D.R. Congo: Among Brothers
Medair provides free health care for tens of thousands of people terrorised by the violence in D.R. Congo’s Ituri district.
Medair provides essential health care to the most vulnerable people in the region and also trains and supervises local health clinic staff to help strengthen the overall health system
But even here in Sorodo, where Androzo lives on borrowed land as an IDP, attacks still continue
“I was working in a farm nearby when I suddenly heard gunshots,” said 25-year-old Androzo Tabu, remembering a terrifying day in October 2010. “At first I thought it was military troops returning to their camp, but when the gunshots continued for about five minutes, I grabbed my hoe and machete and started running towards my house.”
Androzo found his wife and three children and they joined the throngs of others running to the forest for safety, as militiamen attacked their village of Sorodo, a small commune in Ituri district. The militia terrorised residents and looted homes and the Medair-supported health post. Three people were killed and a woman was seriously wounded.
When Androzo and his family returned to Sorodo, everything in their house was gone. “ I am very angry. I work very hard in the fields to be able to get something for my family, and then these people just come and take it all away,’’ he says, with an air of defeat.
Living in Fear
Stories like Androzo’s are all too common these days in D.R. Congo’s Ituri district. Armed militia are repeatedly terrorising residents and looting villages. The chronic insecurity has created a continuous emergency situation with tens of thousands of residents displaced from their homes and in urgent need of assistance
“You cannot believe the conditions that the IDPs [internally displaced persons] in this region are living under,” said Dr. Blaise Gaya Anyom, D.R. Congo’s chief medical doctor for Ituri’s Gety region. “The social services in this region, including health and education facilities, have been completely destroyed.”
Androzo’s Journey
One year before the Sorodo attack, persistent fighting between militia groups and the Congolese army had forced Androzo and his family to flee from their home in Mori village. But even here in Sorodo, where Androzo lives on borrowed land as an IDP, attacks still continue.
During that journey from Mori to Sorodo, Androzo and his family had hidden in the forest for days until it was safe to come out. But by the time they arrived in Sorodo, Androzo’s seven-year-old daughter Sylvie had become gravely ill. “She was unconscious and her cheeks were all swollen,” he recalled in a low voice, remembering that dreadful time.
Sylvie was transferred to a hospital in Boga, where she underwent treatment for acute anameia and kwashiorkor (a form of malnutrition), and two weeks later, she was discharged in good health. “I did not pay a cent for any of the costs, Medair took care of all of it,” said Androzo. “If it was not for Medair, my child would be no more.”
Free Health Care
Medair provides free health care for tens of thousands of vulnerable people in Ituri district. The project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and by private donations.
“The people in this region have suffered for a long time due to the conflict,” said Jay Nash, USAID official, during a visit to the Dele and Vilo health centres near Bunia town. “But I am satisfied that we have a partner on the ground that is able to offer medical assistance which is very critical, and we will try to continue to help until these kinds of problems come to an end.”
Medair provides essential health care to the most vulnerable people in the region and also trains and supervises local health clinic staff to help strengthen the overall health system. In addition, Medair works to prevent illness through vaccination programmes, mosquito net distributions, and the provision of clean delivery kits for pregnant women.
“We noticed a change when we started distributing clean delivery kits and mosquito nets during antenatal clinics,” said Eugenie Gayasi, the nurse in charge of Dele’s health centre. “Women now come from all over to attend antenatal care. This has been a positive change in behaviour for the community.”
Among Brothers
Like tens of thousands of IDPs in this region, Androzo’s life has become a constant struggle to protect his family and provide for their needs. He and his family have barely enough to eat, let alone money to afford quality health care.
“I am very grateful to Medair for the assistance I have received for my family,” said Androzo. “With everything I have to worry about as an IDP, at least I do not have to worry about paying hospital bills.
“When we fall sick, we come to the clinic and all the assistance we receive is completely free. It is because of organisations like Medair that I feel as if I am among brothers.”
Medair’s D.R. Congo programmes are supported by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid department, the United States Agency for International Development, Swiss Solidarity, the Pooled Fund, the Global Fund, the United Nations Population Fund and private donors.
As one of the longest-serving INGOs in the region, Medair has delivered emergency relief and rehabilitation in northeastern D.R. Congo since 1997 and earned the trust of local communities and leaders. Medair provides health care for more than one million people a year in Ituri, Bas-Uélé, and Haut-Uélé districts, supporting more than 200 health structures with technical guidance, supervision, training of health staff, and supplies of medicines and materials. Medair also works to improve access to water, sanitation, and hygiene in the region.
This web feature was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.
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