Rape has been used as a weapon of war in eastern Congo for the past 15 years, but it has been particularly severe in the past five years. Women are raped as they walk to the fields to farm, or as they walk along the roads. Often when carrying goods to and from the markets they must walk for miles through paths in mountains, or on one-lane roads. They are easy targets, losing not only the goods they carry, but their dignity and their sense of personal security. Victims of rape are often afraid to report it, fearing they will be blamed for the offense against them. Since 2003 HEAL Africa has trained counselors, local village women who are respected and chosen by their own communities, to listen to victims’ stories.

A "Safe House" provide a safe place and referrals to appropriate medical treatment. The village counselors know to refer to local medical clinics for infections, STDs, or PEP (Post exposure prophyllaxis for HIV will dramatically reduce transmission of HIV if administered within 72 hours of the rape. Most villagers don’t know this, and it’s not available in many clinics out of the city.) HEAL Africa has been working with 67 rural clinics to provide training and medicine, and through the counselor networks to inform women and girls of the urgency of getting treatment quickly.

Nyamilima was the center of fierce fighting between several armed groups in October, November and December 2008. It continues to be a problem area, as it’s the center ground between the heavily armed guerrilla Hutu remnants of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, and the FARDC, Congolese National Army. Rather than direct confrontations, they both prey on local populations.

The first safe houses were simple houses like all the other houses in the village. It provided a place for women to come, someone to listen to them, a place for women to stay who needed to go to medical treatment. In rural Congo, villages are isolated and off the roads, so anyone seeking medical help has to walk miles to the nearest road, and then to the closest medical facility. If they can’t walk, they’re carried in a type of chair-basket or mat litter carried by two or four men.

This past year, the program has expanded to house a variety of services for women. The houses are now each called “Wamama Simameni”, or WOMEN STAND TOGETHER. The house becomes the central meeting spot for counselors from the area to come, report, learn new skills, and encourage each other. There is some food on hand so that women who come for medical attention can be not only housed, but also fed. The houses often have a small garden attached, or a hutch of rabbits. This provides food when needed, or also can be a source of income. The house will have a space for meeting and learning, so village women can learn to sew, to read, to make bread or soap—skills that will help them in their daily tasks at home. The rooms at the back will provide extra space for storage, equipment and housing. There will also be a space for children at risk: “Children’s Space” works with children from disadvantaged homes, children who have been child soldiers, providing a safe place to play and teaching new skills. For some of them, it is the first time someone has cared about them . For others, it’s the first time in a long time that someone is thinking about their future. The WAMAMA SIMAMENI house in Nyamilima will serve a multitude of functions for the women who come there, both those in the village, and those from far villages who come seeking help. It costs $8000 to set up a safe house, staff it (guards at night), and some land for simple farming.