After 5 days in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, we are now taking the “fast boat” to Goma, at the north end of Lake Kivu. This is a last minute change in plans. Because of the M23 activity reported recently, we avoided this area. But, after talking to aid relief agencies and security…
We have spent a week in Congo and my head is spinning. We visited eleven different programs and met with and talked to hundreds of people. Here are a few of my thoughts as we begin the two-day journey to come home: 1. Enabling Congo’s Rebirth The program managers, directors and staff of the local…
These trips fly by for me. It seems like I just get acclimated to the schedule, to the food (or lack thereof), to not sleeping (somehow I never sleep in Congo), to 18 hour days, and suddenly it’s time to go home. And as I seem to always say, at the end of every trip,…
Ms. Magazine chose to feature an article written by JWW President and Co-Founder Janice Kamenir-Reznik during her current travels in Congo. Find an excerpt below: “It is undeniable: Things are still terrible in Congo. But while outwardly life appears to be unchanged, there are many signs which indicate that there is some hope for a…
I have been to the Kivu provinces in eastern Congo many times over the past five years. From outward appearances, it seems that life here has not changed much since my first visit. A never-ending parade of rebel groups continues to kill, rape and enslave civilians as they vie for control of Congo’s vast mineral…
I have fallen in love with two men on this trip to Congo. They are two men from very different backgrounds and with different skills but who share the same unshakeable passion and vision for Congo’s women. They are each extraordinary in their own right, and I am in awe of their humility, strength, and…
Today we visited our Rape and Crisis Center in Chambucha, a remote region of eastern Congo. It was an emotional, inspiring day. It took us 4 crazy hours to get there and 4 crazy hours to return, but it was more than worth every second. The reception they gave us was outrageously…
“When you save one life it is as if you saved the world.” — Talmud, Sanhedrin 37a Each day we journey out early in the morning to visit current and prospective projects; and each day we meet the people of Congo who are making the most significant changes for future generations. The problems here are…
Electricity is “iffy” in Bukavu. Unexpectedly, power goes off, and you wait patiently for the lights to go on, the fan to start, and most importantly when 9500 miles away, your internet and email connection. Also, you don’t want to be left without enough battery power for your camera. While making the long drive…
Jewish World Watch is actively working to develop a partnership with BVES, the organization described below. If you are interested in supporting JWW and BVES’s work in eastern Congo, please contact Naama Haviv at Naama@jww.org or 818-501-1836. Names of children referenced below have been changed for security. Dr. Murhabazi Namegabe is one of the…