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Women of Kivu for victims
of sexual violence
Reportage by Pierre-Yves Ginet
Democratic Republic of Congo
October - November 2010

Women of Kivu for victims of sexual violence
Since 1998, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been the scene of multiple complex, and seemingly unending,
conflicts. According to numerous observers, these wars, believed to have cost the lives of some 5.4 million people, have been the
bloodiest since World War II. And yet, the humanitarian disaster endured by the inhabitants of this region of the Great Lakes has
been unfolding in a situation of almost complete indifference. In Kivu, the epicenter for the conflicts, women in particular have
suffered the most from this tragedy, in which rape has been used as a weapon of war by the various players for many years now.
According to the UN, more than 200,000 cases of sexual violence were reported in this region alone. The reality, however, is far
worse, and the scale of the statistics is accentuated by the horror of personal testimonials: tens of thousands of women, ranging
from a few months old to over eighty, have been maimed as a consequence of the torture they endured. To make matters worse,
many women are subsequently abandoned by their husbands and rejected by society.
For the perpetrators of these crimes, impunity is the rule, not the exception. The police infrequently bring suspects in for
questioning, the Congolese courts rarely convict, and any sentences issued are never executed. This message of immunity has
spread throughout the population, in a society in which the standards of living of the female segment were already very worrying.
According to grassroots NGOs, although the cruelty of the assaults is in no way comparable to those perpetrated by armed bands,
most rape nowadays is the work of civilians.
To combat this pandemic, tens of millions of dollars are poured into Kivu each year, for programs run by hundreds of local and
international NGOs and institutions. In their experience, a commitment to fight violence against women is often synonymous with
guaranteed funding. In the field, the results of these actions are generally mediocre, from the perspective of the women, and in view
of the sizable investments made.
With the exception of medical establishments, only a few Congolese organizations in Kivu today – most often chiefly comprising
women – are effective in their fight for these victims. Despite limited resources, a few local NGOs are even able to cover all aspects
related to this issue. One capital example of these grassroots organizations is Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences
Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), founded by Justine Masika Bihamba. This collective of thirty-five
organizations operating throughout North Kivu has developed the capacity to identify victims, then to provide them with care and
support (medical, surgical, psychological, social and legal); as part of its work with these women, the organization strives to
develop their long-term financial autonomy, thereby helping hundreds of families – often single-parent – to survive. Family
mediation, in cases of spousal abandonment, is another of the group’s activities.
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Synergie has handled the cases of more than 10,000 women since 2003. Its effectiveness is due, in large part, to its founder’s desire
to include grassroots workers on the team who were themselves victimized in the past: some twenty counselors, of the thirty-five
forming the organization, were raped during the armed conflict; most of them received assistance from Synergie, which helped them
to rebuild themselves and their lives, before training them to provide guidance to other victims. These players, with deep roots in their
villages, display an exceptional level of commitment, despite the risks that they run.
Finally, Justine Masika Bihamba and the organization’s other leaders seem to be everywhere, raising the awareness of populations and
communities and lobbying local, national and international authorities.
Naturally, the end of the ordeal for the women of Kivu will necessarily entail a complete, real cessation of hostilities, disarming of the
armed rebel bands, the departure of foreign militiamen, and the establishment of control over a reconstituted Congolese army. An
end to widespread impunity for rapists is another pre-requisite. Further complementary solutions have also been suggested by
specialists in local geopolitics. But, in the very short term, international aid that is better targeted toward the few Congolese
women-run NGOs would make it possible for the thousands of women in Kivu who have been the targets of sexual violence, to start
believing in the future once more.
FARDC (DRC Armed Forces) soldiers patrolling the hills above Rutshuru. The area immediately around
the city has enjoyed relative security in recent months, with the armed rebels being kept at a distance.
These continuous patrols essentially act as a dissuasive presence.
The Congolese national army includes a number of former rebels, enlisted following the signature of
various peace treaties; in particular, thousands of CNDP (National Congress for the Defense of the
People) militiamen, almost exclusively Tutsis supported by the Rwandan government, who were at
war with the FARDC, were incorporated after the 2009 accords. This integration continues to pose a
multitude of problems, both within the army and for the civilian populations. The “habits” developed
by these rebels in wartime, namely rape and pillaging, have not gone away. Each month, numerous
attacks by FARDC soldiers continue to be lamented, whether by “old” soldiers or (especially) the
recently-enlisted.
31 October 2010 – Rutshuru – DR Congo
Reportage by Pierre-Yves Ginet - Democratic Republic of Congo – October-November 2010

On October 17, 2010, the village of Kashenga was attacked by a group of some one hundred armed
men. Two men were killed, and more than sixty houses were destroyed, mainly by fire. Here, the village’s
inhabitants gather around one of these razed homes.
According to a coordinator from Synergie, this was a conflict between two Maï Maï militias, many men
in the village having been involved in these armed groups during the conflict. After the assassination
of one of the Maï Maï leaders by another militia, the victim’s men took revenge by burning down these
houses, which belonged to the population faithful to the enemy commander, and by executing some of
his supporters.
In this village, toward the end of 2010, most of the violence committed by armed bands was the work
of mixed militias, comprising men of multiple ethnic groups, who were demobilized in 2009 but who
retained their firearms. Despite the 2009 agreements, fear is still omnipresent for the people of Kivu.
24 October 2010 – Kashenga – DR Congo

From October 13 to 17, 2010, 1,700 female activists, including 200 from 43 outside countries, came
together in Bukavu, South Kivu, for the closing event of the Third International Action of the World
March of Women. Over the course of four days, the representatives of this global movement for feminist
action discussed the position of women in the African Great Lakes Region. On the final day, more than
20,000 women participated in a demonstration to put an end to violence.
On October 16, a delegation of some 200 people traveled to Mwenga, a four-hour drive from Bukavu,
to meditate at the memorial to the thirteen women and two men who were killed on October 17, 1999,
by rebels from the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD), a movement at the time backed by the
Rwandan government.
In the crowds pressing around the site where the World March of Women was received, groups of
women mimed the scene of the 1999 massacre. Some of them, who were witnesses to the tragedy, have
been treated by NGOs, to help them to cope with their trauma. Psychologists encouraged them to
“replay” the tragedy, to help them to collectively “talk” about these images that haunt them.
16 octobre 2010 – Mwenga – DR Congo

J. was a victim of armed bands during the conflict. She was infected with the AIDS virus during the
assault. J. lives alone with her children. The family lives under a tarp. Beyond the psychological and
physical pain directly linked to the crime against her, J. also suffers from the stigmatization of the
population around her: “There is no sense of solidarity, from either men or women. People make fun of
me, saying that I was raped, that I am HIV-positive and that I am going to die. Sometimes people come
and tear up my tent at night.”
J. took refuge with Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for
Victims of Sexual Violence) several years ago. She is very active in a support group created by the
association a few years back. J. explains that the most important thing for her has undoubtedly been
the group therapy sessions and the sense of mutual understanding: “We are together, we talk, we get
things off our chests, we understand each other, and that helps us a lot.” In addition to this psychological
support, Synergie also provides medical assistance to J., for her illness, as well as financial aid for her
children’s education. She participates in a weekly basket-weaving workshop as part of the organization’s
activities in support of the autonomy of victims. These baskets are then sold at market and at a
community farm.
23 October 2010 – North-Kivu – DR Congo

From October 13 to 17, 2010, 1,700 female activists, including 200 from 43 outside countries, came
together in Bukavu, South Kivu, for the closing event of the Third International Action of the World
March of Women.
On October 16, a group of some 200 people traveled to Mwenga, a four-hour drive from Bukavu. There,
the officials took a moment for introspection before a mausoleum and this memorial stone, erected in
the memory of the thirteen women and two men killed on October 17, 1999, by rebels from the Rally
for Congolese Democracy (RCD), a movement at the time backed by the Rwandan government. Mwenga
inhabitants explained the drama at length: women were attacked with clubs and knives, and peppers
were crushed onto their bodies or inserted into their vaginas, before they were thrown into a ditch filled
with saltwater, in which they were left to rot for several days; shovel by shovel, the soldiers then
covered the fifteen martyrs with earth until they had been buried alive. Their ordeal lasted nearly a
week; the primary culprits of these killings were never brought to justice.
16 octobre 2010 – Kasika – RD Congo

A SOFEBU meeting in a church in Walungu. The association (SOFEBU, or Solidarity of the Women of
Burhale), founded and directed by Marie-Claire Ruhamya, has been working on social and economic
development projects at the lowest grassroots level for the past few years.
Around one hundred people are present, forming the organization’s entire operating committee: staff
leaders, team leaders, committee chairs and many members of the organization’s different teams.
Several villages in the region are represented. Men are also in attendance, seated around the village
chief. Marie-Claire Ruhamya stresses the importance of having men visibly associated with development
projects led by women for the benefit of the entire community.
Fifteen victims of armed bands also accepted SOFEBU’s invitation. A special group, run by a dedicated
leader, has been created for these women. Special attention and follow-up are provided to them,
particularly with regard to the development of their financial independence, although they also
participate in all of the organization’s different groups, alongside the others. For Marie-Claire Ruhamya,
it is crucial to create economic development projects that are not specifically reserved for victims (unlike
what has been done by other organizations in Kivu), so as not to further estrange them from the rest
of the population or create sources of jealousy, thereby increasing their stigmatization. Conversely,
joint work on group programs – with shared benefits – is a highly effective method for achieving the
social reintegration of victims.
21 October 2010 – Walungu – DR Congo

Bweremana Courthouse, northwest of Lake Kivu.
According to Justine Masika Bihamba, founder and coordinator of Synergie des Femmes pour les
Victimes de Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), the impunity caused
by the state of decay of the Congolese justice system is one of the primary scourges explaining the
number of rapes committed each year in Kivu, by both soldiers and civilians. Legal aid for victims is one
of her organization’s core activities. Despite a particularly alarming conviction rate and no execution of
the sentences pronounced, Justine Masika Bihamba’s team relentlessly pursues work on the judicial
field, which will be one of the keys to finally putting an end to the crisis.
24 October 2010 – Bweremana – DR Congo

At the counseling center in Shasha, Florence, psychosocial advisor of Synergie des Femmes pour les
Victimes de Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), who is based in the
village, greets a local inhabitant whose case she has been following for several months.
“The first step is passive listening. You let the person speak without interrupting her. Afterward, you
ask a few questions, to try to gain a complete understanding and to help organize her account. We then
explain what we can do, but she is the one to decide, depending on the case and on our suggestions,
if she wants to go to one of our medical establishments, if she wants to press charges, or if she needs
psychosocial counseling or social support,” explains Florence. In the space of three years, the local
structure has handled the cases of thirty-eight women and one man.
In addition to supporting the victims, the local counselor is also responsible for providing them with the
association’s emergency accommodation and for conducting family mediation sessions in cases of
spousal abandonment. Financial autonomy activities, such as basket-weaving, are also organized
around this counseling center. Lastly, the building is the venue for all meetings of the community
network. The center is open twenty-fours hours a day, seven days a week.
In this rural region, Synergie’s local counselor and those of the members of its network based further
inland (Shasha is located on the banks of Lake Kivu) must travel the surrounding mountainside and the
plateau villages to identify women in need of assistance, explain what Synergie can offer, and raise the
awareness of the local populations on preventing sexual violence and supporting its victims.
This presence throughout the countryside, combined with the dedication and knowledge of the
counselors in the field, are key vectors for the organization’s effectiveness. Synergie has a total of ten
counseling centers throughout North Kivu.
25 octobre 2010 – Shasha – RD Congo

Justine Masika Bihamba, founder and coordinator of Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de
Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), visits one of the organization’s
community farms, in Buganga, on the outskirts of the village of Minova, North-West of Kivu Lake.
Women from the community come an average of once a week to help work their land.
To many, Justine Masika Bihamba is the person who best represents the struggle against sexual violence
in North Kivu. The collective created by this woman addresses all aspects of the issue, from medical,
psychological, social, legal and economic assistance for the victims to advocacy and lobbying of local,
national and international authorities. The 35 organizations forming Synergie, which operate throughout
the province, have handled more than 10,000 cases since 2003. This is a colossal number when put in
perspective with the organization’s budget, raised exclusively outside the country. All the more so when
comparing the budgets of other organizations, whether national or international, working on the same
issue.
One of the keys to Synergie’s dynamics lies in its local roots. All of the actions undertaken take the
communities’ particular cultures into consideration. Over and above this, Justine has managed to find
support for her actions in the field by means of counselors who are highly active in the local community.
These women are remarkably committed and determined. They are all too familiar with the issue: some
twenty out of the organization’s thirty-five activity counselors were, themselves, victims of rape during
the armed conflict. “My greatest experience in recent years involved a woman who came to us with no
hope, thinking of suicide, and in a deplorable physical and psychological state. We supported her in
rebuilding herself and her life and, little by little, she began to work at our side. Today, she is in her
forties and is one of our most effective counselors,” relates Justine Masika Bihamba.
The commitment of Synergie’s coordinator and activity leaders in the field is not, however, without its
share of risks. Many of the counselors have been assaulted or, at the very least, threatened, because of
their actions against impunity. Justine Masika Bihamba has also paid a heavy price: since 2005, she has
been threatened on several occasions by armed men, the last time very recently; in 2007, when the
NGO’s leader was handling a case of gang rape involving close to 2,000 women, FARDC (DRC Armed
Forces) soldiers, out on a punitive expedition, confined and assaulted her children for almost an hour;
her youngest daughter was the victim of sexual violence. Despite filing charges with the police and the
promises of the authorities, the suspected perpetrators of the assault were never arrested or prosecuted.
“When my children were attacked, I lost heart. It was too much too handle. But in the days that followed,
you see all these women who are waiting, just for you, and who place all their hopes in you, and you
tell yourself that you must go on. But there were days when this was not an easy feat.”
Although the organization revolves around her person, Justine Masika Bihamba is not the President of
Synergie. She prefers, instead, to remain its coordinator. “I would rather be in the field, with the
women.”
25 October 2010 – Buganga – DR Congo

Florence Masika, counselor of Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles (Women’s
Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), visits patients at GESOM (Support and Medical Solidarity Group).
Here, she is in the room of women who have undergone corrective surgery following assaults.
GESOM is a medical structure created in 2004, born of the private initiative of a number of Congolese.
Each month, the establishment in Goma registers some 200 medical visits and over one hundred
hospitalizations. It is a general medical center, although it does specialize in treating trauma and
pathologies related to sexual violence. Most of the victims are treated for STDs. GESOM is also known
for repairing obstetric fistulas caused by sexual assault, owing to the brutality of the attacks, repeated
penetration, or the insertion of objects into the victims’ vaginas.
The center operates on grants from the United Nations. It includes three permanent physicians and two
outside, occasional surgeons, as well as fifteen nurses and a handful of administrative staff.
Since its creation, Synergie has reported the treatment of more than 350 fistulas, nearly 13,000 STDs,
2,500 other pathologies and close to 2,000 cases of unwanted pregnancies, at member organizations
like GESOM.
28 October 2010 – Goma – DR Congo

At a Synergie legal aid clinic, a counselor greets a young woman, to take her deposition and provide her
with guidance. As is often the case, the victim went to the activists at Synergie before taking any other
action, namely contacting the police (considered to be untrustworthy).
The case of this young woman is fairly common for the organization’s counselors: now age 17, she was
raped more than a year ago; she never pressed charges, and it was only when a child was born of the
assault that she asked the biological father to take responsibility for the child. The man refused, claiming
that he was not the father. For many Congolese today, the term “rape” only applies when committed by
soldiers or members of armed bands.
The role of the clinic counselor will be to help this women to build a strong case that will enable her to
assert her rights, to direct her toward the organization’s medical and psychological support services, as
needed, and, where applicable, to enroll her in a group working to achieve financial autonomy for
victimized women, and to help her with the future education of her child.
27 October 2010 – North-Kivu – DR Congo

A woman from the Mukunga support group, in front of her home, with her grandson. This woman has
been receiving the support of Synergie for several years now. In particular, she participates in basketweaving
workshops and in the community farm. Living as she does in brutal physical conditions, she is
only able to survive thanks to the support of Synergie.
For many victims of rape by armed bands, the consequences of the attack go much further than the
expected physical and psychological trauma. Rejected by their spouses and their communities, many
assaulted women find themselves without resources and confronted with major challenges in overcoming
their isolation.
For grassroots NGOs in Kivu to be truly effective, achieving economic autonomy for these women must
be a crucial part of their work.
28 October 2010 – Mukunga – DR Congo

Children at the counseling center in Buganga, near the village of Minova, North-West of Kivu Lake.
Rebecca Masika Katsuva, counselor of Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles
(Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), explains that most of these children have been
orphaned by at least one parent or were born of rape.
Beyond the support “services” directly aimed at the victims, and to help ensure the survival of their
families, Synergie also assists many women in providing for their children’s education. It also pays the
school fees of children and teenagers who were the victims of rape, in some cases up to university-level.
In all, more than 400 youth have stayed in school thanks to the organization’s support.
25 October 2010 – Buganga – DR Congo

In Rebecca Masika Katsuva’s house, center of Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences
Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), in Buganga, a nurse from GESOM’s mobile
clinic (GESOM, Support and Medical Solidarity Group), stopping today in this region northwest of Lake
Kivu, listens to the chest of a rape victim.
This young mother arrived in Buganga a few days ago, from the upper plateaus, with her husband and
their young child. It took them three days’ hike to reach the banks of Lake Kivu. One month earlier,
while working in the fields with her child, the young woman was abducted by Rwandan Hutu militiamen
from the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, in which are found many of the genociders
from 1994). Raped again and again by her torturers, she was confined in the forest for several days. A
short time after her release, the family decided to flee the village. She suffers from a particularly acute
vaginal infection, but above all, from chronic malnutrition, as she was not fed by her captors and had
no food during her flight to Buganga. The GESOM nurse, after having listened to her heart and lungs,
gives her medication to treat her vaginal infection. However, he is powerless to treat her malnutrition.
GESOM is an organization based in Goma and a member of Synergie. It is a general medical center,
although it does specialize in treating trauma and pathologies related to sexual violence. One of its
activities is a mobile clinic, which covers an area east of the provincial capital, within a radius of
approximately fifty kilometers. The mobile clinic travels around to treat its patients, diagnose new cases
presented by Synergie counselors and, as applicable, take them to the GESOM center in Goma.
Due to the small number of physicians and surgeons at its disposal, nurses often stand in for doctors
in these mobile clinics, like here in Buganga.
26 October 2010 – Buganga – DR Congo

In front of Rebecca Masika Katsuva’s house, center of Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de
Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), in Buganga, women receiving
medical treatment from the association await a visit with the male nurse from GESOM’s mobile clinic
(GESOM, Support and Medical Solidarity Group), stopping today in this region northwest of Lake Kivu.
Wherever they go, demand from the local populations is very high; today, the nurse was only able to
see fifteen of the more than thirty women present.
26 October 2010 – Buganga – DR Congo

The counseling center in Shasha, established in 2007 by Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de
Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence) has a room for emergency
accommodation. Most of the time, this room is used for victims in transit from distant villages in
the surrounding mountains. Having already traveled a long way to Shasha, these women are unable to
reach Goma on the same day, so they spend the night here, before being transferred to the provincial
capital. Likewise, on their return, they will rest for a while at the counseling center, before setting off
for their villages. Florence, Synergie’s local counselor, manages this accommodation.
The room is currently occupied by F., age 16, and her baby. Raped for the first time two years ago, the
adolescent was taken in hand by Synergie. In addition to providing medical and psychological support,
the association also financed her school fees. During the same school year, F. was assaulted yet again.
Becoming pregnant after the second rape, she gave birth to the child, whose health is unstable and so
requires constant care. F. has had to drop out of school. Her mother cannot take her in, as she already
has four young children to care for. The teenager receives constant support from Synergie. Although
she is still afraid, she truly wants to move forward, so she participates in all of the network’s activities.
The organization has a total of ten counseling centers throughout North Kivu. Most of these, like in
Shasha, offer emergency housing.
25 October 2010 – Shasha – DR Congo

Family mediation at the counseling center in Buganga on the outskirts of the village of Minova, North-
West of Kivu Lake. Florence Masika and Rebecca Masika Katsuva, counselors of Synergie des Femmes
pour les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), receive a
couple that has been separated since an assault on the wife.
Spousal abandonment after rape is the norm in the DRC. Considered a taboo, to mention rape is to bring
shame on the victim, and social stigmatization is widespread. The husband becomes the laughingstock
of the community. To overcome this state of affairs, the wives are usually repudiated.
The task of the counselors at Synergie and other organizations working on the issue consists in
dismantling the spouses’ taboos and cultural traditions, to make room for mutual understanding. The
mediation process generally takes several years and requires major dedication on the part of the
counselors. Despite this, the success rate of mediation actions remains low. Above all, few men agree
to participate in the process.
The commonplace rejection by the spouse and community shows the extent to which rape, massively
committed in the DRC over the past fifteen years, is a particularly effective weapon of destruction.
25 October 2010 – Buganga – DR Congo

In GESOM’s (Support and Medical Solidarity Group) courtyard, Rose Ketwanga, psychosocial advisor of
Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual
Violence), surrounded by victims hospitalized for extended periods of time, in a group relaxation session.
GESOM is a general medical center and hospital, although it does specialize in treating trauma and
pathologies related to sexual violence. Some of the patients are admitted for longer-term stays,
particularly for the surgical repair of obstetric fistulas. Throughout their hospitalization, the victims are
accompanied by the four Synergie counselors based at GESOM.
Like in the provincial organization’s other establishments, the counselors are in charge of admitting,
guiding and monitoring the victims, beginning with a record of their experience. They ensure that the
medications given are correctly taken and can, if needed, conduct family mediation sessions in cases of
spousal abandonment. But the essence of their work at the hospital, with these recently-assaulted
children, teens and women, lies in the provision of psychological support for the victims.
Around Rose Ketwanga are eight women and teenagers who have been sexually assaulted. The
youngest, Sarah, is thirteen years old. The leaders at Synergie fear a very pronounced social rejection
of this young girl from a remote village. Her assailants were two local youths, currently in prison, but
who are likely to be released in the near future, as is always the case. Before Sarah returns home, the
organization is planning a major local awareness-raising action for the chieftainship, the Mwami (the
traditional chief of a small kingdom), local churches and the police, to prevent the stigmatization of the
young victim. In the event of failure of this action, she may be offered to relocate to Goma, including
coverage of her schooling and living expenses.
28 October 2010 – Goma – DR Congo

Rose Ketwanga, psychosocial advisor of Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles
(Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), in her office at GESOM (Support and Medical Solidarity
Group).
The essence of her work at the hospital, with these recently-assaulted children, teens and women, lies
in the provision of psychological support for the victims: “Most of the women are traumatized: they are
always afraid, their anxiety is ever-present and, above all, they are completely lacking in self-esteem.
Many have been rejected by their communities or their husbands. The other day, one woman said to
me, ‘I am no longer a person, I am nothing.’ The crux of my work with them during their hospitalization
is to help them regain their courage and their spirit, and to guide them to a new vision of themselves.”
On Rose’s desk is a photograph that she cherishes: the portrait of Nirandi, whom she counseled over
the course of five years. Her village had been burned down by the FDLR. The sole survivor of the attack,
she had burns covering her entire body and had been raped by the militiamen. When she arrived at
GESOM, she was in a pitiful state. She was 19 years old. This was in 2004. She died on December 24,
2009. “Her bag and her belongings are here. We never saw any of her family or friends. I always keep
a picture of her in my case files. We get attached to every woman that we admit and to whom we provide
guidance and support. But Nirandi was a very special case for me.”
“Mama Rose” has been a Synergie counselor since the organization’s beginnings, in 2003.
28 October 2010 – Goma – DR Congo

Synergie’s sewing workshop at GESOM (Support and Medical Solidarity Group) in Goma.
Some of the patients are admitted for longer-term stays, particularly for the surgical repair of obstetric
fistulas. During their hospitalization, which can last up to several months, the victims are supported by
counselors and are offered basic vocational training with the aim of achieving financial independence. This
workshop is a part of that process. The complete training course takes around four months. Either the
trainer, seen here from behind (in the foreground), or Synergie’s counselors sell the workshop’s products
at the market – albeit with difficulty – in order to ensure the perpetuation of the class. Once the patients
have completed the training cycle and are ready to leave GESOM, they are given a complete sewing kit,
including a machine, scissors, thread and fabric, to allow them to start up a business upon their return to
their communities.
28 October 2010 – Goma – DR Congo

In Mukunga’s community center, established by Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences
Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), the victim support group holds its weekly
basket-weaving workshop.
Around fifteen women are in attendance every Saturday. The group’s counselors, Antoinette Machozi
and Petronille Musengue, both also rape victims, manage the money collected from the sale of the team’s
work, handle reinvestments in raw materials, and share the profits amongst all of the participants if the
community has decided not to invest the money in another activity. These basket-weaving sessions, set
up by Synergie as part of its financial autonomy program for the women, are special times in terms of
group therapy. The women express their fears, talk about their difficulties, draw from the experience
of the others, and obtain aid from the counselors. Suffering from the population’s stigmatization as a
result of their rape, they find in the group a vital source of strength and support.
The Mukunga group also operates a community farm, located a few kilometers from the center. The
home offers emergency accommodation to victims, and it is here that counselors receive and listen to
“new” victims, as well as families during family mediation sessions. In addition to their own personal
experience, these counselors have been trained in receiving victims and providing psychosocial support
and economic supervision of community groups.
23 October 2010 – Mukunga – DR Congo

Antoinette Machozi, a counselor of Mukunga group, part of Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de
Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence). During the armed conflict, rebel
groups attacked the village and raped all of its women. Antoinette was one of the victims, as were her
mother and sisters. Rejected by her husband and her community, she remembers some very difficult
years, at once physically, medically and psychologically: “You feel guilty, you lose all self-confidence
and, at times, you see no reason to keep on living.”
Antoinette first received medical, psychological, financial and professional support from Synergie, and
went through all of the stages offered by the organization in terms of victim assistance. After a number
of years, family mediation by one of the association’s counselors allowed her and her husband to piece
their relationship back together. She stresses how much all of Synergie’s actions helped her to stand on
her own two feet and to start moving forward again. Then, little by little, Antoinette went over to the
other side of the fence. She began attending seminars and took training courses until she became one
of Synergie’s most dynamic and most effective counselors.
“I was a rape victim. Don’t be surprised that I can speak so openly about that period. Today, I am no
longer a victim; I have moved beyond that. I am a player today, I take action. I have regained my ability
to smile, even when talking about my problem. It gives me the strength to live and to work on behalf
of others, to help those who have gone through the same ordeal.”
Antoinette Machozi provides economic supervision of the Mukunga group, particularly for its basketweaving
workshops and management of the community farm; she also leads group therapy sessions,
greets and guides “new” victims, decides on emergency accommodation at the center and handles cases
of necessary family mediation.
“I do work for others, like others did work for me, that’s all.”
Of Synergie’s thirty-five counselors in North Kivu, some twenty, like Antoinette Machozi, are “former”
rape victims.
23 October 2010 – Mukunga – DR Congo

At the end of the day, after their weekly basket-weaving workshop, the women of the Mukunga victim
support group leave the community center built by Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de
Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), singing.
The group has dubbed itself “mapendo,” a word in Swahili meaning “likeable” or “desirable.”
23 October 2010 – Mukunga – DR Congo

An abandoned house in the village of Kashenga, on the west banks of Lake Kivu. There are many homes
in the region that have been deserted by their occupants. Most of these displaced people fled their villages
during the 2009 military operations, after attacks by armed groups or by the government’s forces. Many
families have been forced to move from place to place since the start of the conflict.
In April 2010, the number of displaced persons in the DRC stood at 1.8 million, 1.4 million of which
from the Kivu regions alone.
24 October 2010 – Kashenga – DR Congo

FARDC (DRC Armed Forces) soldiers patrolling the suburbs of Rutshuru. The area immediately around
the city has enjoyed relative security in recent months, with the armed rebels being kept at a distance.
These continuous patrols essentially act as a dissuasive presence.
For the past few years, Synergie des Femmes du Nord-Kivu pour les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles
(Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence) has been working to raise awareness among soldiers.
The regional staff officer assures that all steps have been taken to transmit the message to his men. But
in practice, the “habits” acquired during wartime, in terms of rape and pillaging, have not disappeared,
especially among former rebels, now soldiers for the FARDC following the signature of various peace
treaties. Each month, numerous attacks by soldiers from the Congolese army continue to be lamented.
31 October 2010 – Rutshuru – DR Congo

In the village of Karuba, in the southeast of the territory of Massissi, Florence Masika, a counselor at
Synergie’s main office, leads an awareness-raising operation for local populations and churches
on preventing sexual violence and on how to treat its victims.
The village chief, who is particularly cooperative, brought together about a hundred villagers in the
courtyard of his home. Representatives from three local churches were also in attendance. Over the
course of nearly an hour, Florence Masika addressed all questions touching on the issue, basing her
explanations on concrete examples. Two men of the cloth then reacted in turn, offering their support
for the process. The village chief closed the discussion with a statement of intent.
Awareness-raising that targets the populations, communities, institutions and opinion leaders is one of
the major components of the organization’s work. Florence Masika is very comfortable and effective in
this type of exercise, able to capture attention and bring about changes in the attitudes of audiences
that may be little inclined to adjust their age-old beliefs.
29 October 2010 – Karuba – DR Congo

Rebecca Masika Katsuva, counselor of Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles
(Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), in Buganga, North-West of Kivu Lake.
During the armed conflict, CNDP (National Congress for the Defense of the People, almost exclusively
Tutsis supported by the Rwandan government) rebels stabbed Rebecca’s husband to death before her
eyes. They then marked her chief with a knife, before twelve soldiers raped her in turn. At the same
time, her two daughters were also raped, a few feet away from their mother.
A small, discreet woman who radiates extraordinary selflessness, Rebecca Masika Katsuva successfully
put herself back together after this ordeal. She very quickly devoted herself to helping other victims and
joined Justine Masika Bihamba at Synergie. After taking a number of seminars and training courses, she
is now the mainstay of the organization in the region around Minova. Rebecca supervises the hundred
and fifty members of Synergie’s agricultural community in Bugunga; she welcomes and guides “new”
victims, provides them with psychosocial support, decides on emergency accommodation at the home
and handles cases of necessary family mediation, in collaboration with the main facilities in Goma.
Attacked on more than one occasion and molested by sex offenders released by the Congolese justice
system, whose victims had been assisted by Rebecca, she continues her commitment one day at a time,
despite the weariness and fear in some of her family and friends. She recently received Amnesty
International’s Ginetta Sagan Award. Rebecca Masika Katsuva has dedicated a portion of the funds
obtained from the award to the purchase of a plot of land in Goma, to be able to take refuge there with
her family in case of renewed attacks. But this does not mean that she plans to permanently abandon
“her” counseling center in Buganga.
Of Synergie’s thirty-five counselors in North Kivu, some twenty, like Rebecca Masika Katsuva, are
“former” rape victims. Their presence is unquestionably one of the organization’s major strengths.
25 October 2010 – Buganga – DR Congo

The women of the Mukunga victim support group cultivate the field, provided to them by Synergie des
Femmes pour les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence). The
group spends at least half a day here each week, working together on their bean crops. All of the produce
is jointly managed by the group’s counselors, Antoinette Machozi and Petronille Musengue. A portion
of the profits is set aside, not only to ensure future crops for the team, but also to develop their
production and to diversify their interests, with the addition of a poultry farm. In cases of extreme need,
the counselors can also dip into the coffers to provide ad hoc assistance to one of the women.
Economic autonomy for women is one of the major focuses of the leaders of Synergie des Femmes pour
les Victimes de Violences Sexuelles. Although much remains to be done, some of the women in this
group are now the main providers for their families.
28 October 2010 – Mukunga – DR Congo

Denise Siwatula, an attorney at the Bar of Goma, lawyer of Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de
Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence), and Jeredy Kambasu Malonga, a
legal advisor from CREDDHO (Research Center on the Environment, Democracy and Human Rights), a
member organization of Synergie, have come from Goma to Rutshuru to review the current caseload
with the local clinic team. They have taken advantage of their trip to visit the local authorities. Here,
they are received in the offices of the territorial administration, by Liberata Buratwa Rubumba, Assistant
Administrator for the Territory of Rutshuru, in charge of economic, financial and development issues.
The impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of sexual violence is one of the major subjects regularly addressed
by members of Synergie with the authorities, toward whom advocacy efforts are an ongoing activity. In
today’s meeting, the territorial leader does not seek to minimize the scope of the tragedy, unlike many
elected officials, and mentions the lack of accountability of the players on the chain, at all levels,
including political. Denise Siwatula highlights the attention given by this figure, while lamenting the
rarity of political leaders in the province as attuned as her to an issue which is eating away at the
provinces of Kivu.
27 October 2010 – Rutshuru – DR Congo

On the road between Goma and Rutshuru, in the village of Biruma, a billboard to raise awareness on the
prevention of sexual violence.
Such signs, targeting the general public, are everywhere in Kivu. Funded by United Nations agencies,
embassies, international NGOs and the Congolese authorities, the obvious conclusion is that these
placards have only a limited dissuasive impact on the populations, primarily due to the pervasiveness
of impunity, which sends a much stronger message to Congolese men.
The large number of logos appearing on these signs shows the multitude of organizations involved in
fighting violence against women. For several years now, millions of dollars from the United Nations and
foreign countries have been regularly invested in organizations with projects on the issue. A program
dedicated to sexual violence also means surefire funding for many local and international NGOs.
Justine Masika Bihamba, founder and coordinator of Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes de
Violences Sexuelles (Women’s Synergy for Victims of Sexual Violence) is firm on this point: “Today, rape
has become a commercialized subject. I recently met a rapist, I was talking to him, and what did he say?
‘If I don’t do it, you’ll be out of a job!’ I told him that I didn’t need this job, that I only need a woman’s
dignity. In North Kivu, there are more than two hundred organizations involved in the support of women
who have been victims of sexual violence. Only a dozen or so actually do good work. Not long ago, we
had to reclaim sixteen young girls whose cases were being handled by another organization. You should
have see the psychological state of those girls...”
Many international NGO expats confirm her point of view, in veiled terms.
27 October 2010 – Biruma – DR Congo

At the entry to Bukavu, early in the morning, carrier women arrive with their packs to be delivered to
the market.
In the region, it is said that the back of a woman is less expensive than a vehicle. Carrying heavy loads
of meat, cassava, beans and wood that can reach up to eighty kilograms, in some instances they must
walk dozens of kilometers on the steep trails of South Kivu, from villages to the city, for a paltry few
dollars a month. Living in extreme poverty, these carriers haul their goods each day, to the point of
exhaustion, to earn just enough to feed their families. No men share in their tasks. Because they are
especially vulnerable to violence by armed bands and civilians when crossing through uninhabited
areas, they are – for many observers – symbolic of the lot of women in Kivu.
22 October 2010 – Bukavu – DR Congo