sexual abuse
Tales of Rape from Democratic Republic of Congo
It hurts me to read about the horrific rape stories in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially because there’s only very little I can do to help- I blog, I try to create awareness. According to the United Nations statistics, in the DRC, commonly called the rape capital of the world 3600 people have been raped in the last four years. No one is excluded- women, men, children, even aged people. Such a sad reality!
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‘After my daughter died, I lost faith in humanity.’ I haven’t been able to get my mind of that sentence made by this broken old lady you see in the picture above. You won’t also when you hear her story:
Inside a small wooden house overlooking the massive Virunga National Park, Bakazi Ndazimo, 70, tells Al Jazeera about the worst day of her life – the day she stopped feeling human; the day she was beaten and raped.
Ndazimo’s story:
The only reason I am able to talk about this is because of my age, and the fact that I am not going to remarry.
The attack happened in late November 2012, just after the M23 militia took control over Sake, Ndazimo’s hometown, situated 27km west of Goma in the eastern province of North Kivu.
She was cooking a meal for her grandchildren when a group of rebels stormed the house, grabbed her, and violently dragged her to another neighbourhood.
There, in the shadow of some tall bushes, she was raped by two soldiers.
I was screaming at the top of my lungs when they ripped my clothes off, but the neighbours quietly went back to their houses and closed the curtains. For them it was just another rape.
Only three weeks later, the family was targeted again. This time a group of rebel soldiers came for Ndazimo’s daughter, who was raped so viciously she later died from her injuries.
Ndazimo now cares for her daughter’s children. Following the death, Ndazimo was left to take care of her daughter’s six children after their father abandoned them.
After the rape and death of my daughter, I lost faith in humanity. I don’t expect anything from anyone any more.
I’ve written so much about the rape crises in the DRC, where rape is being used as a weapon of war in the war ravaged country.
See some of the posts below:
Rape and sexual violence in the DRC
Abducted and raped: A real life story
Dear reader, kindly share your suggestions on what could be done to save these innocent people in the DRC, in a country were it is more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier.
#SaveHumanity
Worsening situation of Rape and Child abuse around the world
I have always been an active campaigner against child abuse, violence and rape and sexual harassment of children, especially young vulnerable girls. So, I was saddened and highly disturbed by the latest UN report that about 120 million girls around the world get raped or sexually abused before they reach the age of 20. This alarming figure represents nearly one in ten girls!
The UN report which gathered data from 190 countries also shows that sexual violence against boys is also becoming widespread although it is lesser compared to that of girls and is more under reported.
I won’t like to keep on with the statistics, you can see them in this BBC report about child sexual abuse. I’ve severally written about countries which are known for high levels of rape including the Democratic Republic of Congo referred to as the ‘rape capital of the world’; South Africa, where one girl gets raped every three minutes; India, where recent cases of violent gang rapes has generated international attention; Pakistan where recent reports expose the shameful activities of paedophiles.
Very worrying also is the increase in the cases of child homicide. Nigeria has the highest cases of child homicides in the world and this is also prevalent in Latin America countries such as Venezuela, Panama, Brazil and Colombia.
A shocking number of children (13,000) were murdered in Nigeria in 2012. Another grave form of abuse against children is child marriage which is prevalent in many cultures of African and Asian countries.
It is very sad that anyone can even think of hurting or abusing innocent vulnerable children. It is very despicable and unthinkable. Sexual abuse, rape and other forms of violence against children are the gravest form of human rights abuses. Our responsibility is to protect OUR children and provide a safe environment for them to grow. The world can no longer sit back and watch thousands of children go through so much suffering and pain. Governments of countries where child abuse is prevalent must take strong steps to protect these children. I am so emotional as I write this post and I really hope I’m making sense. Its just never right to take advantage of children. In most of these cases of abuse; family members, guardians, care takers, teachers and even law enforcement officers are involved. Just imagine the high rate of child murders in Nigeria! It is so sad and I just hope and pray for a world where we would let our children be children and give them the care and protection they deserve.
Lotenna Blog 