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An African Hero: Dr. Denis Mukwege Mends Raped and Battered Women of Congo
Posted by: CareTaker on January 14, 2009 Under: Africa, Business & Technology, Community Report, DRC & Congo, Feature, Life & Culture, People, Positive Africa
Dr. Denis Mukwege — the director of Panzi Hospital in eastern Congo, is many things to the multitude of female patients that see him, beside being their physician, he’s a brother, father, counselor, protector, confidant to many. But to a Nigerian newspaper, Dr Mukwege is the “African of the Year”.
The reason is straightforward: there is a war against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and rape — used in the same fashion an artillery shell is — has become the weapon of choice; a weapon of mass destruction of women, their families and whole communities.
In this widespread brutality against women, “Dr. Denis Mukwege hospital is the frontline”, the CBS reported back in 2008. His clinic receives an average of 10 new patients every day.
Dr Mukwege says via BBC, “his award from the Nigerian Daily Trust paper of $20,000 (£13,700) will be used to fund a center to help rape victims rejoin society.
“I am pleased to accept this award if it will highlight the situation of women in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.” — Dr Mukwege told the BBC French service
Watch the embedded video footage showing Anderson Cooper in eastern Congo ».
The head of the selection panel was Salim Ahmed Salim, former prime minister of Tanzania and former general secretary of the Organisation of African Unity.
“This is a person who has been involved in the protection of women under difficult circumstances, often at the risk of his own life,” Mr Salim told the BBC.
Earlier this month Dr Mukwege was awarded the Olof Palme prize, awarded for outstanding achievement in promoting peace.
There has been extensive coverage of the DRC conflict in the media, including a CBS ‘60 Minutes’ profile of the brutality of women in the DRC conflict (footage shown above) — a war that has killed much more people than in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Darfur combined.
According to the United Nations, some 27,000 sexual assaults were reported South Kivu Province of DRC alone in 2006, and that may be just a fraction of the total number across the country today.
“The sexual violence in Congo is the worst in the world,” said John Holmes, the United Nations under secretary general for humanitarian affairs. “The sheer numbers, the wholesale brutality, the culture of impunity — it’s appalling.”
Related posts:
- Advocate Speaks Against Rape in DRC…Fears Rape is Becoming a National Sport!
- Congo’s ‘Conflict Mineral’ Industry
- Congo-Kinshasa: We Can Overcome – African Solutions to African Problems
- Musings on Kivu, DR Congo
- Increase Peacekeepers in Eastern Congo
- Great Lakes Leaders Hail Nkunda Arrest, Say Kony Next Target
- Trial of DR Congos’ Rebel Leader Nkunda Begins Today
Muti This
Mike | Jan 15, 2009 | Reply
God bless your heart Dr Denis! The African of the Year award is truly desired when many of your peers have taken the bait to go overseas and earn big money, you are right there where the people need you. Kudo!
Misi_A | Jan 15, 2009 | Reply
Thank you Dr. Mukwege for caring for these women, I pray the Lord will reward you handsomely. I see He already is, you deserve that award and more. The selfless man that he is, is using the award money to provide more facilities for the women he is helping – can you imagine? God bless his heart. We should all learn from the spirit of selflessness from this great man. Stories like this just break my heart and make me extremely mad.
Caretaker | Jan 15, 2009 | Reply
Anger is negative energy…re-channel to something more positive
Omotaylor | Jan 16, 2009 | Reply
It is even more commendable that Dr Denis Mukwege, a man, is helping correct what other men are destroying. I pray that God rewards him plentifold, and I pray that God punishes the evil perpetrators of rape. Shame that the Congo government are not in the position to castrate all perpetrators of rape, more so that many of them are within the government and military. Yes Misi, reading especially the last paragraph of the post, it is disheartening and makes me too angry. The poor women are probably damaged for life by these rapes. Many have sexual diseases given to them including HIV, many concieve and getting pregnant for a rape villain makes matters worse. It is good lesson that whatever assistance we can render in any given circumstance should be rendered. But prevention is still better than cure. Dr Dennis should expand on this project and solicit for assistance and even foster such programmes in other countries. Well done.
Diane Strevens | Jan 3, 2010 | Reply
I read about Denis Mukwege’s work in the Congo in our local newspaper on Saturday and was moved by his great courage and sense of justice, especially in a world where women are considered of less value than men.
he is a beacon of hope in a violent and often disfunctional world. From the bottom of the world I send my blessings and thanks for his inspirational work.
anonymus | Feb 21, 2010 | Reply
Dr. Denis is god’s servant. He is truly an amazing person and the beacon of hope for not only these women, but for us too. However,it is easy for all of us to sit behind a screen and give him encouragement. It is also easy for us to give a donation. Only he knows how every day is spent in fear and hope that these women dont return again in worse condition. It is time to address the real issue-the moral values that we have and those that we pass on to our children. How many times have you seen atrocity and closed your eyes to it? How many times have we seen injustice and been a part of it by not offering to help? I am not pointing fingers here-I too am guilty. So,in our society where we are apparantly secure, grave mistakes are being made, then isnt it normal to see such inhumane-ness in a place where politics blinds the people, there is no education and lack of money leads to crimes. I cant think of how to start to change the system. But we can all pray for it to begin starting today. We can also teach human values to our children and lead them to the right way. God bless all who are working in the situations that Dr. Denis is in and let us send out a prayer for those tormented souls who are being healed and who need the healing…
mulume | Jul 12, 2010 | Reply
What a horras organased and planed by rwanda gouvernament funded by BRITISH taxe payers moneys.congolese people, are not able to fight back, but God will pay u for these actions.militias ere founded by Rwanda to Distroys Bashi, balega, batembo,banande… People and all people of the eastern congo.all the time in the name of Banyamulenge they plane rebellion to kill innoncent people in eastern congo..USA, BRITEN,money is not every thing.how can u distoy 2 province for no reason?