AFRICA GREAT LAKES: Meeting Masika
February 6th, 2009
CPTnet
6 February 2009
AFRICA GREAT LAKES: Meeting Masika
By Rosemarie Milazzo
I met Masika last month, when our Christian Peacemaker Team traveled to Minova.
Masika was with her husband and two daughters when Nkunda's rebel soldiers
came into her home in Buganga. They shot and killed her husband and forced her to lie in his blood. Then 14 of the men proceeded to rape her. They also raped her daughters, one 14 and the other16 years old. Both girls became pregnant from the rapes. Masika reported the rapes to the police, who did nothing.
Following the incident, Masika’s physical health was very poor. She had fistulas, prolapse, and leaked urine and feces. Bugs crawled on her body and dogs followed her because of the her bad odor. Even her own family refused to be with her. She wanted to kill herself, but knew that she had children to care for at home. Masika spoke of the trauma for her. She still faints when she remembers the day. On October 11, the actual day of the incident, she gets so traumatized she is hospitalized. She asked sobbing, "Wouldn't it be better if I were dead"?
She met Justine Bihamba of SFVS (Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes des Violences Sexuelles) some time later. Justine took her to the hospital. Masika had surgery which repaired the fistula and other injuries. She was in hospital over a month.
After healing, she began to help other women who had been raped and abused as she had. She has taken them to the hospital, and gotten clothes for them as they often come naked. Masika has taken in the unwanted children of rape victims and now has 11 children of rape living with her.
Four months ago, more than seven years after the initial rape, a rebel soldier came and asked her if she was Masika. Then he and three other rebel soldiers raped her. One forced a shoe into her vagina. They were rebels, they disappeared so were not taken into custody.
Masika’s two daughters are now studying social work and law. Amnesty International is paying their school fees. As we sat together, Masika sobbed again and again saying, "Wouldn't it be better if I took poison and died?"
[See Rosemarie Milazzo's poem to Masika.]
6 February 2009
AFRICA GREAT LAKES: Meeting Masika
By Rosemarie Milazzo
I met Masika last month, when our Christian Peacemaker Team traveled to Minova.
Masika was with her husband and two daughters when Nkunda's rebel soldiers
came into her home in Buganga. They shot and killed her husband and forced her to lie in his blood. Then 14 of the men proceeded to rape her. They also raped her daughters, one 14 and the other16 years old. Both girls became pregnant from the rapes. Masika reported the rapes to the police, who did nothing.
Following the incident, Masika’s physical health was very poor. She had fistulas, prolapse, and leaked urine and feces. Bugs crawled on her body and dogs followed her because of the her bad odor. Even her own family refused to be with her. She wanted to kill herself, but knew that she had children to care for at home. Masika spoke of the trauma for her. She still faints when she remembers the day. On October 11, the actual day of the incident, she gets so traumatized she is hospitalized. She asked sobbing, "Wouldn't it be better if I were dead"?
She met Justine Bihamba of SFVS (Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes des Violences Sexuelles) some time later. Justine took her to the hospital. Masika had surgery which repaired the fistula and other injuries. She was in hospital over a month.
After healing, she began to help other women who had been raped and abused as she had. She has taken them to the hospital, and gotten clothes for them as they often come naked. Masika has taken in the unwanted children of rape victims and now has 11 children of rape living with her.
Four months ago, more than seven years after the initial rape, a rebel soldier came and asked her if she was Masika. Then he and three other rebel soldiers raped her. One forced a shoe into her vagina. They were rebels, they disappeared so were not taken into custody.
Masika’s two daughters are now studying social work and law. Amnesty International is paying their school fees. As we sat together, Masika sobbed again and again saying, "Wouldn't it be better if I took poison and died?"
[See Rosemarie Milazzo's poem to Masika.]
