“Field of Hope” -- A Woman's Enterprise Provides a Future to Fellow Survivors

By Karrie Zych

Many of us know that the Democratic Republic of Congo is home to some of the highest global rape statistics. We know that these numbers roughly amount to 48 rapes per hour, and we know that this is why rape has been deemed a weapon of war. We know that these women are raped in front of their children, siblings, husbands or parents and suffer trauma beyond our darkest nightmares. What is less known is that these women's hope, dignity and future can be restored.

In her documentary “Field of Hope” featured on Al Jazeera's Witness, Fiona Lloyd-Davies tells the story of Masika and her tireless efforts to improve the lives of fellow rape survivors. Masika herself was raped alongside her two teenage daughters by militia, after the latter killed her husband, a wealthy shopkeeper. Her sad story does not end there, as Masika and her daughters were ostracized by their neighbours and family, and were forced to relocate to another village. Upon arrival to their new home, Masika began to take in fellow survivors and was inspired to restore their dignity in a unique way. She rented a field, which she pays for with local donations, brewing local beer and carrying others' produce to the market.

Since she began this initiative, Masika has helped hundreds of women, by providing them with economic and psychological support. Her work has grown into a network of volunteers, who bring in survivors, many of whom are pregnant as a result of rape. While these women come from a variety of backgrounds, their sad stories are all very similar-- militias looted their villages, never leaving before raping the women, thereby robbing their victims of their youth and future. It is Masika, often lovingly referred to as Mama, who restores their will to live by teaching these women to work the fields; here, on this land, the survivors find food, shelter, economic independence, and status. “You'll feel their suffering,” Masika explains in the 25 minute film. “But your task is to try to restore her to her old self. That's how I've managed to look beyond my own pain to help them.”

Masika's trauma still haunts her, and since taking on this initiative she has been raped yet another 3 times. She herself has contemplated suicide, but has rediscovered her own will to live by helping other women. Her work is never-ending, and she has no one to turn to for support. Her efforts are not in vain, though, as her impact continues to grow. Each time fighting increases among the militias, so does the amount of rapes, and subsequently the amount of women who come to Masika's fields to grow from their trauma. Together, these women work the fields, singing songs as they sow and praying before planting beans and maize, in hopes of a good harvest.

Nothing can be done to undo the terrors these women have faced in their pasts. However, the group members support one another, working forward from their violent crises. These women are strong and determined to rebuild their lives and have newfound hope for their futures-- truly rape survivors.

Since the time of filming in 2011, a private sponsor has provided Masika with a substantial donation. Through this generosity and her own hard work, she has purchased a field and is able to send all the children from her field to school, further increasing the impact of her initiative. Her story, of compassion and strength in more detail, can be found here:

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2011/08/2011830114234479922.html

Push a button to ruin a woman

Did you know that your cell phone is keeping war-rape alive in the DR Congo?

Yep. You read it right.

You’re probably attached to the contraption: texting, checking your emails, listening to music, gaming, saving memos, setting up an alarm, taking pictures... or whatever else it is that you need your phone for.

You may have found yourself marvelling at technology and its advancements. You might think it is super awesome that you can reduce your thoughts to words and send them blitzing across to a friend somewhere else in the world. Which is all very well, really – for technology is good, and all that stuff.

But just pausing a moment, have you wondered what makes these phones what they are? They contain a metallic ore that has heat resistant properties among other things that make them useful components in cell phone manufacture. If it wasn’t for this mineral, which is called coltan, you’d probably be carrying heated contraptions in your hands for posterity.

Before you roll your eyes and decide to give this a pass, stick with me. This is going somewhere.

Coltan comes from the DR Congo. And it isn’t just mined like minerals are mined in a peaceful place. In the Congo, coltan is mined by putting women through torture, sexual violence and rape. Brutal and harsh killings continue thriving, as villages, rebel groups, companies and the government lock horns for a giant share in the mineral wealth. The government used the chaotic backdrop of war and violence to institutionalize corruption and money-making through the trade in rare minerals. Soon titled conflict minerals, the monetary revenues that the trade in them generated fuelled the continuance of war and sexual violence. Corporate houses, high ranking military officers, businessmen and governments effectively played a role in backing the rebellious groups, to continue the state of war, so as to make business easy. The DR Congo is a treasure trove of minerals – with cobalt, coltan, copper, diamonds, gold, tin and tungsten available in abundance. Imagine how much more war and sexual violence will thrive, and for how much longer, just for the sake of minerals.

Why would it thrive, you may ask.

Well. Because of the huge customer base for cell phones that includes you.

As long as there is demand, there is supply. And as long as there is supply, the prevailing practice will continue. A warlord, a rebel, a company or even a government that is making piles of money isn’t necessarily going to bother brokering peace when war is his breadwinner. They make plenty and more with a war going on, with territory, power and money in abundance under their control. And sexual violence, there, is a painful feature.

You can shrug this post off and say “Ah no big deal. I can’t live without my cell phone.”

I understand.

But just think for a moment, can you?

What hope do we have if the world just believes that rape is ‘no big deal’? What use is any rhetoric, if everyone just stands and watches? Inaction, apathy and simply turning a deaf ear actually encourage the perpetration of such evil. A girl of your age in Congo would have faced harsher reality than you could possibly fathom. A woman of your age in Congo would be living a life far, far away from what’s ‘normal’ for you.

What you CAN do, is to continue using a cell phone, but one that does not source coltan from the DR Congo. Coltan is available with as much abundance in Australia, Brazil, Canada with possible avenues opening up in Greenland. There are companies and brands that use conflict minerals. There are those that do not. Do your research, and be on the right side of the fence.

 By Kirthi Gita Jayakumar