This Wednesday, June 26, 2024, a high-ranking German delegation led by Mrs. Luise Amtsberg, Commissioner for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, was welcomed at Panzi Hospital and Foundation.
The visit enabled representatives of the German cooperation to gain an insight into the work of caring for survivors of sexual violence, to meet Dr. Denis Mukwege, founder of Panzi Hospital and winner of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, and to learn more about the disastrous humanitarian situation in eastern DR Congo.
For Ms Luise Amstberg,
“Dr. Mukwege, Nobel Laureate 2018 with Nadi Murad works to help victims of sexual violence in the region through Panzi Foundation and Panzi Hospital with a great approach. He helps in the medical field, but also in psychosocial support, legal support which is a great support people can expect here. Proud to meet you and to be with you here”, she declared.
During the visit, the German delegation got a close-up view of the projects supported by GIZ and other German organizations within these two institutions.
Over the past five years, from 2019 to 2023, the two Panzi structures have been supported in the Prevention program, BADILIKA, which combats the causes of gender-based violence and integrates positive masculinity attitudes and practices; actions with visible impact in the Foundation’s 4 pillars, with the construction and equipping of 13 legal clinics using sustainable materials; capacity-building for staff in the legal and psychosocial pillars; and support for the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region through RTF for expert training on holistic care for survivors.
Exchanges with the departments involved in these transformative initiatives provided an opportunity to discuss the successes achieved to date, the needs and challenges to be met, and the strategies to be put in place to guarantee a lasting impact in the care of survivors of sexual violence. The survivors took the opportunity to express their pain and denounce a war with harmful consequences supported by Rwanda.
Panzi Hospital and Foundation, founded by Dr. Mukwege, is renowned for its “One stop Center” system. This is a holistic approach to the care of survivors of sexual violence, including medical and psychosocial care, legal support and socio-economic reintegration.
In a tweet published on the sidelines of the meeting, Dr. Mukwege declared:
“Delighted to have welcomed Ms Luise Amtsberg, Commissioner for Human Rights, to Panzi on June 26, 2024.
Her visit and her attention to the problems linked to insecurity in the East, the main cause of the sexual violence suffered by thousands of women in the East, is a sign of compassion and comfort to all the victims of atrocities in the DRC”.