Democratic Republic of Congo is still regularly listed as the site of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Congo should be rich from its gold, diamonds and minerals, yet millions of its people suffer from a lethal combination of disease and hunger caused by ongoing conflict and displacement.
Women Under Siege
The war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is formally over, but women and girls remain targets for violence. The actual number of women and girls raped in eastern Congo is unknown, but experts say the scale is enormous (hundreds of thousands have been reported).
The conflict in eastern Congo, the deadliest in the world since World War II, is being fueled by a multi-million dollar trade in minerals that go into our electronic products from cell phones to digital cameras. The armed groups that are perpetrating the violence generate an estimated $144 million each year by trading tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold.
Children are particularly vulnerable during conflict – and nowhere in the world is this more true than in the Democratic Republic of Congo. One of the most devastating issues in this conflict is the frequent and ongoing abduction of children – some as young as nine – into armed groups.
Congo Quarterly Updates
On a quarterly basis, Jewish World Watch provides an update on the status of the genocide in Congo.
JWW RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT Projects in Congo
The Educational Assistance project enables war-affected impoverished children from villages in the South Kivu Province to receive an education.
Animal Husbandry Project
Congo's most vulnerable women learn to raise small animals for food and fertilizer, offering a livelihood to support themselves and their families.
Chambucha Rape and Crisis Center
The women of the remote region of Chambucha, Congo will have access to life-saving medical care where there was none before. Photo by Michael Ramsdell.
The Generation Hope program supports the most vulnerable children of Goma, North Kivu, providing education, mentorship and spiritual leadership.
Home Away From Home Orphanage
The Home Away from Home Orphanage Project aims to ensure that the most vulnerable children participating in CAMME programs are at diminished risk through a safe housing environment.
Safe Motherhood Project
Women join together in Maternity Collectives and together run a small business. The profits help train traditional birth attendants and pay for each woman's pre-natal and maternity care as well.
Sons of Congo
Sons of Congo is a men's mentorship program aimed at creating a social change movement for the protection of women in Congo.