环球英语 — 412：DRC’s Forgotten Victims
Voice 1
Hello, I’m Christy Van Arragon.
Voice 2
And I’m Joshua Leo. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
The small, white room is bright. Medical workers stand around a table. An eighteen year old girl lies on this table. Doctors are preparing to operate on her. She looks a little frightened. One of the medical workers takes her hand and smiles. “You will be alright,” her eyes seem to say. At last, everything is ready. The doctor in charge says a prayer. He asks God to look after his patient and to guide his hands. Then, he begins his work.
Voice 2
The young patient’s name is Foura. And her story is a tragic one. In 2006, soldiers came to her village. They attacked her family. Foura’s mother and father were killed before her eyes. Foura tried to run away. But the soldiers caught her. They told her, “Just as we killed your mother and father, we will destroy you for ever.”
The soldiers kept Foura with them for two days. They would not let her leave. During that time, the soldiers forced Foura to have sex with them - they raped her. Foura remembers:
Voice 3
“There were so many men - too many to count. I could not stand. And they left me for dead in the forest.”
Voice 2
Soon after these events, Foura discovered that she was pregnant. But the soldiers had damaged her body very badly. And the baby was already dead when Foura gave birth. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered her baby girl. Foura wished that the baby had lived.
Voice 1
Sadly, stories like this are very common in Foura’s country. This is the Democratic Republic of Congo - a country the size of Western Europe. The DRC has large resources of gold, jewels and minerals. But over the years, governments have badly managed the economy. And since 1996, the country has been in a state of civil war. Different groups are fighting each other to gain total control. Since the war began, there have been almost five and a half million deaths. The situation is especially bad in eastern parts of the country. The war has left most Congolese people in poverty. Many have fled their homes and villages. And the rebel groups have a particular target in this conflict. It is the women and girls.
Voice 2
The International Rescue Committee or IRC, aids refugees and victims of war. It has been working in the DRC since 1996. It aims to inform other countries about the terrible violence happening there - including the sexual violence against women. Rape has become more than an individual crime. It has become a weapon of war. The IRC published a report about sexual violence on their website. In it, it said:
Voice 4
“The women and girls of Congo are not only raped. They are raped again and again - without mercy. Rape is a military plan of action used to create terror and to control people through fear. It is simple, fast and does not cost money. Rape is a very useful tool for soldiers moving through the country with few resources. Soldiers depend on the food and water they steal when raiding villages. It is the women who provide for their families - working in the fields, collecting water, caring for animals. Killing them would not be helpful for the soldiers. So they kidnap women and girls and force them to become slaves.”
Voice 1
Damaged bodies. Broken spirits. Lost innocence. A deep sense of shame. Rape means all these things to its victims. And it is hard to imagine any kind of positive future for the women of Congo.
Voice 2
But, there is hope. Remember Foura? The eighteen year old rape victim on the operating table? Foura has a chance for a new start. Her operation was just the first step. The doctors succeeded in fixing a tear in her uterus. So Foura may still be able to have children. Foura received her treatment in a hospital managed by HEAL Africa. This local aid group is ready to help any victims of the war in the DRC.
Voice 1
HEAL Africa workers believe that healing the whole person is the key to healing the DRC’s deep divisions. The group’s aim is: ”To provide complete care for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. How? By training health workers. By strengthening those who work in the community. And, by providing physical, spiritual and social healing.”
Voice 2
HEAL Africa has a special concern for the victims of sexual violence. In 2003, it started a special treatment programme called, “Heal My People.” This involves trained local advisers. These advisers go into the villages. They find women who have suffered sexual violence. They offer help and advice. If the women need medical help, they take them to the hospital. The advisers continue to watch over the women after their treatment. They want them to return to their community as healed people. Lyn Lusi was one of the people who started Heal Africa. She describes what the advisers mean to their communities:
Voice 5
“The advisers walk for days to reach the troubled women left behind after the fighting. They are not trained in universities, but they can read and write. They are wise and they live alongside the women they help. They help to put their broken communities back together again. I am always amazed by their courage and the healing effect of their friendship and wisdom.”
Voice 1
The “Heal My People” programme also prepares women for their return to community life. They learn new job skills like reading, writing or how to make clothes. They learn about how to solve disputes within families. They hear about the importance of making peace with women from other tribes. They believe that these small steps can lead to the healing of their nation.
Voice 2
Foura should recover soon from her operation. Then, she too will learn new skills. And one day she will return to her home village. Foura does not want to punish her attackers. She says:
Voice 3
“My only wish is to serve God. He rescued me from that danger. I do not know how else I am alive. I am still hoping for a bright future.”
Voice 2
The writer and producer of today’s programme was Ruby Jones. The voices you heard were from the United States, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. All material was adapted for radio. You can hear more Spotlight programmes on our website. Our address is www,radio.english.net. This programme is called, “DRC’s Forgotten Victims.”
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