A Voice For the Voiceless
The Advocacy Project helps marginalized communities to tell their story, claim their rights and produce social change. We recruit graduate students to volunteer as Peace Fellows with partners.
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Marceline Kongolo, founder and director
Marceline, 26, has grown up amid the violent upheaval that has affected her homeland since the mid-90s. Her personal story of flight and loss is quite incredible. “I was born and grew up in Kindu, in Maniema Province,” Marceline told us, “In 2001 my family and I fled Kindu because of the war. We were on the road for a long time, and in the process my father and brother were killed. After that, we were five: my mother, my siblings, and me. We fled then to Kisangani, but there life was difficult because of all the violence, war, and killing. After Kisangani, we went to Bukavu, then to Uvira, and we finally ended up in Fizi. Because of all the problems I saw around me during this period, I saw it was necessary to start helping women.”
“When we were fleeing Kindu,” said Marceline, “the Congolese soldiers were taking girls as young as 13 and forcing them to be their wives. They would take girls into the forest, and after they had finished with them they would simply discard them.”
“This became a problem for me too, as a local commander wanted to take me as his wife. He was going to take me, but my mother refused, saying that I was too young. So, he sent men to kill my father and brother as we left Kindu. The commander put my sister and me in prison. After two days we were freed and we continued our flight to Kisangani.”
Stories similar to Marceline’s are still common in this part of Congo, and SOS Femmes en Danger faces an uphill battle in trying to break the cycle of sexual violence. However, Marceline remains positive.
“I will continue my work and will not be discouraged,” she said, “I work little by little to help women in the Congo, and things will change.”
Since SOS Femmes en Danger is a very small local organization, it has difficulty in responding to the need for assistance in Fizi. Marceline hopes that her organization will continue to grow and that women will be able to live without the constant fear of violation.
“We want to increase the number of women we are able to help. Today, perhaps we can work with 30 victims, tomorrow maybe 60, after that maybe 70, 150, and so on. That is the vision of SOS Femmes en Danger. For women in general, we want peace, development, an end to the fighting and violence, and the ability to go about our business without being threatened. Really, we just want women’s lives to be better.”
“Marceline’s history reflects the history of conflict in Congo and links her directly with the women she aims to empower.” From the blogs of Ned Meerdink (2009)
Though only 22, Marceline has been the head (she’s the founder, too) of SOS Femmes en Dangers since 2003. Her organization attempts to empower women by informing them of their rights and educating them on how to better protect themselves. The conflict in Congo refuses to let up, and Marceline believes it is important to prepare women to deal with this insecurity. Education is thus the best defense. In addition, Marceline works to rebuild the shattered psyches of women who have been violently raped and enslaved by the various armed groups in South Kivu (Mai-Mai, FDD-Burundi, FDLR/Interahawme-Rwanda); those armed groups which have come and gone (RCD-Goma-Rwanda, FNL-Burundi); and the ever-present menace posed by the Congolese military, the FARDC.
It is a huge problem, and Marceline regularly makes the trip over dangerous roads south to Fizi territory, where her work is concentrated. In addition, Marceline has taken responsibility of hundreds of orphaned girls. She educates them on how to protect themselves from sexual violence and where to seek help, and constantly negotiates with local schools to find money so that they can continue to study. SOS Femmes en Dangers also documents and reports on sexual assaults and incidences of rape in South Kivu, which Marceline hopes will diminish the atmosphere of complete impunity in Congo in which these violations continue to occur. Thus, she really attacks the issue of violence from all angles - starting to empower women during their youth, responding to women who have already been victimized, and urging the government to pay attentions to the lives lived by women in Congo.
Marceline’s history reflects the history of conflict in Congo well, and links her directly with the women she aims to empower. As she put it, a life of fleeing and fear made her, “…a stronger advocate for suffering people.” Between 1996 and 2004, Marceline crossed numerous provinces, fleeing fighting. Early on, her family was ordered to “give” her as a wife for a high-ranking local official. When they refused, they were all imprisoned. During one crisis, her father and brother were killed along the route by Ugandan soldiers near Kisangani, Marceline and parts of her family eventually made it back home to South Kivu. Such stories are all too common here, but Marceline’s own personal experience motivated her to do something when she had the chance. In 2003 she went to work. She started SOS Femmes en Dangers with her pocket money and turned to a strong core of local volunteers to get things moving.
Conducting this type of work in Congo is not only emotionally and mentally difficult, but simply dangerous. The Congolese government has never looked kindly on those humanitarian workers who choose to draw attention to the horrendous treatment of women on Congolese territory and there are regular reports of violence against women human rights workers who persist in their missions. Marceline’s dedication to her cause and her fearless pursuit of justice in an unjust place are admirable. (From the blogs of Peace Fellow Walter James, 2009)
Marie Bashishibe – center manager, Mboko
Marie is the site director of the SOS Femmes en Danger reception center in Mboko, Fizi Territory. This reception center shelters up to 30 women who are victims of sexual violence, domestic abuse, and marginalization by the community. Many of the women at the center were abducted and raped by one of numerous armed groups that infest Fizi Territory. Many of the women are the widows of soldiers and have no means of support. All the women at the center are objects to cruel derision and marginalization in their communities. They are called “prostitutes” and other harsh names, even if their experience was by no choice of their own.
”There are some women here that were kicked out of their homes by their husbands because they were raped,” said Marie, “Their husbands claim that since they were raped, they are now infected with viruses and sickness, and so they simply throw them out.”
“The community here neglects and derides these women,” she continued, “They are subject to neglect and derision. Even their families reject them. Even their country rejects them.”
Indeed, the situation of women in Congo is very poor. Marie spoke at length about this unsavory aspect of Congolese society.
“Women here are very neglected, even if they do all the work and are essentially the breadwinners of the family,” said Marie, “Women educate the children, feed them, clothe them. They are responsible for everything. Husbands sit under the trees and play Ludo [a popular board game] all day. All the while their wives work in the fields, bring back the food, and prepare the food. Men will forget they haven’t put forth any effort to provide the food, but they will certainly eat it!”
“In addition,” continued Marie, “Men will beat their wives, saying ‘don’t you know how to cook? You used too little oil in the meal!”
“The men forget their women. In Fizi, to be a wife is to be forgotten. These women have nothing. Men try to play us like pieces in their board game, doing whatever they want whenever they want it.”
Marie also told us about how girls are held back from opportunities for education by their families, and how the only future considered for girls is to be married off at a young age. If a woman’s husband runs off or dies, she is expected to marry again and keep making children, or else she will be considered a prostitute. To make matters worse, the government does little to improve the lives women in Congo, despite the fact that the Congolese constitution guarantees equal rights to women.
“In the case of the government,” said Marie, “I haven’t seen anything at all working to help us here. There is nothing here. We don’t see any improvements.”
In this atmosphere, it is easy to see how marginalization is a terrible sentence for a woman in Congo. Thus, the center is available to these women so they have a bed to sleep in, food, basic medical treatment, and shelter from the abuse of their community. However, Marie feels that there needs to be more to change the overall situation of women in Congo.
”Education is the start,” said Marie, “This has to be given to girls as well as boys. Secondly, our soldiers need to be reeducated, so that they can learn to respect our women. Thirdly, women should be able to control their finances, so women can monitor their household and keep their own money. If women are able to drive their households, men will then recognize our value and begin respecting the work we do.”
It should now be obvious that Marie is a fearless woman, speaking out against deeply entrenched chauvinist traditions and a war that has had a particularly devastating impact on women. Not often does one find someone with Marie’s candor.
Marie has been working at the center in Mboko for two years. She hopes that in coming years, SOS Femmes en Dangers will be able to provide education to the women of Fizi, giving them the skills necessary to end sexual violence and promote equality for women in their communities.
“When women know their rights, they know how to defend themselves. A woman can’t defend herself without this knowledge. An educated woman applies this to her life, and thus the situation can change.” (From the blogs of Peace Fellow Walter James, 2009)
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Advocates
This page profiles officials at SOS Femmes en Danger (SOSFED) in South Kivu. SOSFED was founded in 2003 by Marceline Kongolo, and worked through volunteers until 2008. The staff has grown in the past two years as activities have increased.
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| Marceline Kongolo | Amisi Awi | Marie Bashishibe | Sango Laliya-Kikonde | Bawile Ninjajuwi |
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| Mimi Binwa | Ricardo Lounga | Munga Bouleymane | Nombi Baruani |
Marceline Kongolo, founder and directorMarceline, 26, has grown up amid the violent upheaval that has affected her homeland since the mid-90s. Her personal story of flight and loss is quite incredible. “I was born and grew up in Kindu, in Maniema Province,” Marceline told us, “In 2001 my family and I fled Kindu because of the war. We were on the road for a long time, and in the process my father and brother were killed. After that, we were five: my mother, my siblings, and me. We fled then to Kisangani, but there life was difficult because of all the violence, war, and killing. After Kisangani, we went to Bukavu, then to Uvira, and we finally ended up in Fizi. Because of all the problems I saw around me during this period, I saw it was necessary to start helping women.”
“When we were fleeing Kindu,” said Marceline, “the Congolese soldiers were taking girls as young as 13 and forcing them to be their wives. They would take girls into the forest, and after they had finished with them they would simply discard them.”
“This became a problem for me too, as a local commander wanted to take me as his wife. He was going to take me, but my mother refused, saying that I was too young. So, he sent men to kill my father and brother as we left Kindu. The commander put my sister and me in prison. After two days we were freed and we continued our flight to Kisangani.”
Stories similar to Marceline’s are still common in this part of Congo, and SOS Femmes en Danger faces an uphill battle in trying to break the cycle of sexual violence. However, Marceline remains positive.
“I will continue my work and will not be discouraged,” she said, “I work little by little to help women in the Congo, and things will change.”
Since SOS Femmes en Danger is a very small local organization, it has difficulty in responding to the need for assistance in Fizi. Marceline hopes that her organization will continue to grow and that women will be able to live without the constant fear of violation.
“We want to increase the number of women we are able to help. Today, perhaps we can work with 30 victims, tomorrow maybe 60, after that maybe 70, 150, and so on. That is the vision of SOS Femmes en Danger. For women in general, we want peace, development, an end to the fighting and violence, and the ability to go about our business without being threatened. Really, we just want women’s lives to be better.”
“Marceline’s history reflects the history of conflict in Congo and links her directly with the women she aims to empower.” From the blogs of Ned Meerdink (2009)
Though only 22, Marceline has been the head (she’s the founder, too) of SOS Femmes en Dangers since 2003. Her organization attempts to empower women by informing them of their rights and educating them on how to better protect themselves. The conflict in Congo refuses to let up, and Marceline believes it is important to prepare women to deal with this insecurity. Education is thus the best defense. In addition, Marceline works to rebuild the shattered psyches of women who have been violently raped and enslaved by the various armed groups in South Kivu (Mai-Mai, FDD-Burundi, FDLR/Interahawme-Rwanda); those armed groups which have come and gone (RCD-Goma-Rwanda, FNL-Burundi); and the ever-present menace posed by the Congolese military, the FARDC.
It is a huge problem, and Marceline regularly makes the trip over dangerous roads south to Fizi territory, where her work is concentrated. In addition, Marceline has taken responsibility of hundreds of orphaned girls. She educates them on how to protect themselves from sexual violence and where to seek help, and constantly negotiates with local schools to find money so that they can continue to study. SOS Femmes en Dangers also documents and reports on sexual assaults and incidences of rape in South Kivu, which Marceline hopes will diminish the atmosphere of complete impunity in Congo in which these violations continue to occur. Thus, she really attacks the issue of violence from all angles - starting to empower women during their youth, responding to women who have already been victimized, and urging the government to pay attentions to the lives lived by women in Congo.
Marceline’s history reflects the history of conflict in Congo well, and links her directly with the women she aims to empower. As she put it, a life of fleeing and fear made her, “…a stronger advocate for suffering people.” Between 1996 and 2004, Marceline crossed numerous provinces, fleeing fighting. Early on, her family was ordered to “give” her as a wife for a high-ranking local official. When they refused, they were all imprisoned. During one crisis, her father and brother were killed along the route by Ugandan soldiers near Kisangani, Marceline and parts of her family eventually made it back home to South Kivu. Such stories are all too common here, but Marceline’s own personal experience motivated her to do something when she had the chance. In 2003 she went to work. She started SOS Femmes en Dangers with her pocket money and turned to a strong core of local volunteers to get things moving.
Conducting this type of work in Congo is not only emotionally and mentally difficult, but simply dangerous. The Congolese government has never looked kindly on those humanitarian workers who choose to draw attention to the horrendous treatment of women on Congolese territory and there are regular reports of violence against women human rights workers who persist in their missions. Marceline’s dedication to her cause and her fearless pursuit of justice in an unjust place are admirable. (From the blogs of Peace Fellow Walter James, 2009)
Marie Bashishibe – center manager, Mboko
Marie is the site director of the SOS Femmes en Danger reception center in Mboko, Fizi Territory. This reception center shelters up to 30 women who are victims of sexual violence, domestic abuse, and marginalization by the community. Many of the women at the center were abducted and raped by one of numerous armed groups that infest Fizi Territory. Many of the women are the widows of soldiers and have no means of support. All the women at the center are objects to cruel derision and marginalization in their communities. They are called “prostitutes” and other harsh names, even if their experience was by no choice of their own.”There are some women here that were kicked out of their homes by their husbands because they were raped,” said Marie, “Their husbands claim that since they were raped, they are now infected with viruses and sickness, and so they simply throw them out.”
“The community here neglects and derides these women,” she continued, “They are subject to neglect and derision. Even their families reject them. Even their country rejects them.”
Indeed, the situation of women in Congo is very poor. Marie spoke at length about this unsavory aspect of Congolese society.
“Women here are very neglected, even if they do all the work and are essentially the breadwinners of the family,” said Marie, “Women educate the children, feed them, clothe them. They are responsible for everything. Husbands sit under the trees and play Ludo [a popular board game] all day. All the while their wives work in the fields, bring back the food, and prepare the food. Men will forget they haven’t put forth any effort to provide the food, but they will certainly eat it!”
“In addition,” continued Marie, “Men will beat their wives, saying ‘don’t you know how to cook? You used too little oil in the meal!”
“The men forget their women. In Fizi, to be a wife is to be forgotten. These women have nothing. Men try to play us like pieces in their board game, doing whatever they want whenever they want it.”
Marie also told us about how girls are held back from opportunities for education by their families, and how the only future considered for girls is to be married off at a young age. If a woman’s husband runs off or dies, she is expected to marry again and keep making children, or else she will be considered a prostitute. To make matters worse, the government does little to improve the lives women in Congo, despite the fact that the Congolese constitution guarantees equal rights to women.
“In the case of the government,” said Marie, “I haven’t seen anything at all working to help us here. There is nothing here. We don’t see any improvements.”
In this atmosphere, it is easy to see how marginalization is a terrible sentence for a woman in Congo. Thus, the center is available to these women so they have a bed to sleep in, food, basic medical treatment, and shelter from the abuse of their community. However, Marie feels that there needs to be more to change the overall situation of women in Congo.
”Education is the start,” said Marie, “This has to be given to girls as well as boys. Secondly, our soldiers need to be reeducated, so that they can learn to respect our women. Thirdly, women should be able to control their finances, so women can monitor their household and keep their own money. If women are able to drive their households, men will then recognize our value and begin respecting the work we do.”
It should now be obvious that Marie is a fearless woman, speaking out against deeply entrenched chauvinist traditions and a war that has had a particularly devastating impact on women. Not often does one find someone with Marie’s candor.
Marie has been working at the center in Mboko for two years. She hopes that in coming years, SOS Femmes en Dangers will be able to provide education to the women of Fizi, giving them the skills necessary to end sexual violence and promote equality for women in their communities.
“When women know their rights, they know how to defend themselves. A woman can’t defend herself without this knowledge. An educated woman applies this to her life, and thus the situation can change.” (From the blogs of Peace Fellow Walter James, 2009)
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