In 2000, The New York Times reported the war in Congo had cost 100,000 lives. Based on their work on the ground, the International Rescue Committee knew this was a gross underestimate. When they set out to get an accurate number, they discovered the grave reality: the Congo is by far the world's deadliest conflict since World War II. Since 1998, 5.4 million people have died there.
The death toll is the equivalent of an Asian Tsunami every 6.5 months. A September 11 every 2.5 days. And nearly half of the deaths in the Congo are of children under the age of five.
The conflict in Congo began with the conclusion of the Rwandan genocide. The Interahamwe (the Hutu militias responsible for the massacre of 1 million in Rwanda in a period of four months) were pushed over the border into the Congo where they set up camp and began terrorizing the Congolese people.
Various militias or government forces were sent in to fight the Interahamwe, then each other. It erupted into what has been termed "Africa's First World War.” The UN has accused all nations involved of using the war as a cover for looting diamonds, coltan, gold, and other resources from this mineral rich region.
Civilians are left to fend for themselves against brutal attacks, torture, looting, rape and murder, as well as deprivation of the most basic conditions necessary for life. Women in the Congo carry the heaviest of burdens. They have been gang raped. Tortured. Watched their husbands and children murdered in front of them. Forced to flee their homes. Many have watched two, four, even seven children die from preventable illnesses.
Women for Women International (WfWI) officially began operations in the DRC in 2004. WfWI – DRC’s country office is headquartered in Bukavu with two satellite offices located in Goma and Baraka. Currently, there are 9,324 women actively participating in WfWI’s comprehensive year-long program and more than 31,000 women have been served since program inception. Recent graduates of the program report significant improvements in their lives. For example, in 2008, 86% of the participants reported having improved their economic situation, 88% of women expressed increased self-confidence, and 83% reported having a greater knowledge of their rights.
Women for Women International supports women in war and post-war regions—like our sisters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo— with financial assistance, job skills training, rights awareness education, trauma counseling, and small business assistance so they can rebuild their lives.
