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.
The Impact of Service
|
Translate this page:
Partner Campaigns
> Combating Sexual ...
> Profiles
Magdalene Zaibu
Magdalene Zaibu has been at the SOS FED center in Mboko for almost 8 years. In March 2000 she was raped by four FDD soldiers. After her rape, Magdalene fled to the forest, since her violation meant eternal ostracism from her family and community. While in the forest, Magdalene became sick and lost weight. Today, she still suffers from the trauma of her experience.
“I feel sick, my stomach hurts, and I regularly bleed from my vagina,” says Magdalene, “really, I have been suffering.”
Although the physical trauma of her experience and lack of access to medical care have caused a lot of suffering to Magdalene, even worse is the rejection by her family and her family.
“Everyone knows that I was raped, and I have lost all respect in the community,” says Magdalene, “my own husband will no longer sleep with me because I was raped.” (Profile by Walter James, 2009)
Kanyere Taabo
Kanyere Taabo is 31 years old. In February 2000, Rwandan rebels raped her when she was by herself working in her family’s fields. At the time, Kanyere was pregnant, but she miscarried after the violent episode and has not been able to bear children since. Kanyere received several operations in the Congo and Tanzania, as well as receiving traditional medicine, but she still suffers from abdominal pain and irregular bleeding. She also contracted HIV from the men who raped her.
“Ever since my rape, I feel as if I am dead, as if I don’t know who I am,” says Kanyere. (Profile by Walter James, 2009)
Recovering at the SOS-Fed Mboko Center
From the blogs of Ned Meerdink: “If anything positive can be drawn from my short time in Fizi it is that the women here refuse to submit silently to their abuse. An attitude of “silent shame” is being replaced by a more proactive one. If you could see the region, you’d realize that there is no protection for women besides their solidarity. Marceline talks regularly with women about how to decrease their vulnerability. Walking to the fields together is a start. Supporting those who are raped without prejudice helps. Rallying together against those abusers of human rights will go a long way in time.” (March 2, 2009) Back
Profiles
SOS-Fed is seeking to explain sexual violence from the perspective of survivors. These pages are a beginning. While any profiling must be done with the utmost tact, many survivors feel that publicity is often one of the few options open to them.
 |
 |
|
 |
.png) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Magdalene ZaibuMagdalene Zaibu has been at the SOS FED center in Mboko for almost 8 years. In March 2000 she was raped by four FDD soldiers. After her rape, Magdalene fled to the forest, since her violation meant eternal ostracism from her family and community. While in the forest, Magdalene became sick and lost weight. Today, she still suffers from the trauma of her experience.
“I feel sick, my stomach hurts, and I regularly bleed from my vagina,” says Magdalene, “really, I have been suffering.”
Although the physical trauma of her experience and lack of access to medical care have caused a lot of suffering to Magdalene, even worse is the rejection by her family and her family.
“Everyone knows that I was raped, and I have lost all respect in the community,” says Magdalene, “my own husband will no longer sleep with me because I was raped.” (Profile by Walter James, 2009)
Kanyere Taabo Kanyere Taabo is 31 years old. In February 2000, Rwandan rebels raped her when she was by herself working in her family’s fields. At the time, Kanyere was pregnant, but she miscarried after the violent episode and has not been able to bear children since. Kanyere received several operations in the Congo and Tanzania, as well as receiving traditional medicine, but she still suffers from abdominal pain and irregular bleeding. She also contracted HIV from the men who raped her.
“Ever since my rape, I feel as if I am dead, as if I don’t know who I am,” says Kanyere. (Profile by Walter James, 2009)
Recovering at the SOS-Fed Mboko Center From the blogs of Ned Meerdink: “If anything positive can be drawn from my short time in Fizi it is that the women here refuse to submit silently to their abuse. An attitude of “silent shame” is being replaced by a more proactive one. If you could see the region, you’d realize that there is no protection for women besides their solidarity. Marceline talks regularly with women about how to decrease their vulnerability. Walking to the fields together is a start. Supporting those who are raped without prejudice helps. Rallying together against those abusers of human rights will go a long way in time.” (March 2, 2009) Back