As a boy growing up in the rural hills of congo, dr. Denis mukwege of panzi hospital invited v to travel bukavu in 2007 to meet with and learn from women survivors of violence, she was most interested in knowing what solutions they felt would work in the face of such horrible violence. Denis mukwege is the founder and medical director of panzi hospital and foundations. Nobel peace prize nominee you may not know of african impact. Congos conflict makes fighting ebola, sexual violence risky ap news. Oct 05, 2018 there are many reasons why the world needs to know the story of my friend mukwege, who founded the panzi hospital and cofounded the city of joy in the democratic republic of congo. We have known each other since the 90s but our friendship grew stronger during the various wars where we were alone without a road to go to panzi, without communication, without any security and without any means and all those who could help, did so out of pocket. She has been a member of the board of trustees of the panzi foundation since 2008, and is a researcher at panzi s icart research center. She has worked at panzi hospital since 2008, first as a consultant in the hiv department and then as coordinator of the hospital s fistula program. City of joy celebrates survival, love and funding womens enews. One of our social workers prepared this little clip with our girls and we partnered with our colleagues from the panzi hospital and foundation. City of joy offers new platform and vision for congolese women to pursue peace in the drc.
Mar 06, 20 vworld farm will also function as a learning center for the women of city of joy who are already studying agriculture. In the hospital garden, women spend their days wandering, doing craftwork, talking. Denis mukwege, christine schuler deschryver, jane mukunilwa and an unnamed security guard. In congo, a doctor keeps helping as rape victims keep coming. Panzi foundation usa, washington, district of columbia. The documentary film, directed by madeleine gavin, tells the story of the first class of graduates at the city of joy.
Rhodes with the mayo clinic sent huge amounts of crucial medical supplies to panzi hospital. After years of military rape in south kivu, there is increased civilian adoption of sexual violence. The first person to be treated there was a victim of sexual violence a. Turning pain into power is the theme this amazing project, a sanctuary of healing and transformation for women who have been traumatised by the most horrendous violence in the democratic republic of congo.
Sep 25, 2017 city of joy can be set apart from other documentaries dealing with similar subject matter, in that it makes every conceivable effort to honestly reflect the stories and personalities of the subjects. Woman arriving for emergency care at panzi hospital, bukavu. Dr denis mukwege, founder, panzi hospital the four pillars of the holistic care model medical treatment. There were so many times that i had to stop and regroup before continuing my reading. Eighteen surgeries scheduled for one day, panzi hospital, bukavu. Apr 09, 2011 the centres story begins in 1999, when the gynaecologist denis mukwege, of bukavus panzi hospital, rang his friend christine schulerdeschryver, a human rights worker in the town. Dr denis mukwege founded the panzi hospital in the city of bukavu when his previous clinic was destroyed in the war. Happy birthday to a very dear friend, a big brother, a confidant, dr. Babies, girls, young women, mothers, grandmothers are brutally raped, often publicly and collectively, said dr denis mukwege, winner of the 2018 nobel peace prize, founder of panzi hospital, and cofounder of city of joy, in his nobel prize lecture. Heroes of the revolution documentary history books, says writer. They are proof that when we invest in people, great things can happen. Mukwege specialises in reconstructive surgery used to help women who.
Denis mukwege well deserved nobel prize winner left me in awe. Activist spotlights archives page 8 of 11 nobel womens. Through the training there, she is now a social worker and fulltime staffer at city of joy. In his speech accepting the nobel peace prize for 2018, dr.
Panzi foundation supports the work of panzi hospital and expands outreach to rural clinics and communities. City of joy celebrates survival, love and funding womens. It specializes in treating survivors of violence, the large majority of whom have been sexually abused. The city of joy, supported by vday and focusing on leadership training for women partners. The doctor who saves women, today received the nobel peace prize. In february, a delegation from the bay area flew to congo, bringing medical supplies to. Denis mukwege created a special womens ward at the panzi hospital.
In 1999, panzi opened amid instability, violence, and an unprecedented epidemic of rape as a weapon of war. Fondation panzi drc, women of the congo, and vday, the global movement to end violence against women and girls, with support from unicef,will come together to celebrate the opening of the city of joy, a revolutionary new community where congolese. Panzi hospital in bukavu, the capital of the sudkivu province in the democratic republic of the congo. Nov 15, 2010 city of joy is due to open in february, and there is much to be done, both in terms of training and construction that has been delayed by shortages of basic building supplies.
Panzi hospital and foundations 742 followers on linkedin. Women who were victims of extreme sexual violence arrive every day. Aug 22, 2018 tracing back to 1999, the story of the city of joy began with denis mukwege, a gynaecologist in the panzi hospital of bukavu, and christine schulerdeschryver, his friend and a worker for human rights. The youngest survivors of sexual violence waiting for fistula surgeries they are presently too young, panzi hospital, bukavu. Furthermore, panzi foundation drc oversees the panzi legal clinic, panzi hospital s aftercare center maison dorcas, city of joy and the international center for advanced research and training. Highlighting the panzi foundation in the democratic republic. Oct 25, 2008 ensler heads up a funding effort for panzi hospital called city of joy, which creates a safe environment for rape victims to live and get job training. He thought he was coming over because i just wanted to see him and stopped by city of joy with so much humility and so great was his surprise. Panzi hospital a global center of excellence for women. Primarily, the hospital is partnered with a program called city of joy. The hospital was initially built for 120 beds but the total number of beds is now 350, out of which 200 are devoted to sexual violence survivors.
Denis mukwege of panzi hospital to meet with and learn from women survivors of. Denis mukwege and nadia murad win the 2018 nobel peace. Dec 06, 2012 the hospital has operated in bukavu, south kivu for more than a decade and today the hospital employs the largest workforce in the city. We follow the women and learn about their past, their fears and their hopes for the future. Ending violence against women in drc religious action. Feb 27, 2021 the city of joy was founded in 2011 and the film looks at its first class of graduates. Jun 25, 2017 in order to support the wider congolese community, panzi foundation usa uses strategic advocacy to end the violence in the congo. She had a dream for the city of joy, and i know she and christine schuler deschyrver, who has been at her side, have worked so hard for this day. It is a home for women survivors of sexual violence and a transformational leadership center. In her article, ensler described her june visit to panzi hospital in bukavu, where. Vday and unicef, in partnership with panzi foundation, are currently building a revolutionary community for survivors of sexual violence in bukavu, democrat.
We would like to thank everyone who came along to see this incredible film. The city of joy will provide women in eastern congo with the additional care that. When eve ensler first travelled to eastern drc in 2007 on invitation from dr. Mukwege driving to work on a dusty road clogged with refugees fleeing their villages. She described how many of the women who first arrive at city of joy associate. Bukavu is a city in eastern democratic republic of the congo drc, lying at the extreme southwestern edge of lake kivu, west of cyangugu in rwanda, and separated from it by the outlet of the ruzizi river. Fondation panzi drc, women of the congo, and vday, the global movement to end violence against women and girls, with support from unicef,will come together to celebrate the opening of the city of joy, a revolutionary new community where congolese women survivors of gender violence will have the opportunity to heal and develop their.
Denis mukwege would travel with his father, a pastor, throughout the community to comfort the sick and dying. He pulls up to the gates of city of joy, and once inside, he. The hospital, built in 1999 under the supervision of dr. Our bodies, their battlefields meet your next favorite book. Ensler heads up a funding effort for panzi hospital called city of joy, which creates a safe environment for rape victims to live and get job. In congo, a doctor keeps helping as rape victims keep. Denis mukwege of panzi hospital invited eve ensler to travel to bukavu in 2007 to meet with and learn from women survivors of violence, she was most interested in knowing what solutions they felt would work in the face of such horrible violence. The city of joy was designed pro bono by the chicago architecture firm stephen rankin associates, with funding from vday, private donations, panzi foundation and unicef. The centres story begins in 1999, when the gynaecologist denis mukwege, of bukavus panzi hospital, rang his friend christine schulerdeschryver, a human rights worker in the town. City of joy happy birthday to a very dear friend, a big. She was a rape victim who had been shot in her genitals. In its 17year history, panzi hospital has treated over 60,000 women of all ages. City of joy went from dream to reality with the help of three visionary leaders. Mukweges security has been a point of contention and subject of highlevel discussions within the mission for many years.
In the eastern democratic republic of congo, 50,000 people lived in bukavu in the 1960s. He resolved to do more, and founded panzi hospital in 1999 to safeguard womens lives and ensure that their children have the chance to thrive. This amazing foundation is a direct consequence of the panzi hospital and the city of joy in the democratic republic of congo, they treat people who have been victims of sexual abuse, giving them lifesaving surgery and holistic treatment. Panzi hospital all he wanted to do was deliver babies the democratic republic of congo has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Phrs team just returned from a training session in the drc, where they are working with international and local partners to hold perpetrators accountable for using rape as a weapon of war. We are dedicated to providing compassionate, holistic care to survivors of sexual violence and supporting. Sep 09, 2020 a gynecologist and obstetrician, gildo byamungu, who directed a hospital connected to panzi, in the city of uvira, in south kivu, was shot dead in his home in april 2017. One result of this campaign is the establishment of the city of joy at the panzi hospital a center for women for women who have survived rape and torture, where they will receive medical treatment, education, leadership training, and a chance to earn income.
Panzi hospitals champion for life in the eastern drc. For many of us, the panzi hospital near bukavu, the capital city of south kivu in the. Mukwege, a saint of our times, who has given himself unstintingly to the work of panzi hospital and who does heroic work every day to save lives. Mukwege received the nobel peace prize for his efforts to end rape as a weapon of war at panzi hospital and foundation panzi, where he and his staff have treated over 68,000 survivors of sexual violence since 1999. The city of joy was founded with support from the panzi foundation, and the vday movement and provides a community. City of joy, a revolutionary new center for congolese women. Denis mukwege, worldrenowned gynecologist and corecipient of the 2019 nobel peace prize, panzi hospital specializes in compassionate, holistic care for survivors of sexual violence as well as maternal care and family planning. City of joy has transformed the lives of over 1100 women since opening in 2011. Denis mukwege, founder and medical director, promotes basic, quality medical careespecially maternal and reproductive health carefor congos marginalized populations. Rather than simply depicting the issues as she has seen them during her own visits condensed and polished so as to be more easily digestible to a. V is a tony and obie awardwinning, new york times bestselling playwright, author, and activist with plays and books published in over 48 languages and performed in over 140 countries. After years at panzi hospital and countless surgeries, she enrolled at city of joy.
Mukwege preparing for surgery, panzi hospital, bukavu. The city of joy was founded in 2011 in bukavu in eastern democratic republic of congo. Denis mukwege in city of joy doctor denis mukwege, whose work recently featured in documentary city of joy and has previously been profiled in congo. This banner welcomes all to the city of joy guest house, panzi, drc. I am thrilled to report that many of our generous individual donors and dr. There are more than 360 staff, 30 of which are doctors, and together they provided care to more than 18,000 patients in 2011, including 2,571 survivors of sexual violence. Denis mukwege, worldrenowned gynecologist, human rights activist and founder of the panzi hospital and foundation in the democratic republic of congo drc, urged world leaders and citizens to take action against. City of joy, a revolutionary new center for congolese. Eve and christine are routinely working 14 hour days.
Denis witnessed injuries he never could think of even women raped in vicious and terrible ways, women with wrecked reproductive organs, women. Denis mukwege, the charismatic and humble founder of panzi hospital, which takes care of hundreds of women and girl survivors of rape and. It is the capital of the south kivu province and as of 2012 it had an estimated population of 806,940 in 2020 it has an estimated urban population of 1,078,000. He is a congolese gynecologist who, with his colleagues, has treated about 30,000 women who suffered rape as a weapon of war. The first patient who arrived at panzi hospital was not a delivering mother. And its easy to find other opportunities to invest in women here. Mukwege founded the city of joy with eve ensler and christine schuler deshryver as a place to support the women who were victims of sexual assault as a weapon of war and treated at the panzi hospital. Sep 06, 2018 the city of joy is a project of the fondation panzi drc and vday.
City of joy will give them a safe place to live while pro. Incredible doctor who is helping rape survivors turn pain. Dr denis mukwege is one of the cofounders of the city of joy and the founder of panzi hospital. Highlighting the panzi foundation in the democratic. On average, panzi admits 410 patients per month and is currently running at maximum capacity.
The founder of vday, the global grassroots movement to end violence against all women and girls cisgender, transgender, those who hold fluid identities, and. Raising awareness of issues how we came to be project. It gives me great joy when we have successful treatment. There are many reasons why the world needs to know the story of my friend mukwege, who founded the panzi hospital and cofounded the city of joy in the democratic republic of congo. The center was set up by the panzi hospital founder dr denis mukwege. Unfortunately, insufficient resources and inadequate infrastructure prevents panzi from. This book changed my view on a lot of aspects of my privileged life. The city of joy is a project to empower the women of the democratic republic of congo, centered around a compound of buildings that the women envisioned for themselves.
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