CDJP BUKAVU

The Diocesan Commission for Justice and Peace in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, helps survivors of rape and sexual violence with counseling and social support.

In the eastern DRC, decades of fighting between armed rebels and Congelese soldiers has destroyed much of the infrastructure and caused a breakdown in law and order. Rape and sexual violence has become a defining trait of this conflict. No one is immune - old women, young girls and even infants are being attacked.

Through its listening centres, CDJP Bukavu offers survivors of sexual violence counseling services and social support. Trained staff refer women in need of medical treatment to health centres and hospitals, and put survivors in touch with lawyers so that they can take the first steps towards seeking justice.

CDJP also has volunteers that work within rural communities to raise awareness of the suffering experienced by sexual violence survivors and change attitudes towards women and girls who have been raped. They act as mediators, helping women who have been rejected by their families to return home.

SCIAF is providing funding to establish six new listening centres in badly affected rural areas where rape survivors currently do not have access to these vital services. The money will also be used to pay for 12 staff to receive psycho-social training.