MaximsNewsNetwork: 24 August 2009 -MONUC: Lyn Lusi of the Heal Africa hospital for victims of rape in Goma says the problem of sexual violence against women, children, and even men in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is "growing more and more acute". Lusi also says she is "terribly disappointed" with Hillary Clinton's recent visit to her clinic.
HEAL Africa is a small Congolese grassroots not-for-profit association that cares for victims of sexual violence in conflict-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The clinic has recently been highlighted through a string of high-profile visits from dignitaries ranging from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Based in the city of Goma on the eastern edge of the DRC, HEAL Africa was formed in 1996 by Congolese orthopedic surgeon Jo Lusi and his wife, Lyn, a prominent social activist.
SOUNDBITE (English) Lyn Lusi, Founder, Heal Africa:
"The mandate of Heal Africa is to train. Were a training centre, training people to do excellent work in many areas of community based health and also doctors who need to do specialization we train them so that they can return to the rural areas and do good work, because as you know clinical skills are very much lacking when doctors come out of universities in Congo. So that was the purpose of creating the hospital to give young doctors an opportunity to get good clinical skills.
HEAL Africa functions with a staff of 18 Congolese doctors, 28 nurses, 70 community development advocates and educators, an administrative team, and hundreds of Congolese volunteers.
Lyn Lusi expanded the learning Center Hospital's program to include family planning, safe motherhood, women against violence, AIDS education and homecare, and community rehabilitation.
As one of the most prominent actors against sexual violence, HEAL Africa performs over 300 fistula repair surgeries a year and has done over 1,400 successful reparations since 2004. HEAL Africa also provides economic support for survivors of sexual violence and is taking legal action of behalf of the victims.
At least 200,000 cases of sexual abuse have been recorded in eastern DRC since 1996, according to the UN. The true number is estimated to be far higher.
Lyn Lusi says that this year rape has been on the rise, and is no longer just a womens issue.
SOUNDBITE (English) Lyn Lusi, Founder, Heal Africa:
In areas where there is war the issues of sexual violence against women, against children, even against men is growing more and more acute and people are coming more for services because they are aware that the services exist, but to say that there is an improvement, that there is any decrease in the number of rapes we cant say that because theres no peace.
In February United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the HEAL Africa Hospital to talk with rape victims, and took the opportunity to appeal to Congolese President Joseph Kabila to step up his government efforts in fighting sexual violence in the country.
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also met with women victims of rape and HIV/AIDS at Heal Africa last week while visiting the DRC as part of her seven-nation trip to Africa.
Clinton announced more than 17 million dollars in new funding to prevent and respond to gender and sexual violence in the DRC, and she announced the deployment of a team of civilian experts, medical personnel and military engineers to assess how the US could further assist survivors of sexual violence.
But Lyn Lusi says that for the Heal Africa clinic, Clintons visit was not entirely a happy one.
SOUNDBITE (English) Lyn Lusi, Founder, Heal Africa:
Let me tell you on record that we are terribly disappointed. Yeah, when you come to a hospital you say in the hospital which is considered a center of excellence, we are going to build a center of excellence in North Kivu, I mean what more insulting thing could anybody say to you.
HEAL Africa has also begun a Healing Arts Program to support women who need to undergo surgery due to the effects of prolonged childbirth or sexual violence. In addition to covering the costs of surgery, the Healing Arts Program seeks to support the women emotionally and spiritually by empowering them to re-enter their villages and support themselves. The women receive counseling, literacy training, sewing instructions and are taught basic business skills that will help them as they become local entrepreneurs.
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4:21The Greatest Silence: Rape in The Congo (Offici...by TheGreatestSilence103,967 views
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