Email 469 | Panzi Foundation

CARING FOR SURVIVORS AT THE LAST MILE

When survivors of sexual violence seek out care and healing in Congo, they face numerous barriers. Frequently, they are forced to navigate multiple institutions in many different locations, and must repeat their story at each one, risking re-traumatization and stigma.

Panzi’s One-Stop Centers (OSC) are designed to remove these barriers to care and minimize logistical and emotional burdens for survivors. At our One Stop Centers, survivors can receive comprehensive medical, psychosocial, legal, and socioeconomic support discreetly and efficiently, all in one place, guided by a Maman Chérie, or psychosocial assistant.

At Panzi’s OSC in Bulenga, Rosette plays this role, offering compassion to women who arrive in pain, unsure if safety still exists.

“As soon as the survivor arrives…I greet her with enthusiasm and a warm welcome…proceeding with empathy, active listening, and supportive counseling.”

Rosette’s responsibilities require immense care and sensitivity: it is she who must guide survivors through the healing process, step by step.

In her conversations with women and girls who have experienced unthinkable violence, she listens, she waits, and she offer options for what is next: medical care for their wounds, psychological support for their pain, legal assistance for their rights, and training programs for their futures.

The Bulenga One Stop Center is located in the middle of the northern-most peninsula on Lake Kivu, 165 km from Bukavu and frequently accessed by boat. It was opened in 2015 to ensure that Panzi could reach survivors at the last mile.

In early 2025, M23 captured Bulenga the same week they seized the city of Goma. The facility remains open and functional, ensuring access to care for survivors is not interrupted. Rates of sexual violence in the region remain high: Rosette and the team at Bulenga have treated 159 survivors this year, already surpassing last year’s caseload. 35% of these cases were women under 18.

Caring for these survivors like these is what motivates Rosette to continue her work, even in the midst of conflict.

“What makes me most proud is having a direct and positive impact on the lives of vulnerable people by providing them with vital assistance. I am proud that Panzi Foundation fights for the promotion of women’s rights and gender equality.”

Will you help us make this work possible for the next survivor?