Women raped in the DRC fear being rejected by their families, often leading to a vicious cycle of poverty and prostitution. A local aid organization is working to help victims and change attitudes.
About 20 women are crammed into a barren area in the village of Munigi at the foot of Mount Nyiragongo in eastern Congo. Aside from tables and chairs, there are only two sewing machines here, which are to be used for training purposes. Trucks rattle past the open door. Some of the women have brought their young children. They discuss their problems with two employees from the aid organization, Aidprofen. Their stories are similar: they were raped, became pregnant, were abandoned by their families and socially ostracized. Many were forced to stay with acquaintances or strangers - some even slept outdoors or in pigsties.
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