Fatou, Political Science, minor in economics, option in entrepreneurship,
Creativity and social innovation,
ALTERNATIVES, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Solidarity Association of women for integral development (SOFEDI)
I am currently doing my internship with an organization in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Being myself from a neighbouring and almost similar cultural region, I did not experience any particular culture shock. Something that was interesting to note, is that my stay in Canada has enabled me to take a more neutral view of the customs back home; I am now able to offer less biased criticism et therefore feel more or less in tune avec certaines pratiques and ways of thinking. Having not been home for nearly four years, this internship was my first opportunity to grasp this evolution in my thinking.
Getting back to the internship itself, the organization I have been working with for over a month now is called SOFEDI. It focuses on promoting the socio-economic rights of women working in the mining and energy sectors, as well as raising awareness of sexual health issues. This choice of struggle is not fortuitous and is in fact linked to the NGO's location.
It is located in South Kivu, in the east of the DRC. This region is shaken by conflicts between rival armed groups, not only from within the country, but also from neighbouring countries, and the Congolese state. At the heart of this imbroglio are the local populations, whose security and socio-economic development opportunities are threatened. Unfortunately, as in most conflicts around the world, women are among the first sections of the population to be affected by this scourge. SOFEDI's mission is to help women thrive in such a deleterious climate. With this in mind, the organization has made access to abortion and contraception one of its main missions, and it's easy to see that this is indeed a necessity in this region, where the ongoing conflict in leading to an upsurge in sexual violence.
Furthermore, for the feminist and curious woman that I am, this internship is an opportunity to learn a little more about the world and about myself, while contributing to causes that are close to my heart.