REFUGEE CRISIS IN DRC

The only family she has left is her baby born of rape: how a refugee’s motherhood triumphs over her trauma

 

Mafi* is holding her tiny newborn in her arms, as she puts her hand gently on her little tummy. What most people do not know is that a part of her daughter reminds her on her worst days in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Shortly before fleeing from home, four armed men had raped her. One of them is now the father of her child. Two days after giving birth to her, she recounts her horrific story in front of her small plastic sheeting tent on a hot and humid afternoon in Kyangwali refugee settlement. Mafi is one of over 288,000 Congolese who fled DRC to seek refuge in Uganda.

They followed me into the forest. I went to get fire wood when the four armed men suddenly attacked me. I screamed at the top of my lungs for help but no one heard me, no one came. They pushed me to the ground and I immediately knew what their intention was. “Kill me”, I shouted to them, because I would have rather died than being raped by them. They did not listen to me. They took their turns, one after the other, until I fell unconscious from the pain.

I woke up in the hospital. The nurse told me that villagers found me in the woods, my body covered in blood, and brought me to the main street. Luckily, a police car drove by that moment and brought me to the hospital. The doctors were very nice and kept me there for a few weeks to recover. During the first few days, one of them told me that I was pregnant. My heart skipped a beat and I felt panic rush through my whole body. I remembered how I had lost three of my own children due to sickness, unable to provide for them. I knew I had to keep the baby.

I felt like I was only person in the world who had nobody. Armed men had killed my family members and burned our house when I was 5 years old. The pastor’s wife in our village took me in and raised me. I got married when I was 15 years old and decided to leave them, not wanting to be a burden anymore. But then rebels also killed my husband and after losing my children I found myself alone once again.

I had to run. As soon as I was released from the hospital, I realized that I had to flee in order to save my life and that of my unborn child. In my village, I saw how many families walked towards Lake Albert and I decided to join them. I only took the radio along with me from home because I knew I would need it to pay for the boat ride. It took me almost two weeks to get to Uganda. At one of the roadblocks, I met a former friend of my husband. He gave me some water and a little bit of money to survive the journey. About three months ago, I made it to Uganda.

I was helpless. Having left everything behind, I did not know how to raise my baby without any income and limited amount of assistance. But then I met Esther. She works with CARE and is an angel to me. She asked me questions, listened to my story and gave me hope again. She even took me to the hospital during my pregnancy and brought clothes for my baby after I gave birth to her. I never thought anyone could be so nice to me. There is no way for me to show her my appreciation. But I named my baby after her. Her name is Esther.

My child is innocent. She is not responsible for the sins of her father. My biggest wish is to be able to provide for her. Although life is better here in Uganda, I still do not know what the future will hold for us. But now, at least I have faith.

Raped and wed by 14, this refugee volunteer fights against sexual violence

Earlier this year, thousands of Congolese risked their lives to flee their conflict-ridden country and seek refuge in Uganda. Pema* is one of them. Despite the trauma of rape, fleeing and violence, she is now trying to rebuild her life together with her 10 children in Kyangwali refugee settlement in Uganda. Eager to help people with similar trauma, she became a volunteer with CARE.

Pema arrived in Uganda in February 2018 with her 10 children. At the time, fighting was raging in Ituri, her home province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Thousands of people landed every day on the shores of Lake Albert, which separates the DRC from Uganda.

“Our village was attacked during the night. After they raped me, rebels stole our herd, and kidnapped my husband and my eldest child. I did not hear from them since. I think about my son all the time. I miss him so much.”

Pema now lives in Kyangwali refugee settlement, where she became a volunteer with CARE. After losing everything, becoming a volunteer gave her a new purpose in life. Her role is to raise awareness among women and girls about sexual and gender-based violence and early marriage, of which she is a survivor herself.

“I raise awareness among women and young girls about sexual violence, and I explain to them why one should not get married too young. I can help them because I experienced it myself. I don’t want it to happen to others.” she explains.

Pema fell pregnant from rape at the age of 14. Due to family pressure, she was forced to get married to her rapist and, in the years that followed, was forcibly impregnated with 10 more children. Because of her young age, her pregnancies led to many complications endangering her health.

“During my last pregnancy, I almost died. After I gave birth to my twins, I remained unconscious for two days. Doctors told me that I would not survive any following pregnancies and thankfully convinced my husband to sign the papers for my sterilization.”

Today, Pema meets with women and girls in the camp to inform them about their rights and existing solutions in case of rape and assault.

“What I’m doing with CARE is very important for me. I’m very happy to do it, because nobody should suffer like I did. I hope I can contribute to making a difference.”

CARE has trained 41 volunteers from within the refugee community to raise awareness on sexual and gender-based violence and sexual, reproductive, and maternal health issues, as well as inform the refugees of their rights to protection and where to access services. The volunteers play a crucial role in identifying sexual and gender-based violence cases in their communities.