Dr Congo Looking for Dr Mukwege and finding The City of Joy

Following along from my post yesterday about  Dr Mukwege  in noticed on  Alex Engwete reports that he has removed to a safe undisclosed location.

"Two days following the attempt on his life, under armed escort by
MONUSCO peacekeepets, Dr. Denis Mukwege, alongside his family, left
Bukavu in the morning of Saturday, October 27, for an unknown
destination, according to newswires.

Radio Okapi reports that Dr. Mukwege and his family boarded an
Eco-Flight aircraft at Bukavu Kavumu Airport for an unknown
destination.

A source close to Dr. Mukwege's is quoted by Radio Okapi as saying:
"They were evacuated for security reasons at the request of his
Western friends."
I was unable to confirm the reports on Alex's blog but it makes a lot of sense. One of the great things about blogging is that you stumble over the unexpected. Trust me this was totally unexpected. 

The Huffington Post reports

City of Joy Graduation: DRC's Peaceful Revolution Has Begun

Incongruous is just one word that comes to mind when attempting to describe eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The breathtaking beauty of sparkling Lake Kivu and the lush, green mountains and fertile red earth where virtually everything grows belie the unspeakable horrors of gang rape, torture and massacre that take place daily in this very same setting.
Staring at a panoramic view comparable to Italy's Lago di Como, one is immediately tempted to break out a camera to memorialize the stunning scenery. Red blood and bitter tears that stain the land never show in photographs.

The first hint that I was on to something unusual was my search on Dr Mukwege threw up a result from the 2/9/12 now in America that means the ninth of February where as in the civilised world it denotes the second of September certainly something I thought might be in the time frame for having a possible bearing on last weeks brutality. It is probable I would have looked any way for two further reasons.First it was in English and  second it had the rather incongruent  line " City of Joy DR Congo " . That would attract any Congo Watchers eye even a novice such as myself.

Congo, a country so rich in resources -- blessed with precious gold, diamonds, coltan, cobalt, copper, tin, tantalum, tungsten -- is so painfully poor that "food today means none tomorrow" for many. It is a travesty of global proportions that corporations and their business-as-usual ways continue to amass contaminated and immorally acquired profit. The electronically-equipped population, myself included, benefits from conflict minerals of the DRC and gets away with it without so much as a portion of the misery that the locals endure.

They are harsh words the sort I hope I sometimes write.

Preservation of the indigenous culture through rhythm, dance, song and art is a testament to the resilience of the Congolese people whose land has been pillaged by greedy colonialism and its appalling legacy.

Colonialism and more importantly neo-colonialism as practiced by the corporations and corrupt governments of not only the DR Congo but continental Africa is something we in the west should be very aware of. 

First Visit to City of Joy

All of the above is apparent on my day of arrival in Bukavu to V-Day's City of Joy, a very special place, a miracle-maker of a place, that may very well be the birthplace of a peaceful revolution within the DRC. It is a walled-in haven of educational training and political activism for female survivors of gender violence who qualify for the rigorous six month-long program. Here, women are housed to go through extensive literacy and communications courses as well as civics and politics training that teach them about human rights and women's rights and psychotherapy to help them recover from their trauma. They also go through self-defense courses, comprehensive sexuality education, massage lessons as therapeutic process, physical education, horticulture and green programming, culinary arts, sewing and data processing. These courses are designed by the Congolese and the program is run by the Congolese. They know best what they need and how to make it all work.

This is an attempt to address an issue that is very close to my heart. 

Mural on the outside walls of City of Joy   Building City of Joy is in and of itself a major accomplishment. The drive getting there on Essence Road is one for the books. The contrast between Orchid Hotel where I stayed, and Essence Road is jarring. The well-maintained grounds of Orchid Hotel on Lake Kivu are strewn with flowers of every blooming color; picking flowers along a few meters walk would result in the most beautiful bouquet. Within seconds of leaving the premises, thousands of locals walk up and down narrow, unpaved streets, some of whom are carrying babies on their backs or huge bins of manioc on their heads. Armed U.N. soldiers crammed in flatbed trucks are a common sight, as are vehicles of various NGOs and motorcycles driven by locals weaving in and out of unregulated traffic. Foot traffic is so dense that every few minutes, my heart would stop for fear that our vehicle would press against mangled bodies in our path. Transporting building materials and equipment is a huge challenge. City of Joy staff can attest to the painful commute hours during the rainy season when the roads turn into inches-deep sludge. On Essence Road, false veneers of good-doing and inflated promises stop dead in their muddy tracks.

I am guessing that is a standard initial western reaction to the DR Congo and I suspect that while it is accurate on one level, I would bet she missed a lot.

My first visit to City of Joy was nothing short of memorable. Bruised upon arrival, my urge to commiserate with fellow travelers about the harrowing drive quickly dissipated as soon as I saw the women of City of Joy. They were singing songs in French and Swahili, dancing and clapping in graceful rhythm. They smiled as though they've never known the nightmare of rape, torture and murder that has plagued their people for over 10 years. My American friends and I joined their welcoming circle. Hugs and kisses bridged all gaps and, though we spoke different languages, the bond of sisterhood enveloped us with genuine warmth. In those moments, indigenous, foreign, colonial and stranger did not exist. We stood together side by side -- celebrating -- one with joy. We all felt protected, accepted, loved.

Congolese culture is amazing. I am very privileged to be part of the Auckland Congolese community.

We convened under a huge tent to share a meal. The women of City of Joy presented a feast made from manioc root and leaves, prepared in various ways. Though it was not our usual fare, my American friends and I agreed that local Congolese food is delicious.

I eat it most nights and she is spot on with that observation. If you are reading Alex no I wasn't brave enough to try the mbinzo Significant Other produced at the dinner table one night.

Then came the hard part. A few of the women got up before us to tell us their stories. What we heard were accounts containing gruesome details. Some details were very difficult to listen to, some seemed surreal and fiction-like. We left with our hearts shattered and internal wounds raw; wondering how anyone could be subjected to such acts. The only way any of us slept that night was through sheer exhaustion.

She is right and it is commonplace. Most families I know have experienced the heart ache that is the anarchy of the eastern Congo.

City of Joy Graduation


Graduation day was a momentous occasion filled with music, metaphor and magical moments. The tent was packed with over 300 guests: NGO representatives, dignitaries, families and friends of the graduates. The governor of the state came to bear witness to the miracles performed that day. In its pilot year, 41 barely alive women were transformed into vibrant, soulful beings and budding political leaders.

I am at heart an optimist and just maybe this can lead onto something better. The truth is the current solutions being imposed are not working.

Many of these graduates arrived at City of Joy depressed and suicidal, knowing nothing of their inner strength or potential to become leaders, educators and stewards of transformation. It was magical to watch these women take to the stage, deliver rousing speeches, perform poetry they have written in English, demonstrate self-defense moves and celebrate with unmistakable joy. Now, all of them leave with newfound confidence, knowledge of their rights and the law, and the will to help others.
As I watched these women, the words victim and survivor did not dare come to mind. Their spirits are strong, even otherworldly, as they spoke of their love for their country and their sisters and their hope for the DRC's future. Their strength awed me and my fellow travelers. They could have easily given up in defeat. They could have stayed in the jungles as sex slaves to these militia men, having nothing to live for after their fathers, husbands, uncles and friends have been massacred. Not a chance. These evil, heartless acts could not extinguish their light.

There is nothing I can add to that.

City of Joy's model and leadership program are filled with realistic hope to heal the Congo. It is a phenomenally important step toward a peaceful revolution that proves it is possible to cultivate leadership among those who once thought their voices were worthless. So many other well-meaning, would-be saviors have visited the Congo making promises they could not keep. None of them ever built anything like City of Joy. City of Joy went from dream to reality with the help of three visionary leaders: the Tony award-winning playwright, performer, activist and V-Day founder Eve Ensler; the incomparable and saint-like gynecologist Dr. Denis Mukwege, founder of the legendary Panzi Hospital which was named one of the top 100 best NGOs in the world by the Global Journal and the Congolese-Belgian human rights activist Christine Schuler Deschryver, winner of the Guardian's Women of the Year award in 2011. Without their vision, passion, dedication, commitment and love, hope for a new Congo would not exist as it does now.

Looking for Dr Mukwege has been a journey that I have enjoyed. The tragedy that one of his people was murdered notwithstanding. He is indeed a remarkable man. The Congo has many such men and their time will come along with the woman from the City of Joy.

Dr. Denis Mukwege, Eve Ensler and Christine Schuler Deschryver   City of Joy Tenets to Transform Pain to Power


The first graduating class of City of Joy created a list of 10 tenets that guide their life within and outside of City of Joy. These tenets are prominently written on the walls. The women turned these tenets into a joyful song in Swahili whose emboldening message transcends oceans, continents and cultures:

1. Tell the truth.

2. Stop waiting to be rescued. Take initiative.

3. Know your rights.

4. Raise your voice.

5. Share what you have learned.

6. Give what you want the most.

7. Feel and tell the truth about what you've been through.

8. Use it to fuel a revolution.

9. Practice kindness.

10. Treat the life of your sister as though it were your own.

A secular 10 commandments maybe.

The Graduates of City of Joy and Their Future


My fellow travelers and I were filled with joy and hope on graduation day. These women have created some of the strongest imaginable bonds humanly possible. Some of them will be staying in towns near and far with their friends and City of Joy sisters. Others, those who have not been rejected by their families for bringing perceived shame upon them, will go back to their village to start over and help others like them heal.

A few members of the first City of Joy graduating class   Yet we remain concerned for their future, acknowledging the likelihood of future attacks. With only 45 of them re-entering the real world outside the walls of City of Joy, there are no guarantees that their network and support of each other will withstand their upcoming challenges.
But then I remember that these women know the real world all too well. They have lived through today with a shattered, not sheltered past. They know a life plagued with the cruelest acts. They are possibly the strongest people anyone could have the privilege of knowing.
If anyone can survive the roughest conditions of existence, I have no doubt that these women can.

That they not only survive but that they will be there to give testament when sanity returns is the outcome we need and that they transform their communities.

As for City of Joy as an engine of transformation, Eve and Christine are in the process of purchasing 350 acres of beautiful, promise-filled, lush, fertile farmland. This will be used by the graduates as well as the neighboring villagers to grow crops, tilapia and other sources of livelihood. The land will eventually belong entirely to these women as a cooperative, strengthening their power and sustainability.

It is innovative and it hasn't been tried before it is also empowering.

Come February 14, Valentine's Day and also V-Day when thousands of anti-violence activists worldwide stage V-Day benefits, a new group of women, 90 of them, will enter its doors and the program will be in session once again. The symbolism of this date takes us back to the root of why City of Joy and Eve, Christine and Dr. Mukwege's vision will succeed: LOVE. Love is the only thing that can power a peaceful revolution. Love is the only thing that gives anyone meaning to go on living. Love is the only thing that can eradicate evil, bitterness and revenge. Love is the only thing that can free the good that lives in all of us.

If anywhere needs love it is certainly the eastern DR Congo.

Oh yeah it is the Eve Ensler of the Vagina monologues fame.