In Goma, amid war and displacement, women are fighting to preserve their dignity. Through HEAL Africa’s Women of Value program, they find refuge, faith, and mutual support to keep living and dreaming, even in the heart of turmoil.

At the center of the chaos caused by conflict in Goma stands a quiet but unbreakable force: the one nurtured by the Women of Value program. These women, once united through Village Associations for Savings and Loan (VSLA) initiated by HEAL Africa, now face the harsh test of survival. Where they once shared hope for a better future, they now share the courage to stay alive.

Before the war reached Goma, these women used to meet weekly at HEAL Africa to save small amounts, start income-generating activities, and support their children’s education. But, with the return of violence, their circles of empowerment have become circles of survival, where faith and solidarity have taken the place of economic exchange.

Béatrice, 51, a mother of seven, is one of their most touching examples. “When the war broke out, we were fleeing from Mugunga to Ndosho. My husband went back to look for our son who had stayed behind, and he was killed by a bomb,” she recalls.

Alone and desperate, Béatrice had lost the will to live. It was through the Women of Value program and the prayer meetings at the HEAL Africa Tabernacle that she found the strength to go on. “The messages we hear there give me strength. I always look forward to our meeting days, as they keep me alive,” she confides.

Today, Béatrice lives with another woman from the Women of Value support group. Despite hardship, she continues to hope. “I’m living just by grace, but I’m holding on. I just pray that God helps me,” she whispers, tears in her eyes.

A refuge amid the chaos

Fatuma (alias), 55, also bears the weight of war. A mother of eleven and guardian of three orphans, she had found stability through collective savings activities at HEAL Africa. “After three years in my VSLA group, I was able to buy a piece of land. I wanted to finally build my own house,” she says.

Then the war upended everything. Her income vanished, her savings drained, and her children’s schooling became uncertain. “Sometimes I wonder if I should sell my land so my children don’t end up on the streets,” she confides.

Like Béatrice, she keeps fighting, sustained by prayer and the solidarity of other Women of Value members at HEAL Africa.

The Women of Value program has become far more than a savings group. It is a space of spiritual comfort and mutual support where dignity is slowly rebuilt, day by day. Supporting these women means breathing life back into broken homes and keeping alive a light that kept shining despite adversity. “If I hadn’t met the Women of Value group, I wouldn’t be here today,” Béatrice testifies.
Her words echo the essence of Women of Value: transforming pain into hope, and fragility into strength.