Otema is a maternal health center but also a place of reconstruction for women victims of sexual violence. This is one of the main missions of this health establishment located in the heart of a country where rape, used as a weapon of war, is also often present in civil society, all the more so since these acts are generally remained unpunished for a long time. But things are changing and Otema is part of these positive changes

A “legal clinic” was created in 2020 within Otema. Thus the hospital offers, uniquely in Sankuru, support for victims based on 4 pillars: physical health care, psychological support, legal defense and professional reintegration.

Otema collaborates with a local police brigade specialized in helping victims of violence and sexual violence, and with a lawyer. Women can thus lodge a complaint and obtain justice, which contributes to their reconstruction. The Otema Hospital offers those who need it physical repair operations, in particular fistula surgery, made accessible to all thanks to a system of sponsorship of operations. Psychological support and professional training complete this holistic reconstruction work and allow the women beneficiaries to reintegrate into society and take their lives back into their own hands.

Although the lack of resources remains an obstacle for everyone – the police do not even have a bicycle to go to the scene of the attacks, since the creation of the legal clinic, the number of declared victims has increased. These women and children dare to speak out, which shows that trust is building. Victims know that they will be listened to and cared for, and they are less afraid. On the other hand, the aggressors begin to understand that certain things are not acceptable and will have consequences.