and the mwami counseled the husband to reunite with his wife, explaining that the woman was not at fault for her rape and that her value as a wife, mother, and human being was not diminished by her violation. At first, said Wilondja, he heard some very “bizarre” commentary during the sessions with the husband, but he said that after 3 sessions he was able to break through and convince the husband that he needed to re-accept his wife and not blame her for the rape.

At the date on which Binwa was to be reintegrated, her husband arrived at the SOS FED center in Mboko to be reunited with her and to bring her home. The mwami was also present at the reunification.

While Binwa is happily reunited with her husband and children, she does not speak anymore with her husband’s family. Binwa also said that she is not harassed or impugned by other members of her community anymore, thanks to interventions from the mwami.

Binwa continues with communal cultivation with two of her neighbors, neither of which are former SOS FED beneficiaries. Binwa said that she has informed many of her neighbors and friends about the risk-reduction methods she learned at the SOS FED center. She still remains in contact with several of her fellow SOS FED beneficiaries.

With the income she earned from participating in group cultivation at the SOS FED center, Binwa paid for school fees for her children and for food for the household. According to Binwa, she is “very happy” to be reunited with her husband.

“I am able to live as I did before,” said Binwa.

Marceline Kongolo

Marceline Kongolo

Meet Marceline Kongolo.  Marceline is the founder and executive secretary of SOS Femmes en Danger, a grassroots organization that seeks to improve the situation of women in Eastern Congo through education and assistance.  SOS Femmes en Danger primarily works in Fizi Territory, where women are routinely abducted and subjected to sexual violence by numerous armed groups, both state and non-state.

Marceline is only 22 years old, but she has grown up amid the violent upheaval that has affected her homeland since the mid-90s.  Her personal story of flight and loss is quite incredible.

“I was born and grew up in Kindu, in Maniema Province,” Marceline told us, “In 2001 my family and I fled Kindu because of the war.  We were on the road for a long time, and in the process my father and brother were killed.  After that, we were five: my mother, my siblings, and me.  We fled then to Kisangani, but there life was difficult because of all the violence, war, and killing.  After Kisangani, we went to Bukavu, then to Uvira, and we finally ended up in Fizi.   Because of all the problems I saw around me during this period, I saw it was necessary to start helping women.”

Marceline’s story is unfortunately not too uncommon in Eastern Congo.  The circumstances under which her brother and father were murdered are also sadly familiar to the area.

“When we were fleeing Kindu,” said Marceline, “the Congolese soldiers were taking girls as young as 13 and forcing them to be their wives.  They would take girls into the forest, and after they had finished with them they would simply discard them.”

“This became a problem for me too, as a local commander wanted to take me as his wife.  He was going to take me, but my mother refused, saying that I was too young.  So, he sent men to kill my father and brother as we left Kindu.  The commander put my sister and me in prison.  After two days we were freed and we continued our flight to Kisangani.”

Stories similar to Marceline’s are still common in this part of Congo, and SOS Femmes en Danger faces an uphill battle in trying to break the cycle of sexual violence.  However, Marceline remains positive.

“I will continue my work and will not be discouraged,” she said, “I work little by little to help women in the Congo, and things will change.”

Since SOS Femmes en Danger is a very small local organization, it has difficulty in responding to the need for assistance in Fizi.  Marceline hopes that her organization will continue to grow and that women will be able to live without the constant fear of violation.

“We want to increase the number of women we are able to help.  Today, perhaps we can work with 30 victims, tomorrow maybe 60, after that maybe 70, 150, and so on.  That is the vision of SOS Femmes en Danger.  For women in general, we want peace, development, an end to the fighting and violence, and the ability to go about our business without being threatened.  Really, we just want women’s lives to be better.”

Marie Bashishibe

Marie Bashishibe

Meet Mariamu “Marie” Bashishibe.  Marie is the site director of the SOS Femmes en Danger reception center in Mboko, Fizi Territory.  This reception center shelters up to 30 women who are victims of sexual violence, domestic abuse, and marginalization by the community.  Many of the women at the center were abducted and raped by one of numerous armed groups that infest Fizi Territory.  Many of the women are the widows of soldiers and have no means of support.  All the women at the center are objects to cruel derision and marginalization in their communities.  They are called “prostitutes” and other harsh names, even if their experience was by no choice of their own.

 ”There are some women here that were kicked out of their homes by their husbands because they were raped,” said Marie, “Their husbands claim that since they were raped, they are now infected with viruses and sickness, and so they simply throw them out.”

“The community here neglects and derides these women,” she continued, “They are subject to neglect and derision.  Even their families reject them.  Even their country rejects them.”

 Indeed, the situation of women in Congo is very poor.  Marie spoke at length about this unsavory aspect of Congolese society.

“Women here are very neglected, even if they do all the work and are essentially the breadwinners of the family,” said Marie, “Women educate the children, feed them, clothe them.  They are responsible for everything.  Husbands sit under the trees and play Ludo [a popular board game] all day.  All the while their wives work in the fields, bring back the food, and prepare the food.  Men will forget they haven’t put forth any effort to provide the food, but they will certainly eat it!”

“In addition,” continued Marie, “Men will beat their wives, saying ‘don’t you know how to cook?  You used too little oil in the meal!”

“The men forget their women.  In Fizi, to be a wife is to be forgotten.  These women have nothing.  Men try to play us like pieces in their board game, doing whatever they want whenever they want it.”

 Marie also told us about how girls are held back from opportunities for education by their families, and how the only future considered for girls is to be married off at a young age.  If a woman’s husband runs off or dies, she is expected to marry again and keep making children, or else she will be considered a prostitute.  To make matters worse, the government does little to improve the lives women in Congo, despite the fact that the Congolese constitution guarantees equal rights to women.

“In the case of the government,” said Marie, “I haven’t seen anything at all working to help us here.  There is nothing here.  We don’t see any improvements.”

Women at the SOS FED reception center in Mboko

Women at the SOS FED reception center in Mboko

 In this atmosphere, it is easy to see how marginalization is a terrible sentence for a woman in Congo.  Thus, the center is available to these women so they have a bed to sleep in, food, basic medical treatment, and shelter from the abuse of their community.  However, Marie feels that there needs to be more to change the overall situation of women in Congo.

 ”Education is the start,” said Marie, “This has to be given to girls as well as boys.  Secondly, our soldiers need to be reeducated, so that they can learn to respect our women.  Thirdly, women should be able to control their finances, so women can monitor their household and keep their own money.  If women are able to drive their households, men will then recognize our value and begin respecting the work we do.”

 It should now be obvious that Marie is a fearless woman, speaking out against deeply entrenched chauvinist traditions and a war that has had a particularly devastating impact on women.  Not often does one find someone with Marie’s candor.

 Marie has been working at the center in Mboko for two years.  She hopes that in coming years, SOS Femmes en Dangers will be able to provide education to the women of Fizi, giving them the skills necessary to end sexual violence and promote equality for women in their communities.

“When women know their rights, they know how to defend themselves.  A woman can’t defend herself without this knowledge.  An educated woman applies this to her life, and thus the situation can change.”

Iledephonse Masumbuko Sangolo teaches a seminar on women's rights at the Makobola Noyaux de Paix

Iledephonse Masumbuko Sangolo teaches a seminar on women's rights at the Makobola Noyaux de Paix

Meet Ildephonse Masumbuko Sangolo.  Mr. Sangolo is the field supervisor for Arche d’Alliance, an NGO based in Uvira that focuses on human rights and building civil society in Eastern Congo.  It is Sangolo’s job to supervise the inqueteurs, or field monitors, in monitoring the human rights situation in remote parts of Uvira and Fizi.  The UN Human Rights Commission is unable to field the staff necessary to monitor the human rights situation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), repatriating refugees from abroad, and the general civilian population in South Kivu.  Thus, they have formed a partnership with the experienced staff of Arche to go out in the field and report back on the state of human rights.

Sangolo is also is in charge of the Comite de Mediation et Conciliation (CMC) and Noyaux de la Paix (NDLP) projects.

“We promote the respect of human rights to the local authorities,” says Sangolo, “but we also educate the general population on aspects of Congolese law so that they will be able to defend themselves.”

I asked Sangolo why human rights are being violated so massively in the Congo.

“First,” he said, “We have this war that will not end.  Secondly, the state is nearly nonexistent.”

Sangolo explained that since the justice system and those tasked with enforcing it are not paid enough by the Congolese government, people with guns, money, and influence are able to get away with breaking the law and violating basic human rights.  As long as they can pay off the magistrates and police, they can literally get away with murder.

“There are certain judges who do not accept corruption,” says Sangolo, “but there are others to whom money is more important than all else.  For these people who perpetuate corruption, they must be brought to justice.”

Arche has diligently worked in the Congolese justice system, representing those whose human rights have been violated.  Sangolo cited several examples where Arche intervened on behalf of people who would otherwise be ignored: a man whose land was given away by government officials who were either corrupt or inept, a 13 year old girl who was raped, and a woman who was raped by soldiers.  In all these cases, justice was served thanks to Arche’s reporting and advocacy work.

I asked Sangolo about the situation of women’s rights in the Congo.  He told me that women’s rights are being massively violated due to a combination of repressive local traditions and Congolese laws that are unfavorable towards women.  Girls are not sent to school, or even if they are, they are expected to pay their own school fees.  Husbands will tell their wives how to vote, and if a woman expresses herself in a public forum, she may face divorce or even severe physical violence.  Women are often denied the right to inheritance.

“However, this is changing due to new laws that are being written,” says Sangolo, “which will strengthen the rights of women, starting with young girls.  Right now it is a problem of application of these new laws.”

Sangolo explained that since the justice system is still weak, Arche’s work in educating the population on women’s rights is very important, and thus far the feedback has been positive.

“There are now women who can express themselves freely, without fear of retaliation,” he says, “And they are forming associations themselves to defend the rights of other women.  These are the reactions we want: women expressing themselves, women voting their conscience, and women gaining the right to inheritance.”

What does Sangolo want to see in the future for the Congo?

“I want to see a Congo where people can express themselves freely, and without violence,” he says, “For a long time it has been that the only way someone can express themselves is by taking up a gun.  When a man can simply say something to the authorities and they will listen to him; that is what I want in a new Congo.”

Amisi Pele, executive secretary of CEJEDER

Amisi Pele, executive secretary of CEJEDER

Meet Amisi Pele.  Pele is the executive secretary for CEJEDER, a local development organization that works specifically with children.  CEJEDER uses music, theater, poetry, and seminars to educate kids on their rights and their responsibilities.

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” says Pele, “so we are focusing on educating children so that tomorrow’s generation can make things better in the Congo.

CEJEDER has a staff of seven part-time employees, but also works with local music and theater groups to spread their message.  They have formed clubs for children in Uvira and the surrounding villages.  CEJEDER plans events with the children’s clubs, wherein is theater, music, and poetry that is designed to inform and educate children on their civil rights and responsibilities.

“These children’s clubs are the seeds we are planting to grow up to be a strong new generation that will bring peace, equality, and justice to Congo,” says Pele.

Issues that are important to Pele include preventing domestic violence and forced marriage, emphasizing the importance of education, and teaching children to stand up for themselves when their rights are being violated.

“Since adults are not always willing to intercede for children,” says Pele, “we want to kids to learn now when their rights are being violated so they will be able advocates for themselves.  Hopefully this will also carry on into adulthood.”

A difficult aspect of Pele’s work is the lack of interest in children’s rights in Congo.

“Adults that decide to work on issues that affect the youth do not themselves see the benefits, so there is a lack of motivation on the part of adults to educate children on their rights,” says Pele.

One important aspect of CEJEDER’s work is on equal rights for boys and girls. Pele believes in gender equality in education and justice, as guaranteed by the Congolese constitution.  However, in reality there is a significant gap between boys and girls in school enrollment.

“In Congo,” says Pele, “Boys are sent to school and not expected to do housework, whereas girls are expected to work at home or in the fields with their mothers.”

Gender discrimination is not limited to education.  Domestic violence and neglect is frequently directed at girls.  In addition, if a teenage girl becomes pregnant, she is often stigmatized and thrown out of the house.  However, if a boy gets a girl pregnant, he can abandon her with impunity.  Pele sees this disparity in societal norms as breaking the law.

“If there are rights for one, there must be rights for the other.  Parents need to stop gender discrimination of their children if they want to see an end to the violence and poverty that has affected us for so long,” says Pele.

Young boy in Uvira

Young boy in Uvira

Since anyone under seventeen in Eastern Congo has only known war and massacres all their life, CEJEDER’s work is very important in building civil society from the bottom up.  Children have suffered a lot from the war; male children are conscripted as child soldiers, whereas girls as young as twelve may be kidnapped and raped by soldiers or bandits.  Women and children make up a disproportionate percentage of the victims of massacres in Eastern Congo.  Many children have been left orphans by the war, and have to fend for themselves or else live with relatives that may be already burdened with their own children.  CEJEDER’s work is made all the more difficult by existing societal norms and a lack of interest in the welfare of children.  We hope that Pele and CEJEDER’s work will bear the fruit of peace and equality in the next generation.

AP Fellow Ned Meerdink and a group of Congolese children

AP Fellow Ned Meerdink and a group of Congolese children

Since I was a kid I have been fascinated with the Democratic Republic of Congo.  I grew up knowing it as Zaire, the country with deep jungles, turbid rivers, gorillas, mokele-mbembe, and a certain dictator with a distinctive leopard-print toque.  When I began my quest as an agent for change in college, the DRC was on the top of my list as a destination.  Sometimes dreams come true, and in a matter of days I will start my Peace Fellowship in Uvira in Eastern Congo.

On the eve of my departure, some general thoughts and impressions:

One very important principle to my work in international development is gender equality.  I believe that empowering women is crucial to community development, both economically and civically.  Violence has greatly affected the women of the DRC, and I hope my work with Arche d’Alliance will help the voices of Congolese women reach international ears.  Eve Ensler recently wrote about ending the cycle of violence against women in the Congo:

“War on women in Congo”

Studying about the exploitation of minerals in the DRC has led me to question my consumption habits.  Much of the military conflict in the Eastern Congo stems from struggles over mineral resources such as gold, tin, and coltan, which is used to make cell phones.  We here in the developed world wear gold jewelry, eat out of tin-lined cans, and babble into our cell phones.  How many dead or violated bodies did it take to bring these things to us from the heart of Africa?  Most of us do not care to know.  On television, we see people in Central Africa killing each other and patronizingly assume that it is all due to some backwards tribal animosity; however, we often fail to question Western demand for resources in Central Africa that may support instability and violence.

I will be traveling to the DRC with a set of expectations that I expect to be heavily modified by the time I leave.  As I have experienced while working in other parts of the world, the whole story often isn’t available if you confine yourself to your home.  The best way to be informed about a country and its situation is to visit, see with your own eyes, and talk to the people.  I will be very pleased to share these experiences with you and hopefully people back in the developed world will learn along with me as I attempt to give a clear and accurate picture of what is going on in Eastern Congo.  I am looking forward to working with the people of Congo, Ned Meerdink, Advocacy Project, and Arche d’Alliance.

wyj

P.S. Here is a little taste of Congolese culture with a nautical theme: