I'm so proud to have played a role in what will hopefully be the start of a continuing effort to raise funds for City of Joy. Saturday's event ran so smoothly thanks to the help of the staff at Magnolia Tree Earth Center, Mr. Lemuel Mial the director of Herbert Von King Park, the volunteers and the extremely talented performers. I thank you all.
We raised a total of $359.35. Though the amount fell short of my target of $500, it is a good start. Prior to the event, I hadn't had the intention of hosting another concert. But I've received a lot of positive feedback from folks who were in attendance, many urging me to host another event. I've also been contacted by a number of other organizations who would like to collaborate in the future.
For now I'm aiming at throwing another concert in June and I hope double our contributions. If you are interested in helping with the planning or performing please contact me at standingwithoursister@gmail.com.
Regards,
Danielle Douglas
If you are interested in making a direct contribution to the City of Joy project go to https://secure.ga4.org/01/drcongo
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Walking Towards the City of Joy
No woman deserves to be stripped of her dignity, robbed of her pride. But since the mid-1990s tens of thousands of Congolese women have endured some of the most horrendous acts of sexual violence, tied to the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s ongoing-armed conflict. While it is difficult to provide a definitive number of victims, the UN found that 27,000 sexual assaults were reported in 2006 in the South Kivu province alone. This is believed to be a mere fraction of the assaults occurring across the country.
Certainly, rape has long been used as a weapon of war, but the scale on which these acts are being carried out in the Congo suggests an epidemic that demands our attention. There is no clear-cut solution to this crisis, as the Congo is mired in one of the most contentious conflicts on the continent. Despite the formal end of the war in 2002 and free elections in 2006, warring factions are still ravaging the country. Both government security forces and armed militias are reportedly engaged in what is being called a form of femicide.
Indeed, these acts of unimaginable brutality—frequently involving penetration with bamboo shoots, machetes and riffles—can be considered a systemic attack on women that has often resulted in death. So many of those who are fortunate enough to live through the violence are left with such severe internal damage to their reproductive and digestive systems. Fistula, tears in the vaginal wall where rape has ripped away flesh separating the bladder and the rectum from the vagina, is a common condition.
A great deal of these afflictions can be remedied by simple gynecological surgeries. But with the basic infrastructure of the country, namely the healthcare system, in such disarray and a mounting number of cases, medical providers are strained. A number of non-governmental organizations offer help, but there are only two hospitals in the country that specializes in vaginal reconstructive surgeries: Heal Africa’s medical center in Goma and Panzi Hospital in Bukavu.
While both of these centers can certainly use all of the financial help they can get, I’ve chosen to focus on Panzi because of an amazing project under way that empowers survivors. City of Joy, a joint venture of UNICEF, V-Day and Panzi hospital, is a safe haven for survivors who have been left without family, community or the capacity to have children. The center will provide a place to live while offering an education, leadership training and a chance to earn income.
Congolese women are certainly championing their own causes; there are well over 40 women’s rights organizations in the country demanding government prosecution and protection. We must stand in solidarity with our sisters. Donating to the City of Joy effort is one way, but this site will provide links to other efforts that we can engage in. Please join me in lending a hand to our sisters. They need our help.
Certainly, rape has long been used as a weapon of war, but the scale on which these acts are being carried out in the Congo suggests an epidemic that demands our attention. There is no clear-cut solution to this crisis, as the Congo is mired in one of the most contentious conflicts on the continent. Despite the formal end of the war in 2002 and free elections in 2006, warring factions are still ravaging the country. Both government security forces and armed militias are reportedly engaged in what is being called a form of femicide.
Indeed, these acts of unimaginable brutality—frequently involving penetration with bamboo shoots, machetes and riffles—can be considered a systemic attack on women that has often resulted in death. So many of those who are fortunate enough to live through the violence are left with such severe internal damage to their reproductive and digestive systems. Fistula, tears in the vaginal wall where rape has ripped away flesh separating the bladder and the rectum from the vagina, is a common condition.
A great deal of these afflictions can be remedied by simple gynecological surgeries. But with the basic infrastructure of the country, namely the healthcare system, in such disarray and a mounting number of cases, medical providers are strained. A number of non-governmental organizations offer help, but there are only two hospitals in the country that specializes in vaginal reconstructive surgeries: Heal Africa’s medical center in Goma and Panzi Hospital in Bukavu.
While both of these centers can certainly use all of the financial help they can get, I’ve chosen to focus on Panzi because of an amazing project under way that empowers survivors. City of Joy, a joint venture of UNICEF, V-Day and Panzi hospital, is a safe haven for survivors who have been left without family, community or the capacity to have children. The center will provide a place to live while offering an education, leadership training and a chance to earn income.
Congolese women are certainly championing their own causes; there are well over 40 women’s rights organizations in the country demanding government prosecution and protection. We must stand in solidarity with our sisters. Donating to the City of Joy effort is one way, but this site will provide links to other efforts that we can engage in. Please join me in lending a hand to our sisters. They need our help.
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