MINOVA: A place of beauty and treasures

Hello to all of you around the world who are following us on our journey... Here we go with another update.

Read our experience in Minova:

A beautiful landscape on the way to Minova

Driving to Minova took us about 6 hours. 

This journey truly made me aware of the unspeakable beauty of this place I call home. Driving along lake Kivu, through beautiful valleys and mountains full of palm trees, coffee plantations, tropical fruit trees... truly we could see how fertile this land is. If someone didn't know about what was happening out there deep in the bush, you would feel like being in a land somewhere close to paradise.
My brother Dejoie and I were in the humanitarian car of an organization AFEDEM, "Appui aux Femmes Démunies et Enfants Marginalisés",  together with four of its staff - a lawyer, a magistrate, the coordinator of the workshop and the head of the office at AFEDEM in Minova.

Getting to know the place  

We arrived on a wednesday afternoon. Before checking in at the place we stayed, we had a meeting at the MONUSCO office, who is in charge of the security within the region around Minova and furthermore was the sponsor of the event. Together we set the frame of the workshop and prepared the venue where the workshop would take place the next day. 

In the evening, my brother and I took a walk through city and we could both feel the heaviness upon this town which was reflected in the people's faces we saw on the street. On the road we randomly started talking to a citizen and who was willing to share his experiences of what life in Minova is like. Ever since the M23 invaded the town in December 2012 and committed a mass rape with more than 250 women, the people are constantly aware of the fact that the same thing could happen at any given time again. He didn't hide the tough reality of the place we were in and we started getting a glimpse of what we were about to encounter the next day

Unexpected surprise 

The next morning started off with a negative surprise for me.

 Broken Sony Z1 camera 

As we were getting ready for the day preparing to take some footage during the workshop, I opened my camera bag to double check my tools and found my big camera broken into pieces. It truly was a shock and so devastating for me, that I couldn't leave for the camp with the other workers, but had to stay back to get myself together and calm down for a bit. Until now we all have no idea of how it could have possibly happened, but as I was sitting in my room wondering and pondering of what to do about the camera, another thought came to my mind: I was reminded that I was there not just there to collect the stories with the eye of a lens but more importantly I came to listen to the cries of those affected, share with them the love they deserve and hope they need in order for their lives can be restored. My focus is on the people who are far more important in the eyes of God than my camera. It is legitimate to make a good film, but I am not supposed loose my focus on what really matters. This is when I could finally stand up with refreshed joy and head to the place where the workshop took place.

Educating and creating awareness 

the workshop at the catholic parish in Minova

As I arrived, the participants had already arrived and the traditional chief and chief of police of were welcoming the people. The first interactive session was led by the lawyer of AFEDEM who asked questions like: 

What is rape? Who can be raped and who can commit rape? How can one prevent him/herself of getting raped? 

The answers given by the women of Minova were collected and together we worked out a common understanding of how sexual abuse is to be perceived and treated. 

The second session was held by a representative of MONUSCO who explained the mandat of MONUSCO in the protection and reinforcement of the rights of women in the DR Congo. Together we elaborated on what are the rights of women, their position and value in society and where they can seek help from if their rights are violated. While the focus of the workshop was mainly supposed to be on the rights of women, throughout the discussion several men shared their testimony of how they got raped by different armed groups. Again this made everyone aware that the problem is much more complex and from then on the focus was equally on men and women affected by sexualized violence.

 working on solution to fight sexual violence

The last session was dedicated to give the participants a platform to ask individual questions that had not been answered throughout the course of the workshop. Also the group was divided into four sections were they were asked to give recommendation of how they think the UN and other international NGOs could intervene better on their behalf.

The workshop was closed by the commander of the MONUSCO, who again explained the role of MONUSCO and how they can be approached to seek help from.

  Refugee camp 

kids at the refugee camp outside Minova

In the evening we visited a smaller refugee camp outside of Minova, where we just talked to the people and spend time with them. Surprisingly the people were very open with us and shared their desperation and stories. When the children saw us coming they ran towards us shouting with joy to receive visitors. These people have lost almost everything, lost their homes, some of them lost their family members, they have no sufficient food and clothes, no access to education or a clean environment, yet they have not given up the hope to one day find themselves back where they belong.

Precious treasure 

The next day early morning before leaving Minova, we went to the market to buy food to take home with us to Bukavu. As Minova is one of the most fertile areas in the whole region, the market is full of women who are busy selling their goods. In my mind I was thinking: Africa, Congo, wake up. Don't you see the important role women are playing in our society? African, Congolese women are the cornerstones of our society. Day in day out they are giving their everything, doing hard work to sustain their families and children back home. Women have suffered enough, for how long do we want to ruin our own society?

This were the impression me and my brother took home to Bukavu.

Side road market 

Soon our stay in the Congo is coming to an end and we are really busy following up cases and get our research done. As we have successfully established a network and contacts with different people and organizations, we are now ready to start doing our first round of interviews. Unfortunately we are a bit handicapped since we have no sufficient tools to capture footage for the documentary, as our big camera is broken. If you feel called to support us towards a new camera, please do contact us as soon as possible.

Much Love from Congo