Hold a Screening of Field of Hope
If you'd like to raise awareness about Masika's work, contact fiona@studio9films.co.uk to arrange screening the film at your event.
About
The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been engulfed in a brutal war since 1996. This is a war against women, where the most unimaginable violence is being perpetrated against women of all ages.
Masika is a survivor of this unimaginable violence and violation, but despite facing ongoing danger, she is tirelessly working to help others. She has set up a centre where other survivors can come for sanctuary. They have no where else to go, the majority of them have been rejected by their husbands, community, and even their own families.
“Many think that when they’re raped their lives are shattered, but we’d like them to know it’s not the end of the world”
- Masika
WHAT MASIKA IS DOING
Finding Survivors
- Masika has built up and is continuing to grow a network of volunteers who search and rescue people who have been subjected to sexual violence.
- She has 14 volunteers from 14 village localities, who also inform and educate villagers, and find orphaned children.
- When found, these survivors and children are brought to Masika’s centre.
Counselling
- Survivors are first taken to a Listening House, where Masika or another member of her team will give counselling and suggest ways of moving forward.
- During this time both the councillor and survivor share experiences.
- Masika keeps official records of each case.
Basic Provision
- Some survivors come to the centre with nothing, so their immediate needs are met with clothes and other basic necessities.
Medical Treatment
- Survivors are taken to a local hospital for treatment, which can include drugs to counteract AIDS, and care for injuries from the violence.
- More serious cases will go to either the Heal Africa hospital in Goma, or Panzi in Bukavu.
A Place to Live
- After they are given immediate attention, Masika finds survivors a place to recuperate before she tries to help them return to their original home.
Mamma Masika
- Some survivors are so traumatised that Masika takes them into her own house until they are emotionally stronger.
- She has also adopted a number of orphans and children born of rape.
Education
- Masika is passionate about education and tries to find ways of getting all the children at the centre to school.
- She pays for the education of a number of those orphaned or abandoned.
Reconciliation
- Masika talks with the survivor’s family and their local chief to try and get them back to their original home.
- She also has a small team to help with these negotiations, which can be successful.
- She’s managed to persuade some husbands to take their wives back.
New Life
- For some survivors, returning home is not an option because negotiations fail.
- In these cases Masika will find them somewhere to live in the community.
The Field
- Once a week all the women from her group,
those at the centre, and those in the community, whoare strong enough, get together to work on a plot of land. - The crops that are produced from this work are eaten by those at the centre, and also sold atmarket.
- The main crops are beans and maize.
- It’s a chance for everyone with shared experiences to get together, work as a team, have a chat, and a laugh.
BACKGROUND
Her project was started with a tiny grant from Oxfam, just $250. With that she bought a field for everyone to work on, cultivating crops. With the profits they made, she has been able to build 47 houses with grass roofs (i.e. simple houses). She is hoping to find some more grants so they can rent another field. She has recently (2010) bought one with the help of an Amnesty Award and other donors.
THIS BLOG
This blog will tell the stories from Masika’s centre and the people she is helping.
Due to the nature of the subject, some may find the content of this site distressing.
This is a great project! We support Masika and other true Congolese leaders!
Outstanding project, incredibly inspiring, humanitarian work at its best.
This project is such a constructive response to a problem that seems like it has no solution. While the world works out how to deal with the cause of appalling and ongoing rapes in eastern DRC Masika is doing something truly amazing to rebuild these shattered lives. I was really moved by this and just wish there was more we could do to prevent this in the first place.
Societies need to punish rapists not the victims but until this is universally accepted we need more support for women like Masika.
Wow. Masika is a true inspiration. Such strong, brave women in the face of such brutality. May the garden and the whole project go from strength to strength. Beautifully shot film too. Will forward it to everyone i know.
I have met Masika, and she is indeed an exceptional person, doing all this work quietly, without seeking the spotlight (though the spotlight somehow found her, because of her work).
Good luck to her, and congratulations to those who contribute to making her work known to the rest of the world.
Through Pain a Heroine is born – beyond explanation she has suffered at the hands of such darkness and is a women that shines beyond them all – unafraid bold and brilliant – she has paved the way for us to follow in the footsteps – Women unite – she is the kind of woman that even NGOs are afraid of because she is doing it alone uninjured by what is crippling – we need to make sure her platform is protected and she has a chance to be heard loud and clear
On behalf of the Congolese Family Centre, the lead organisation of the RED LIGHT, RED CARD IN ACTION project to raise fund and the awareness around the world about this awful and appalling gender based violence in DRC, I would like to express my sincere thanks for the job that you are going to help the victims of this appalling issue affecting our country in this century and the International community still paying a lips service about these atrocities, which is unbearable.
We are together and our project will 100% support you and I would like to let you know that a song has been written to honour the work that you’re doing “GOD BLESS YOU MAMA MAKIKA, MAMA AFRICA! MAMA BOBOTO! MAMA NA BONA!
Excellent work.
Masika’s story is something we all need to know of – an inspiration for women everywhere. And the work that filmmaker Fiona Lloyd-Davies has been doing to tell that story needs all our support. Lynne Franks
How can I contact Masika or the farm that she has set up? I don’t see an email address anywhere on the site. Thank you for your help!
I am amazed by her work. Good luck Masika, and I hope as many people as possible will be able to support your work with donations and direct involvement!
Wow, what an Inspiration she is. Amazing woman.
God bless you and all whom you are reaching out your heart and hands to! May you find all the help and support you need to end this horror. Where are our governments in these situations where there are more than enough ligament reasons to step in and end this.
Your story is truly inspiring! Please try to get PayPal set up so we can help out!
Masika deserves to be the CNN hero for 2012. What she is doing is amazing. She has such energy and devotion to those who suffered as she has suffered.
How can I donate money to Masika’s work? I live in the US – where can I send a check ?
Masika, you are a courageous and inspirational woman. I too would like to help you. Can you provide an email address on your web page? Truly, Michelle
I would love to donate to Masika and the work she is doing. However, I live in the US and I am not sure I can send money through your bank account. I am anxious to see paypal set up, so that I can donate directly.
I would love to help Masika in any way. Her story has changed my life profoundly. Since I saw the documentary Field of Hope I have her in my prayers every single day, but I wish I could do more.
Is there any way we can contact Masika directly?
Thanks a lot!
What an outstanding and inspirational website and woman!
Such an important issue, this website makes it clear to understand.
Massive congratulations on the amazing work already done so far, and good luck for everything in the future.
Will certainly be following and supporting in 2012…