“My world has become very small”

septembre 7th, 2009

Medical and psychological help for victims of sexual violence : testimonies from medical staff and patients.

By Emma Zoratti, former medical coordinator for MSF in Masisi, North Kivu.

Masisi, North Kivu. MSF has been treating victims of sexual violence here since February 2008. At the region’s main hospital, MSF nurse, doctor and psychologist look after women who come in search of medical help. By providing medical care and also simply by listening, the MSF team aims to give these women a glimmer of hope and to help them rebuild their lives.

Many of the women who come here are in extreme distress and in desperate need of help. Patient reception at the hospital is critical and the whole team understands this. We try to make the women feel at ease when they arrive at the hospital, by showing them we are supportive and willing to help.

The care we offer to victims of sexual violence is medical but it doesn’t stop at drug prescription; we also listen and provide psychological support where necessary. Women in extremely vulnerable positions can, if they wish, move into the ‘women’s village’ in Masisi hospital. Here they are supported by our medical team - which provides daily treatment and psychological care - and by the head of the ‘women’s village’. The village also provides a safe environment for women to rest and a temporary solution to their everyday needs.

But some women are unable to stay in the hospital. Before they go back home we often give them food to help their return to daily life. Food helps them find the strength to survive despite what they are going through.

Unwanted pregnancy as a result of rape is another area where we provide support. In these cases, we look out for any difficulties between the mother and child and our psychologist spends a lot of time helping mothers in their relationship with children born from rape.

MSF also has a network of counsellors working in villages around Masisi to increase awareness and provide information about treatment for victims of sexual violence. MSF outreach teams, including a nurse, also provide specific medical care and ensure that women who can’t or don’t want to go to hospital have access to medical assistance.

However, Masisi is a huge region and there are many areas which remain inaccessible to our outreach teams. We have trained two nurses in two health centres and provide them with the necessary drugs to make sure that victims of sexual violence everywhere in this region have access to the medical care they need. We are indebted to our Masisi team - Francine, Anastasie, Dodo and the others – for their dedication to helping these women on a daily basis.

The testimonies below give a voice to women of North Kivu who have been sexually abused but who have been able to access medical and psychological care and been given the chance to recover.

“I am 15 years old. I am a mother and I have been forced to flee my home. Two years ago, two armed men dragged me into the bush. One of them forced me to be his wife. I was held and married by force. I fell pregnant and gave birth to a boy. I managed to escape and find my parents who had given me up for dead. I don’t have the means to feed my boy nor to take care of him. I am angry, overwhelmed and sad. I had no choice and my life has been destroyed.”

“I am 19 years old. I’m not married and I was forced to flee my home too. Last September, towards the end of the day, armed men in uniform came to my house while I was cooking. They took me by force in front of my parents and brought me to their military chief. I shouted for help, and my parents shouted too, but in vain.
The men fired shots to scare people away. The chief raped me all night long. I was already engaged, my parents had paid the dowry and I was about to get married.

I escaped and went to the MSF sexual violence clinic. They gave me medical and psychological care. My family was threatened and our home was destroyed. My parents are unable to cope, they can’t get to our fields any more to farm. I have run away to another village.”

“I am 20 years old and a widow. Four years ago, unknown men killed my husband. One day, when I was in the field collecting fire wood, two men approached me and asked me to sleep with them. I refused. They beat me and I felt to the ground. Then both of them raped me. One of them was a neighbour and he told me that if I informed on him, his brother would come to kill me. I stayed quiet because I was afraid of being murdered. I even hid it from my father who I live with since my mother is dead. Later on, I realised that I was pregnant and I attended an information session about sexual violence. I went to the “women’s health” service at Masisi hospital and I got confirmation that I was pregnant. It’s been hard to accept this pregnancy but I received medical and psychological care. Today, I have accepted that I am pregnant but I have real problems because my family and my community have rejected me. I wonder what will happen after the birth. I am due to give birth in a month. My world has become very small.”