Marta's story of healing
Marta’s Story, continuing…
On HEAL Africa’s website is a story about Marta. She was interviewed by Ben Affleck on Nightline in 2008. When she first came to the hospital she was so badly disfigured it was hard to look at her. This photo was taken after the first two surgeries. You can see how much better she looked in the Affleck interview!
The first three surgeries she had were plastic surgeries to her eyes and face, so that she could blink and close her eyes. 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 the VDay, UNICEF and HEAL Africa sponsored event in which many women demonstrated for peace, and victims of violence shared their stories publicly. She spent two weeks at HEAL Africa, then returned to her village.
HEAL Africa has volunteer specialists from various countries who come to teach the young doctors and medical professionals in Goma. Some perform surgeries for women like Marta, whose case transcends the “normal” surgeon’s experience. Paul Millicam from Australia is one such plastic surgeon. He has operated on Marta before in Goma. Paul came back to Goma last week, and Marta came back from her village to have surgery on her arms three days ago. She had a pin put into one arm, and skin grafts on her arms. She’ll get out of intensive care tomorrow and has agreed to an interview.
Women who come to the hospital like Marta don’t have resources for food, for clothing, or even to pay for medical care. A surgery like hers costs around $400. This week’s was her fifth surgery. All of her costs have been paid through the donations that HEAL Africa receives from people who want to help Marta and the more than 1500 women who have had surgery related to rape and violence in the past few years. Usually a family member comes with the patient to help clean them, wash clothes and cook food for them. 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.
For years, some food was given to the hospital to help feed patients by the World Food Program of the United Nations. This year, there is no food for victims of the war or for children with disabilities, because of higher costs for fuel, and less money for the WFP. That means a bigger burden on HEAL Africa to provide food for patients who have no other resources. Donations to HEAL Africa help provide this food.
How did she know to come back to Goma to the HEAL Africa hospital? 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.
Living at home is always the goal, 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. Last week a young boy from her village was raped by the Interahamwe, the Hutu warrior remnants of the perpetrators of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 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?
HEAL Africa has a sheltered community for women who have not healed from their physical wounds, called Grounds for Hope. 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.