Victims of Sexual Violence Take Charge In Congo

Survivors of assault are learning income-generating skills to take charge of their own lives.

By Philippe Lolonga

March 10, 2026 | GOMA, Congo

More than 20 women who have survived sexual violence in the Goma area are learning to take charge of their own lives through income-generating activities.

The women are receiving training and support at the second of three sites in the region that receive funding through Harper Hill Global. Previous groups of women have also been assisted at the three sites, as sexual violence is increasing with the presence of rebels in eastern Congo.

Many of the women were abandoned after suffering sexual assault. The United Methodist Church is doing everything it can with limited resources to help them become self-supporting. Harper Hill Global is an independent nonprofit that works with the church on supporting the women, helping them overcome trauma and learn income-generating skills. 

"I continue to provide them with moral support after the trauma training we received from Rev. Neelley Hicks online,” said the Rev. Henriette Omoy, a United Methodist pastor who works with the survivors. Hicks, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is the founder and director of Harper Hill Global.

The Rev. Henriette Omoy, holding the mixer, shows women how to make soap at an assistance center in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. The women, who are survivors of sexual violence, are learning how to generate income to care for themselves. Photo by Philippe Lolonga, Harper Hill Global.

“I give thanks to God and to Harper Hill Global, which has just provided financial support to these victims of sexual violence to help these women engage in income-generating activities in baking and soap making,” Omoy said.

Charlotte is a survivor of sexual violence who expressed appreciation for the program. “The Methodist Church is an exceptional church because it takes our social situation into account, and today, through Harper Hill Global, we are able to help each other and take care of each other's small needs,” she said.

“As I was raped, I was abandoned to my sad fate, but through the church today, I am able to take care of myself despite the difficult economic situation I am going through in Goma, thanks to the pastry-making activity that we do in the group with other victims,” she concluded.

Another beneficiary is Celine, who was raped in front of her little brother in Mugunga, on the outskirts of the city of Goma. “Today, through the soap factory, I want to start taking care of myself,” she said.  

Bishop Antoine Kalema Tambwe, who oversees The United Methodist Church’s Eastern Congo Episcopal Area, said the program needs to be expanded in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, where sexual violence is occurring daily.

“The population of the East has suffered greatly,” the bishop said, “and I urge other organizations to come to the aid of these people who have been victims of sexual violence and atrocities. In the days to come, I hope that Harper Hill Global, through Rev. Neelley, will be able to flourish in the region.”

Lolonga is a Harper Hill Global correspondent based in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Media contact: The Rev. Neelley Hicks at (615) 260-6945 or nhicks@harperhill.global  

How to help: For less than $1 a day, your gift will provide a woman with food, medicine and trauma recovery. Join the Health and Hope Circle today by becoming a monthly donor! Your monthly donation of $10 or more will directly provide food and trauma recovery resources for survivors of this conflict. Select "Assistance for Victims of Conflict in DR Congo."