Thank You Denis Mukwege

Sometimes my faith in humanity isn't very bright. The media are always busy trying to highlight the terrible things that happen in this world, because that is what people like to see. That's human nature and nothing to be virtually ashamed of, but it does make the world a bit crude sometimes. That is precisely the reason why I wanted to take a moment today to pay my respects to people that make the world a better place and today that person is Denis Mukwege.

Denis Mukwege at the Panzi hospital

Denis Mukwege is a name that might not ring a bell at first glance. However he is definitely someone to look out for. Mukwege is a Congolese gynecologist, specialized in the treatment of women who have been gang-raped by rebel forces. Congo has been in a civil war since 1994, partially because of refugees from Rwanda and Burundi. Today is not the day to give a history lesson about Congo, but to give a heads-up, the conditions in Congo are quite terrible.



Mukwege performs about 10 surgeries a day on women who have been mutilated by rebel forces. I say mutilated, not raped, because in basically all cases, it had nothing to do with sex. These women get mutilated in their vaginal area to humiliaty them and their families. These women feel ashamed, are sometimes disowned by their family or left by their husband because of shame and fear. The women do not get raped for sexual, but to cause panic. These rapes, these mutilations are disrupting the whole country.

Since the mutilations are not for sexual reasons, the rapes are usually done with objects that are meant to damage the womens vaginal area. Mukwege described that the women arrive at the hospital in horific conditions, sometimes naked. He performs surgery on these women and he houses some of the women in the hospital in order to keep them save.

In 2012 Mukwege had to flee the country because armed rebel forces tried to assasinate him at his own home. They even kept his daughter as a hostage. In 2013 he returned to Congo and was giving a warm welcome by the population, especially his patiens.

Reading all of this you can't deny that Mukwege is a great man and that he has done great things to make the world a better place. He has been rewarded with awards such as the Sakharov Prize for the Freedom of Thought and UN Human Rights prize. I'm absolutely greatful that people like him exist. Thank you Denis Mukwege, for all the great work.

If you want to know more about Denis Mukwege, then watch the video's below where he explains more about what he does.

 I would love to know who your heroes are and also why they are, because it really helps us to see that the world is not just a dark place, but that there is hope for everyone.

♥ Love, Vivian