DR Congo: “They told me that if I refused to sleep with them, they would kill me on the spot”
Story as told to Jacques Bouda, Communications Specialist, WVDRC
Seventeen-year-old Audré* lives in a displacement camp in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). “When we were in Saké, we had a good life,” she explains. “I didn't finish school because my parents couldn't afford it. But I found my friends [and] we formed a group to learn tailoring. My parents were happy... and life was so good.”
However, the past two years have seen a resurgence in violence in Eastern DRC.
“We heard that the rebels were arriving and killing people with bullets. We didn't have enough money, so we took a small sum and negotiated with a motorcyclist to bring us here to the camp. We built our shelter, and we stayed here, and we noticed that life was so difficult.”
Audré hated their new life in the displacement camp, but her father said they needed to find a way to survive where they were safe. As the oldest of her five siblings, she took it upon herself to find a way to work and help the family.
“We decided to stay in the camp and share what little we had. Even if it was only sweet potato, we'd manage with that. I suggested to Mum that I join the others to go into the bush to get wood and sell it. When the community members saw us leaving, they advised us against going.
“One day we were surprised by the arrival of assistance and shortly afterward we received a ration token, enough for 25kg of rice and 10kg of flour, oil, and salt, with the hope that it would cover our food needs."
“When the food ran out, I told my mum that I would go back into the bush with the other girls to look for wood to sell so that we could raise even 100 Congolese Francs to buy food."
“We started selling the wood and paying for the sweet potatoes. My parents encouraged me because I was the only help in the family.”
Audré and her family were surviving in their new life, but one day, it all changed again. “We went back into the bush to collect wood, but when we were making our bundle to go home, some assailants suddenly came towards us, and we started to flee, each going our way."
“I was wearing a very long dress; it caught on a stone and I fell. The assailants grabbed me and I started to struggle, begging them to let me go."
“They told me that if I refused to sleep with them, they would kill me on the spot. They pulled me and did whatever they wanted, and then they let me go and I went home crying."
Today it is hard for Audré to find hope. Fighting persists around Saké, forcing people to flee due to clashes between armed groups. Thousands of people are arriving in the camps around Goma, the regional capital, every day, fleeing the escalating violence in North Kivu.
Neither Audré, nor any of her siblings, will go to the bush anymore, and with no one working, they often go a whole day without eating. There is no school in the camp, and all of the children there are now out of school, with rising cases of sexual exploitation, child marriage, and child labour.
World Vision Democratic Republic of Congo (WVDRC) is working with the World Food Programme and USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance in the camp to support Audré and other girls and families with food and cash assistance, water sanitation and hygiene, and attempts to raise awareness and prevent further cases of gender-based violence.
WVDRC protection experts have been working in Audre’s camp and others in the area to strengthen reporting mechanisms and support for survivors of gender-based violence, including through focus groups, psychological support, and referrals to escalate care where necessary.
*Audré’s name has been changed to protect her identity and keep her safe.