VDAY: V-Lantern Project Update
In January 2009, the Koinonia Foundation donated 500 K-Lights to V-DAY, Eve Ensler’s organization to end violence worldwide against women and girls. These lanterns went to families around the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo. Find the blog about it here.
In June, right before we left on our project trip to Rwanda, we got this note from Christine Deschryver of V-DAY:
Light in the darkness!!
Dear all,
Once again thank you so much for the solar lantern and our apologies for taking so long to distribute for several reasons, I was traveling around all over since January and then the need around Panzi Hospital was so huge that Dr. Mukwege was a little worried to create more frustration for the ones who will not be served. We decided to target the most needed person and a month ago, a “camp” was created for soldiers’ wives and children next to the hospital, more than 300 women, children and babies were just abandoned with NO AID at all, no food, no water, no medicine, etc… so we started the distribution there and today we went there with Eve, Susan and Dr. Mukwege and they were so thankful and so proud of their solar lanterns that they said we brought “light in the darkness”, the only thing they received were the lanterns since they were there.
We also distributed some to 30 other families, surrounding directly the hospital, and other groups like small medical centers, schools are targeted and lanterns will be distributed next week.
In the name of all the beneficiaries, I would like to thank you for caring and for the precious help.
Christine
Later that month, V-DAY featured the collaboration in its newsletter, and we recently received some photos of the distribution from Christine. An excerpt from the VDAY newsletter is below, along with pictures of the camp site and distribution.
In Bukavu, we met with Dr. Denis Mukwege at the Panzi Hospital and visited the future site of the City Of Joy, the leadership and healing center and safe community that the campaign is creating with your support! Dr. Mukwege and his team at Panzi continue their work daily, repairing women who have been brutally raped. The situation on the ground in Eastern Congo is volatile, with the threat of increased violence looming daily. The site for the City of Joy is near to the hospital. Traveling with UNICEF and local experts, we assessed the land and placement of the buildings. The community surrounds the site, and we will be sure to involve them in our programming at City of Joy, so that the center is a focal point for all, and the women’s message of “turning pain to power’ carries throughout.
While at the site, we visited with a group of soldier’s wives and children who live in a camp next door. The camp is made up of more than 300 women, children and babies who were recently abandoned with NO AID at all, no food, no water, no medicine, etc. In May, thanks to the generosity of the Koinonia Foundation who gifted us 500 soloar lanterns, we distributed PiSAT solar lanterns, complete with solar chargers, to the women at the camp. The lanterns were the only form of assistance that the women had received since arriving the camp and they were so thankful and proud of their solar lanterns that they said we brought “light in the darkness.” We also distributed lanterns to 30 other families surrounding the hospital. We will distribute the remaining lanterns to additional groups including small medical centers and schools next week.
See our release here.
Ashley
