Lumo

Thursday, October 22nd, I saw the documentary Lumo. It is a chronology of a Congolese woman’s recovery at HEAL Africa, a unique hospital for rape victims funded by UNICEF. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the midst of a civil war whose militia, rebels, and soldiers utilize the rape of women as their main form of terrorism.
“Do you know how you illness started?” This question opened up the documentary and was asked in an interview with Lumo. Lumo responds with her story of how she was raped by a group of soldiers who then proceeded to steal her family’s livestock and burn down her home. As a result from her violent rape, she suffers from fistula, a disease many rape victims develop. Lumo was sought out by Mama Miliri a counselor from HEAL Africa and has spent a year and a half there undergoing four surgeries in attempt to correct her fistula. The documentary films her fifth and final surgery as well as her recovery among other rape victims who pass their days by gossiping and singing to God. New patients of the hospital are greeted by the counselors, known as the “Mamas” who become their main cheerleaders in their recovery from fistula and emotional damage. The hospital runs on the philosophy of not only treating the organ, but the human as well.
Before viewing this film, I was not aware of the severity of the conflict in The Democratic Republic of the Congo. Recently Sudan’s Darfur conflict has held more importance in the American media and civil war in DRC has been overlooked. The Student Government Association presented this film as a part of “Congo week.” The president of SGA told us to turn off our cell phones before the film began not only as a routine reminder of audience etiquette but also to inform us of Cassiterite, a mineral that is present in all cellular devices. Cassiterite is the main export of Democratic Republic of the Congo and helps fund their corrupt government as well as fuel the civil war. Many people do not know about the injustice taking place in DRC or Cassiterite. However, there is not much we can do to help the people of DRC, but we can participate in an act of awareness by turning off our cell phones daily for at least one hour. Currently, awareness is the best form of protest.