"The stories we're hearing from women are terrible"

I’m leading the Women Trauma healing and Care Centre in Bukavu, a project of the Fondation Chirezi, which is caring for women victims of violence in East DRC. Among other activities we are providing trauma healing services to those women, organize literacy courses and train them into different economic activities aimed to help them stand on their feet again. See:www.womenof.ourcongo.net/bukavu/0708amina.htm.
The scale of violence against women in the surroundings of Bukavu is unimaginable. SInce 2002, the peace processes have never have an impact on security for women in South Kivu. It is good to report the massive desplacement of population in North Kivu and the violence against women there but it is not true to limit the horrors to that province only. The situation of the women touches all the Eastern Province and think a wholistic solution is more than needed here. At our center in Muhungu, Bukavu we have more than 100 women coming to our daily detraumatisation sessions every day. We are not funded and we have no subsidy to respond adequately that. We also have 22 women who are trained into sewing activity but the trainer has reported recently that more than 5O presented themselves to him to ask for training in order, they said : "We want to secure our tomorrow life and those of our children economically"

We hope that more and more voices will arise for the struggle for the emancipation of women in East DRC.

We are organising a women campaign agaist women violence in Bukavu but have not been able to raise funds for that important even.
Please, echoe us.

For Women Trauma healing and care Center,

Amina Gisèle
Women Trauma healing and care Center
FOCHI
BUKAVU
DRC