Despite the trauma suffered by the students in the Kivu Sewing Workshop for the Welfare of Women, many of them have been willing to share their stories (some in their own words) so you may better understand the challenges they're attempting to overcome. In respect of the privacy of those who asked us, we've changed their names, did not include their photograph or both.

While looking after her mother at the Mumosho Health Center, Mugisa was attacked by three armed men on March 26, 2006. She was raped repeatedly and today still suffers from the memory. At one time she felt like she had lost control of her life to ... Read More...

Dorcas was only 13 years old when Rwandan rebels (FDLR) attacked Kasika-Mwenga, her home village in 2005. One of her sisters was killed in the attack and Dorcas was raped by two of the attackers. She became pregnant. The situation worsened for her... Read More...

My name is Eugenie and I was born in Rwanda-Kigali but today am living in the DRC. I have two children. When the 1994 genocide war broke out in Rwanda, I was living at my brother's home in Kigali when the Interahamwe (Hutu militia) came to kill o... Read More...

My name is M’Mihigo. My husband was shot and killed at our home during Laurent Nkunda and Mutebusi’s attack on Bukavu in 2004. I have nine children and only two of them are still going to school because of our financial difficulties. I am trying ... Read More...

Bujana’s parents were killed when the forces of rebel Congolese General Laurent Nkunda attacked Bukavu in 2004. Her father was killed and Bujana was raped. “My mother is unable to take care of all our family,” says Bujana, “I want to learn some s... Read More...

"My name is Kahumba and I am 23 years old. The night of May 26 is a night I will never be able to forget. We were sleeping in our house when we heard a lot of commotion. People in the village were crying out "kandi rhwamafa," (a Mashi expression w... Read More...

I am Mirenge. My father was killed last year by Interahamwe (Rwandan Hutu militia). It's now about one month and a half since the Interahamwe came to attack our village again. "It was a very bad day for our family because my elder brother was k... Read More...