As part of this commemoration, a HEAL Africa team visited the internally displaced people’s (IDP’s) camp at Mugunga III where they direct relief activities to meet some of the needs of the IDP’s.

HEAL Africa is focusing assistance on 600 households who are:  people living with disabilities, people living with HIV, pregnant women, single women, and orphans and the elderly. The overall assistance of this program is estimated to be for 3000 people. This is a community of people from Rutshuru and Masisi who have fled repetitive fighting between armed militias and the regular army, the FARDC.

HEAL AFRICA has built shelters (see photo) and provided bedding and basic needs.   In addition, this particularly vulnerable population receives a monthly food ration consisting of: maize flour, beans, sugar, salt, cooking oil, 10 rice, cooking pots, and soap.

HEAL Africa has provides orthopedic surgery for 50 people who have disabilities. Sylvie (in photo) from Rutshuru said she could not walk,” I was lying on the ground, but thanks to the orthopedic surgery done by the HEAL Africa medical team, she said “I now can travel.”  An 18 year old girl added ” I now sleep in relative security and can and eat without difficulty.”

Besides medical treatment to this extremely vulnerable population, HEAL Africa works in collaboration with also Medecins Sans Frontier (Doctors Without Borders) and Johanniter International in the camp.

Every year on June 20, countless people commemorate World Refugee Day. We are called to honor the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.

HEAL Africa is a Congolese NGO, founded on principles of Christ, and focused on the provision of health and community development interventions.