Why Do We Work in the Congo?

The Congo is considered to be one of the worst places to be born a woman. Plagued by violence and killing in a "war of liberation" begun in 1996, millions have been killed and rape of women is widely used as a tool of war. Not only does fistula occur as a result of rape, but also because many woman are delivering without medical help for the simple reason that they fear for their safety and will not venture out to go to a Hospital for help. The Fistula Foundation is choosing to target its support for the Congo in light of the dramatic need for treatment and also to offer a glimmer of hope to the nation’s women.

What You Help Us Do in the Congo

We're helping fund:

• Fistula surgery treatment
• Outreach/Community Mobilisation

Where:
Panzi Hospital in Bukavo, the capital city of the country's South Kivu Province
HEAL Africa at various host hospitals

How much funding have we granted?
Panzi Hospital: $226,856 in FY2011
HEAL Africa: $100,000 in FY2011
Panzi Hospital: $204,100 in FY2010
Panzi Hospital: $200,000 in FY2009

Who's our partner?
We provide direct support.

How will this help women in the Congo?
Determined to confront the injuries of the population, Dr. Denis Mukwege founded the Panzi Hospital in 1999. The 400-bed Hospital is renowned for its services to internally displaced persons and more specifically victims of sexual violence. From 1999 to 2010, 2,544 women suffering from obstetric fistula received free, high-quality treatment here. The Fistula Foundation is honored to be a major supporter of the Panzi Hospital and Dr. Mukwege whose deep and abiding commitment to serving his people and particularly women with obstetric fistula and traumatic fistula is truly inspiring.

HEAL Africa has been performing fistula repair since 2003 and has three resident Congolese specialist surgeons, with additional internationally acclaimed visiting surgeons. They are working to raise awareness in the community of the possibility of treatment of fistula and how to ensure safe delivery. They send qualified outreach surgical teams to selected rural hospitals to make care accessible and to train local surgeons on safe C-sections and provide free fistula surgery and pre-and-post-operative care for indigent patients.