Anonciata, a mother of four, survived a brutal raid on her town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, but not without injury.
In 2010, militiamen broke into her home in Rutshuru, demanding she give them her teenage daughter who had fled upon their arrival. When she refused, they beat her and cut off her lips with a machete.
Rebels Advance in Democratic Republic of Congo
A child stands near the body of a dead Congolese government soldier in Nyaruchinga, near Goma, on Nov. 22. Congolese troops were fighting back on Thursday against rebels who rejected calls from African leaders to leave the eastern city of Goma. Thousands of people fled the area of clashes around the town of Sake, as M23 rebel fighters rushed from Goma to reinforce their positions there against a counter-offensive by the army. More…
Photo by James Akena/Reuters
—
HEAL Africa co-founder Lyn Lusi died Saturday from cancer at age 62. The organization, which stands for Health, Education, Action in the community and Leadership development, helps women in the Democratic Republic of Congo who suffer from assault and other traumatic injuries.
We featured her work earlier this month in ‘The Worst Place on Earth to Be a Woman’: Healing the Eastern Congo.
The United Nations says the Democratic Republic of Congo is the worst place on earth to be a woman.
By one estimate, more than 1,000 women are assaulted every day. One of the few places women can turn is HEAL Africa, where women work to shake off atrocities they have faced and deal with their traumatic injuries.
The Democratic Republic of Congo country now embarks on “two very tense weeks” as ballots are counted in the second democratic elections since a bloody war involving eight African nations from 1998 to 2003.
These are the first run by the government and not the international community.
(Photo: Congolese queue to vote at a polling station in Goma during the presidential and legislative elections on November 28, 2011. SIMON MAINA/AFP/Getty Images)
PBS NewsHour is one of the most trusted news programs on TV and online- and now Tumblr. Have a question, request or feedback? Ask!
Also: Find us on Facebook, YouTube and Flickr
