Panzi Foundation

06/20/2026

In May 2026, more than 2.5 million people were displaced in North and South Kivu, facing daily health, security, and humanitarian risks.

Women and children make up the majority of these displaced people, surviving in camps constantly targeted by armed groups. Yet, the DRC remains one of the most neglected displacement crises in the world.

Every day, Panzi Foundation’s teams stand by their side, providing medical, psychosocial, and legal care, as well as support their socio-economic reintegration.

In 2025, thanks to our mobile clinics and our partners, we were able to assist 15 013 patients, including 656 cases of sexual violence.

On this World Refugee Day, we call for international mobilization commensurate with this crisis. The plight of these populations deserves the same attention as other conflicts, whether in the Middle East, Ukraine, or elsewhere.

As our Founder Dr. Denis Mukwege, reminds us: “We can all change the course of history when the convictions for which we fight are just.”

06/19/2026

"R**e in conflict leaves lasting marks, including children born of r**e, and the persistent horror as r**e and gender-based violence metastasizes and spread through traumatized communities and societies, whose values are lost, often for generations." Dr. Denis Mukwege

Cathy was 18. A recent high school graduate, she had returned to her native village on the Plateaux Batéké to work the fields and save money for her studies. In an instant, everything fell apart. Her father and brothers were killed before her eyes. Her mother disappeared. And she was r**ed by more than seven-armed men before being held captive for five days in the forest.

Her story is not an exception, it is the face of a systematic violence used as a weapon of war in the DRC, where every day, women, girls, men, boys, and even babies are sexually assaulted by armed men, often with extreme brutality. These crimes are grave violations of human rights. Yet, they continue in complete impunity.

More than 90,000 survivors have been treated at Panzi Hospital by Dr. Mukwege and our teams. Behind that number stand broken bodies, shattered lives, but also women who rise again.

Women like Cathy: she returned to Kinshasa alone, homeless, haunted by nightmares and suicidal thoughts. Through psychological support and care at our Kinshasa One Stop Center, she found sleep again, then strength. Today, she is working and holds onto her dream of returning to university.

On this International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, we call for greater efforts to prevent these crimes, protect those at risk, and end impunity.

Read Cathy's full story: panzifoundation.org/survivor-stories/cathy/

Disclaimer: Names have been modified to protect the identity of the survivor.

Cathy had just returned to her native village in the Plateau Bateke to work on the fields and save money but everything changed rapidly.

06/16/2026

“A child, quite simply, needs the protection of adults.” Dr. Denis Mukwege

Whether a child is born in France, Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, Haiti, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, their worth is not determined by their nationality, the wealth of their country, or the attention their suffering receives from the international community.

In 2025, Panzi Hospital treated 327 child survivors of sexual violence. Among these young girls, 147 became mothers. Behind every statistic are a child’s dreams for a better future.

At Panzi, our holistic care program, which includes medical, psychological, socioeconomic, and legal support, shows that although the road to healing is long and difficult, survivors have the potential to transform their suffering into power. However, they cannot do it alone, and our role is to listen to them.

Panzi cannot carry this burden alone. The responsibility belongs to all of us.

Today, let's think of the children of the DRC and their right to be protected.

06/11/2026

As part of the Coffee Project, 65 beneficiaries from our second cohort, women members of the coffee cooperative and of the mutual solidarity groups supported by Panzi Foundation, took part in a capacity building training from 27 May to 3 June 2026 in Kavumu, Kabare territory, South Kivu.

Women's empowerment, agricultural entrepreneurship, coffee farm management and the integration of livestock into coffee plantations were on the agenda of last week’s training. Practical topics designed to equip these women with the tools to live with dignity from their work. This initiative honours a vision we hold proudly: the empowerment and advancement of women, especially in contexts of great vulnerability.

Taking advantage of the momentum, the Socio-Economic Reintegration team also visited the coffee washing station under construction and the Kakondo coffee estate, which covers 15 hectares, as well as the herd of 11 cattle at the Kakondo pilot farm in Kabare. One project, one drive: making coffee a lever of economic independence for survivors and vulnerable women.

Thank you to our partner Fondazione Lavazza for their support.

06/09/2026

From May 26 to June 3rd 2026, a mobile clinic from the Panzi Foundation's Mulamba One Stop Center was deployed in the Kaniola health zone to bring healthcare closer to populations affected by a persistent security and humanitarian crisis.

Each day, survivors of sexual violence, people living with debilitating gynecological conditions, war-displaced persons and returnees benefited from medical and psychosocial consultations. Patients requiring surgery were transferred to the Mulamba Hospital Center and the Panzi General Referral Hospital for appropriate care.

This mission also helped raise awareness within communities about gender-based violence and available services, while strengthening continuity of care in an area severely impacted by the conflict.

In 2025, our Mulamba One Stop Center provided medical care to 292 survivors of sexual violence. That same year, 570 people received psychosocial support.

05/30/2026

Panzi Foundation hosted two training sessions on the protection of children's rights in school and community settings.

Led by prosecutor Nelly Nseya Kazadi, along with Maître Germaine Bumbu and Maître Mbambu Masuha Anuarite, both lawyers at the Bukavu Court of Appeal, the sessions covered the core principles of children's rights, the legal framework, different types of violence, positive discipline, reporting and referral mechanisms, and the role of parents and communities in protecting children.

In total, 36 teachers and 42 parent committee members took part in these capacity-building activities, held in separate sessions for each group between May 19 and 26. The goal: to foster a culture of prevention and community engagement, and to build schools and communities free from violence.

These initiatives are made possible with the support of ENABEL.

05/29/2026

In Bukavu, water shortages are a daily reality. Like so many girls, Judith had no choice but to walk to the Wesha spring in the middle of the night to fetch water. It was during one of those trips, at 3am, that she was attacked and r**ed.

For six months, she carried that heavy secret alone, paralyzed by fear and shame, until she could no longer hide her pregnancy.

In search of help, she made her way to the Mwabana center, where she was immediately referred to Panzi Hospital. That was where her healing journey began: breaking the cycle of silence, pursuing justice at Panzi's Legal Clinic, and rebuilding her life with the support of our medical and psychological teams.

Shortly after, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy and was able to return home to her family. Judith's story is one of courage. But it is not unique. In 2025, Panzi Hospital received between 80 and 130 survivors of sexual violence every month: 30% of whom were minors.

Behind every number is a person. Behind every person is a story that deserves to be heard.

Read Judith's full story on our website now: https://shorturl.at/4J75S



Disclaimer: The name used in this story is a pseudonym to safeguard the survivor’s privacy. Any photos accompanying this content are illustrative only and do not represent the individuals involved

05/28/2026

In many communities, talking about periods is still taboo. That silence isolates girls, can keep them out of school, and feed shame. At Panzi Foundation, we chose a different path: equipping young people with the tools to become agents of change themselves.

Through Badilika, Panzi aims to transform societal attitudes and behaviours especially around gender equality and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence. We set up sexual and reproductive health clubs in universities, where students can learn about respect, consent, positive masculinity, and menstrual health.

This model, already operational at the Evangelical University in Africa and the Imani Institute, empowers students to take what they've learned and pass it on to their peers, in a language that resonates, free from taboo or judgment.

By educating the next generation, Badilika advocates to dismantle the social norms that keep violence and inequality alive in South Kivu.

As Dr. Denis Mukwege so powerfully put it: "My role has always been to amplify the voices of those whose marginalization prevents them from telling their own story. I stand beside them, never in front of them."

Today, let's act together to build a future that is more dignified and just, where menstrual hygiene, is a right for every woman and girl in the DRC.

05/26/2026

Earlier this month, Panzi Hospital organized a hospital hygiene training as part of the Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH) project. A total of 250 staff members took part in this capacity-building activity.

Led by Dr Joyeux Bwami and Dr Aline Byabene, the three-day training covered hand hygiene, proper use of personal protective equipment, infection prevention, biomedical waste management, hospital linen handling, as well as practical exercises in decontamination and preparation of chlorine solutions.

This initiative helps strengthen staff knowledge and improve the quality of care for patients. Recommendations called for continued training sessions, improved supply of PPE, and regular monitoring of hygiene practices in hospital departments.

Thanks to HAMAP Humanitaire and the City of Montpellier for their support.

05/25/2026

For over two decades, Panzi Hospital and Fondation Panzi, founded by Dr Denis Mukwege, have been on the front line against sexual and gender-based violence.

To date, more than 90,000 survivors have received care. Behind that number are women, girls and children whose bodies and dignity have been trampled. But also lives rebuilt, step by step.

Panzi’s care model is holistic, because the wound goes beyond the body:

🩺 Medical and surgical care to treat sometimes severe physical injuries.
🫂 Psychosocial support to heal the invisible trauma.
👩🏾‍🔧 👩🏾‍🏭 🧑🏾‍🍳 Socioeconomic reintegration to help survivors find their place in the community again.
👨🏾‍⚖️ Legal assistance to break the cycle of impunity.

Four inseparable pillars, carried by both the Hospital and the Foundation, that give every survivor the tools to rise again.

Gender-based violence thrives on silence, indifference, and impunity. Fighting it is everyone's responsibility and at Panzi, we keep taking action to build a more just and dignified future for all.