Marta's story update
War and violence has plagued the NE corners of Congo for many years.HEAL Africa has been a place of refuge for many of the victims of these wartime atrocities.Stories such as Marta’s, a Congolese woman at HEAL Africa, have attracted the attention of people all over the world.Interviewed by Ben Affleck on Nightline in 2008, Marta recounts when she first came to the hospital.Her village had been overrun, she had been raped, her house burned, her husband and child killed.She ran into the house to rescue her child from the burning house.She was so badly disfigured it was hard to look at her. A series of five surgeries were required to help Marta back to productivity.The first three surgeries she had were plastic surgeries to her eyes and face, so that she could simply blink and close her eyes.
This photo was taken after the first two surgeries. (Compare with her current improvement in the video with Affleck.)
After the fourth surgery and her healing, she returned home to her village. She is able to sew and do some of the farming that has been her traditional vocation. She lives there with an older brother, the only remaining family she has.
Last summer she returned to Goma to tell her story at a public event. UNICEF and HEAL Africa co-sponsored at which many women demonstrated for peace and victims of violence shared their stories publicly. After spending two weeks at HEAL Africa, Marta returned to her village.Her brief statements from the interview with Ben Affleck provide a realistic look into the hope of our patients.
In August 2009 Marta came back to Goma for a very special reason. One of the plastic surgeons who had operated on her before was coming back. Her hope was that he would be able to work another miracle.
Here are her own words after her fifth surgery.
Marta, what brings you back to HEAL Africa?
I came back to have an operation on my left arm by Dr. Paul, who came from Australia.This arm has been restricted in motion for a long time because of the burns suffered when my house was burned down by the evildoers in Walikale.I can’t stretch it out or use it.
How many operations have you had?
This is my fifth operation.It was to elongate the muscles of my arm. They did a muscle graft on my arm using muscles from my legs.
What’s your life like today?
My life has really changed, because I’ve already been able to go to the fields and to the market.I can carry light burdens and thanks to this new operation I’ll be able to use both my arms, though they won’t be as strong as they used to for the heavy work I used to do.
What is the difference between the life you led before and your life today?
Before (the tragedy) I was a merchant, and travelled to Bukavu to buy goods which I then resold in Walikale.I also made local drinks which I sold, and also did some farming work. Today I can’t do all those trips (between Bukavu and Walikale, on the back of trucks on bad roads).And even the farming work I can’t do like I did before.If and when I work a lot, I feel completely sick; I have chest pains and headaches.I smell the odor of blood as though I were bleeding.
Are you comfortable in your village now?
No! Because I am living as a dependent in spite of the little work that I am able do.I would rather have my own house, where I could live safely with my child.The city of Bukavu would be my preference because from there it is easy to get to my village, to keep up the relationships, and do small business.
How do you see your future?
My prayer is that the good God grant me the privilege one day of having my own home,where I could live quietly and safely with my child, and grant me the grace of becoming somebody in life.
How do you feel in your heart?
I really, sincerely feel comforted by the fact that my two arms will now be a little balanced, and I have hope that I will make it.
November 13th, 2009 she left the hospital to return home. She is now able to lift and straighten her arm. Isn’t she lovely? Keep looking for the stories of Marta and women like her!
Photos of Marta during her return to HEAL Africa after her most recent surgery.
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Marta’s care is possible because HEAL Africa’s network of counselors, staff and programs are well known in the area and messages can be passed back and forth. Some areas in Congo have cell phone coverage (there are no land lines), but Marta’s village is well off the grid, and Marta certainly doesn’t have a cell phone. Someone has to physically go and give a message, but people are on the move, and messages do get through. Thankfully, Marta heard from one of these messengers.She was able to come for treatment, one more step in the process of healing.The specialist plastic surgeon who treated her came from Australia and was only there for two weeks. If she hadn’t gotten the message, she wouldn’t be able to raise and move her arms today.Again, your donations help keep these messages moving!
Understanding the stories of these amazingly strong women who come to the hospitalhelps illustrate the comprehensive set of needs.Patients like Marta don’t have resources for food, for clothing, or even to pay for medical care. A surgery like hers costs around $500.00. Thecosts of all five of Marta’s surgeries have been paid through the donations that HEAL Africa receives from people who want to helpthe more than 1500 women who have received assistance related to rape and violence in the past few years. More than 1750 surgeries were performed at the HEAL Africa hospital in 2008. There have been 14, 279 patients treated at the hospital this year.
She can dream of her own house, her own business, and a possible new life because she has learned new skills from the counselors, through vocational training, been loved and accompanied during this long process. She knows that someone knows her name.She knows the counselors in the villages on the way to hers, and she will return through them, knowing that they will rejoice with her.
Going home is always the goal of every patient, but it is also highly dangerous, as the Interahamwe and the FARDC (Congolese Army) are both on the move, and continue to rape civilians with impunity. The week Marta came to HEAL Africa, a young boy from her village was raped by the Interahamwe, one of the armed militia who continue to live in the forests of eastern Congo and roam and pillage at will. Until there is a peace and a process for them to be integrated into Rwanda or Congo as citizens, there will be little chance of safety for women like Marta. Her family members are mostly gone. What is the best future for Marta, and for the thousands of women like her?Peace.
HEAL Africa has a sheltered community, Grounds for Hope, for women who have not yet healed from their physical wounds.It is close to Goma and medical attention, but provides a safe place for women to get on with their lives in a village setting, until they can go home. The safety of this sanctuary has allowed more than a hundred women to rebuild their lives and impact the families and communities they return to.The restorative work of this program and the many others at HEAL Africa rely on the generosity and support of donors from around the world. Helping women is a piece of what HEAL Africa does. Learn more about our programs: