The second largest country of Africa, full of paradoxes. On one hand, it is rich in natural resources (including cobalt, copper, coltan, crude oil, diamonds, gold); on the other hand, its inhabitants are among the poorest in the world. For decades, the DRC has been suffering from prolonged conflicts that have led to one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world.
08.03.2021
A few months ago, we reported on the dramatic events that took place in Ntamugenga. A pregnant woman who had been shot in the stomach was brought to our hospital. Luckily, the mother and child made it through unscathed. This is what little Rahema looks like today!
The mother, Judith, was eight months pregnant when she went to check on her neighbors. She realized belatedly that their residence was under attack by assailants who had barricaded themselves in the home in the hopes of kidnapping the father for a ransom. They didn’t find hin there and terrorized his wife instead. When Judith went over, she was caught in the crossfire of a Kalashnikov round fired in a blind rage. One bullet hit her in the chest, the other hit her stomach.
The pandemic has exacerbated an already difficult economic situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and resulted in local criminals acting even bolder. New rebel groups are springing up left and right. Not a day goes by without someone being kidnapped, shot or killed. Innocent people, often women and children, suffer the most.
Doctors didn’t think they would be able to save Judith’s baby but luckily the bullet only injured her kidneys and grazed her stomach, leaving the fetus untouched. A quick blood transfer, oxygen therapy and emergency surgery saved the mother and daughter. Rehema was born prematurely but the warm nest, which we were able to purchase with your donations, saved her life. As difficult as the experience of giving birth to her first child was, the joy of seeing her baby healthy and growing makes up for all the pain Judith went through.
Thanks to you and our wonderful team in Ntamugenga, we have witnessed many such miracles. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we invite you to join our Good Flowers initiative. This donation allows us to help women in the most impoverished regions of the world fulfill their dreams of safety, health, and happiness for themselves and their children. All it takes is a quick visit to GoodWorks24 and donation of 25 PLN. We also encourage you to invite your friends and family to visit the life-saving shop.
11.09.2024
Little Fabien needs urgent help! Congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis sounds mysterious, although it’s estimated that this anatomical defect occurs in as many as 8 in 1,000 children. For Fabien, born in the heart of the Congolese bush, this diagnosis could mean a slow death from starvation and dehydration. His mother was at a loss—her son […]
21.08.2024
A woman who loses her husband is called a widow. A child who loses their parents becomes an orphan. We have words for so many things, but there is no word for a parent who loses a child. Perhaps it’s because such a reversal of the natural order is beyond what our hearts, let alone […]
28.06.2024
When I was leaving for tests with other patients, I asked the physiotherapist to bring Dawid some juice – maybe he will wake up from this coma, maybe he will be thirsty? The news of Dawid’s passing reached Sister Agnieszka the same day. She had fought for him for many months, providing him with treatment […]
