Support the 2013 She's My Sister Bike Tour for Congo
Our volunteer cyclists are riding in the Southeast and Great Lakes in May & June to bring hope and healing to Congo. Click to find out how you can get involved!
Bringing Trauma Healing to Great Lakes Africa
Trauma care makes relief & development work more effective. Find out why.
What is your part?
Do you know what God says about justice? Take a Journey into the Bible and discover what God will say to you.
Become an Advocate. Speak for your Sisters.
As a Sister Advocate, you can bring hope to desperate and hurting women. We can show you how.
Goma Aftermath Fund
Gifts to this 2X matching fund help our partners in Goma reach their hurting neighbors with God's healing Word. Your donation is needed in the aftermath of the M23 occupation.
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About She's My Sister

She’s My Sister,™ a program from American Bible Society, brings Bible-based trauma healing to repair spiritual and emotional wounds caused by decades of brutal conflict in Great Lakes Africa. Addressing trauma is the first step toward restoring hope and beauty from horror’s ashes.

Featured Article

Empowering volunteers with hope

She's My Sister Bike Tour coordinator Amanda Olsavsky Hu reveals the four reasons our volunteers are so motivated and effective at advocacy.
Read the full article »

They Have Stories To Tell

When war came to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the lives of many, many women and children forever changed. Here are some of their stories. Will you hear them?

Name: Consolatta and Sister Alvera
Age:
22
Consolatta, now 22, is from Masisi territory in North Kivu Province in Eastern DRC. When her village was attacked, she fled and was later brutally raped by a group of soldiers. Physically broken and psychologically traumatized, she was then abandoned by her parents. Eventually she found her way to Flame of Love, a center run by Sister Alvera Nyiramasuhuko in Goma. Today she cares for some of Congo’s thousands of war orphans—and increasingly for victims of war rape.
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Name: Esperence
Age:
19
As she speaks, Esperence holds her 2-month-old baby, Baraka. The child’s name means “Blessing,” but the circumstances under which he was conceived were a curse. Esperence was sent to get water, a long way from the house she shared with her uncle and his wife. As she walked, seven soldiers attacked and raped her. She lay on the ground, paralyzed by pain. Eventually, Esperence found her way to Mama Jeanne, a woman who offers medical care and shelter to orphans and survivors of rape. Sick and weak, Esperence was losing blood rapidly. Doctors performed surgery to stop the bleeding and discovered she was pregnant. Esperence slowly gained her strength, but learned that her uncle and his wife were killed. She has nowhere to go.
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Name: Nabusiralo
Age:
45
Nabusiralo knows the terror of hiding in the bush, night after night, to avoid being discovered. Any sound, any rustle could mean she was found by the militia. Over time, she got used to living on the edge of fear.But it wasn’t in the open where Nabusiralo’s worst nightmare was confirmed. It was in her own home. Her brother visited, and Nabusiralo thought she’d be safe to sleep in the house with two men to protect her. She was wrong. Soldiers crashed through her home, killing her husband and raping her. Nabusiralo was eventually brought to a hospital where she was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. She worries continually about her children, who may lose their mother to a dreaded disease. “How can they survive?” she asks.
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Name: Juaite
Age:
23
Statistics shed light on a situation. But they never tell the full story. Juaite is a statistic. She is one of 200,000 women and children who was raped in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. But the full story is the pain, isolation and humiliation Juaite suffers after 10 soldiers violated her. Juaite, 23, had to undergo two surgeries so doctors could repair her severed bladder. She now lives in a shelter for survivors of rape and has no home to go to. Juaite longs for independence and wishes she had money to start a small business.
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Name: Mukeshimana (Watch & Pray)
Age:
20
Mukeshimana is 20 years old. When the war came, she fled and tried to hide in the bush. But eight ruthless soldiers pursued, trapped and raped her. Since then, Mukeshimana lost the ability to control her bladder. As a result, her relatives shun her. Mukeshimana suffers from traumatic gynecologic fistula — an injury that can occur from violent sexual assault. Doctors in Goma tried to repair Mukeshimana’s problem. Ten surgeries later, she still suffers the effects of her condition. She lives with deep emotional and physical pain. Her story is not uncommon in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Name: Gakuru
Age:
25
Gakuru’s life is characterized by loss. When she was a young child, her parents died. But a loving grandmother raised her, and Gakuru knew security and peace. One day, her grandmother sent her to the farm to harvest herbs. Four soldiers attacked and raped her. She became pregnant. Gakuru carried the child for nine months, but the baby was dead in the womb. Gakuru had to come to terms with losing a child who never had a chance to know her or love her.
Read More
Name: Imani (Faith)
Age:
20
Imani was 13 years old when war came to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, robbing her of the happiest years of her childhood. Soldiers entered her home and killed her parents. Then five ruthless soldiers raped her, causing a traumatic injury. As a result, Imani lost the ability to control her bladder, a situation that gives her great shame. Imani underwent seven surgeries to repair the injury, but none of the operations worked. Imani, now 20, lives with great emotional, physical and psychological pain. She hasn’t seen her siblings for nearly eight years and feels alone in the world.
Read More

Recent Videos
Consolatta - She's My Sister
Bike Tour Ride Promo
Sister Alvera
Consolatta - Spanish
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Resources

Downloadable PDFs

He Has Sent Me Journey
Download Now »
Sector Report on Trauma and Scripture Engagement
Download Now »
She's My Sister Overview Brochure
Download Now »
Scripture-Based Trauma Healing: A Missing Piece of Relief and Development
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The Case for She’s My Sister: What Good Must We Do
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Quick Links

War’s overlooked victims
“War’s overlooked victims: Rape is horrifyingly widespread in conflicts all around the world.” The Economist, January 13, 2011.
Link »
On the Ground
“On the Ground” the human rights blog of Nicholas D. Kristof at the New York Times
Link »
Abundant Nothing
“Abundant Nothing” the blog of John Walter, director of She’s My Sister
Link »

Get Involved

You can help restore hope for your sisters by completing these steps.

1
Connect

Sign up for our Mailing List, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

2
Learn Their Stories

Meet the women we help in Great Lakes Africa.

3
Start Your Journey

Start a Scripture journey to see what God has to say about your sisters and your role.

4
Give

Make a donation today to help with the immediate need. 

5
Speak Out

Help them be heard. Help change their stories.

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