Amani and her daughter, Inaya, in Bulengo displaced persons camp in North Kivu | © E. N’Sapu / HI
Amani* (not her real name), 27, was born and grew up in Kausa, a small village about 50 km west of the city of Goma in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. A land of fertile green hills, it has the deceptive appearance of a haven of peace. And yet a crisis has been raging here for thirty years: thirty long years of conflict fuelled by political, ethnic and economic troubles, thirty years of terrible violence for the civilian population that has driven more than 2.7 million people1 into exile. Fleeing the atrocities, they abandoned their homes, their land and their loved ones to take refuge in camps where they still nurture the hope of returning home one day and living in peace and tranquillity.
Amani and her family are among those chased from their homes by conflict. Amani arrived in the Bulengo camp in November 2023 and now lives here with her husband and four children. Despite the difficulties, they have resumed their lives. But in a camp where resources are scarce, Amani fights every day to ensure her family's survival.
"In the camp, my routine is to get up very early every day to fetch firewood. I get home around six in the evening. Then I stack the wood ready to sell at the market. I use the money to buy food for my children," explains Amani.
No doubt the family's hasty flight amidst the chaos, the difficult living conditions they encountered on the road, their lack of financial resources and the disorganisation of support services all contributed to little Inaya's* health problems. Shortly after their arrival in the Bulengo camp, Amani realised that her two-year-old daughter's health was deteriorating.
"Inaya's illness started with diarrhoea and she began to lose weight. When she fell ill, I spoke to a neighbour who told me that she was showing signs of malnutrition. After a while, I noticed that my daughter couldn't walk like the other children, or even crawl. She would just sit on the floor and soil herself. She was getting very weak..."
One day, seeing a community worker carrying out routine tests in her area, Amani asked him to examine her daughter. He confirmed that Inaya was in a critical condition and referred a very worried Amani to the CBCA health centre, which offered free treatment.
"I took Inaya to the health centre and they gave her medicines and very nutritious food, which helped her get better. They were the ones who told me about HI, explaining that they help children who have suffered from malnutrition to recover."
As soon as she showed signs of recovery, Inaya was referred to HI. Accompanied by the organisation's team of physical therapists, she began a series of therapy sessions that would enable her to catch up on the developmental delays accumulated as a result of her malnutrition.
Stimulation therapy, as the practice is called, uses play as a therapeutic tool. By manipulating inflatable balls or plastic fruit and playing with her mother and the physical therapist, Inaya performed movements that helped her to mobilise and strengthen her muscles. She became more alert, rediscovered a taste for playing and exploring her environment and dared to try new things. The results were not long in coming: one day, encouraged by the cheers of her mother, she stood up for the first time.
“The first time, she didn't manage to take any steps. But by the second session, she was able to. When we first came here, my child seemed to be disabled, but today I see her happy, playing and enjoying herself. She’s moving well now and her disability has disappeared. I am very happy and I sincerely thank everyone who helped her recover, may God bless them,” says Amani, jubilantly.
A big smile lights up Inaya's face as she trots to her mother for a cuddle. Together, they leave HI’s health centre and make their way through the busy streets of the camp.
The project entitled “Rehabilitation, inclusive humanitarian action, mental health and psychosocial support and stimulation therapy for vulnerable groups in crisis-affected sub-Saharan Africa” is being deployed in the DRC, Somalia and the CAR. Funded by GFFO and ADH, the project was launched in July 2024 and it will run until June 2026. As part of phase 2 of the project, 2,800 children who have experienced episodes of malnutrition will receive stimulation therapy with their parents to prevent and reduce developmental delays.
Project implemented with the support of:
