Disability Rights Congo, Democratic Republic of the Project #71949

Emergency Fund for Disabled War Victims in DRCongo

by observatoire pour la defense des droits des personnes handicapees

Project Report | Aug 22, 2026
Restoring Mobility, Dignity and Hope in Congo

By PASCAL | Coordinator

For thousands of civilians affected by armed conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the consequences of violence do not end when the shooting stops. Many people in North and South Kivu have lost limbs or suffered severe physical disabilities as a result of bullets, landmines and other forms of violence. Children, women and men are left struggling to move, work, attend school, care for their families and participate in community life. Many also face stigma, poverty and exclusion because they cannot access prosthetic limbs, rehabilitation services or adequate protection of their rights.

The Emergency Fund for Disabled War Victims in DRCongo was created to respond to this urgent and often overlooked humanitarian need. The project aims to identify and support approximately 2,500 war-disabled people, including the 2,400 physically disabled survivors currently prioritized in North and South Kivu. Through prosthetic support, physiotherapy, human-rights advocacy and community awareness, the project seeks not only to restore mobility, but also to restore dignity, independence and hope.

Project Progress and Activities

The project is currently in its preparation and resource-mobilization phase. In accordance with our commitment to transparency, we are not presenting planned activities as completed activities. Our team is actively working on the identification of trainers and learners who will participate in the project, while preparations continue for the rehabilitation and skills-development components. We are also strengthening the mechanisms needed to identify war-disabled beneficiaries and understand their individual needs so that future assistance can be appropriately tailored.

The project will establish a local response mechanism through which beneficiaries can receive prosthetic limbs and physical rehabilitation. Physiotherapy will help survivors regain strength and mobility, while advocacy and community awareness activities will address discrimination and defend the rights of people living with disabilities. The longer-term vision is to build local capacity, strengthen support networks and ensure that survivors are not left alone after receiving emergency assistance.

Funding and Accountability

The total estimated budget required to implement the project is US$950,000. To date, US$70 has been raised, representing an important first contribution toward a much larger humanitarian need. Although this amount is still modest compared with the overall requirement, it represents something much bigger to us and to the people we serve: the beginning of a collective commitment to survivors who have often been forgotten.

Our collaboration with GlobalGiving is an important opportunity to bring this project before an international community of donors and supporters. Through this partnership, we believe we can mobilize the resources necessary to move from preparation to full implementation and progressively reach our fundraising objective. Funds will be directed toward the core needs of the project, including beneficiary identification, prosthetic support, physiotherapy, training, community awareness, advocacy and the coordination necessary to deliver assistance responsibly.

Expected Impact

The expected impact goes far beyond the provision of artificial limbs. For a person who has lost a leg, a prosthesis can mean being able to walk again. For a parent, it can mean returning to work and providing for their children. For a child, it can mean returning to school and playing with friends without feeling excluded. For an entire community, inclusion of people with disabilities can help rebuild solidarity and restore dignity after years of conflict.

By reaching more than 2,500 war-disabled people, the project aims to improve mobility, independence and social participation while reducing discrimination against people with disabilities. Over time, training local people, developing support networks and raising awareness can help create a stronger and more sustainable safety net for survivors and future victims of conflict.

Looking Ahead

The needs are enormous, but so is the opportunity to make a lasting difference. Our immediate priority is to complete the preparation phase, identify the appropriate trainers and learners, mobilize the necessary resources and begin delivering services to those who need them most. Every contribution, regardless of its size, brings us closer to a point where a survivor can receive the rehabilitation or mobility support that may completely change their future.

We therefore appeal to individuals, foundations, companies, diaspora communities, humanitarian organizations and all people who believe in human dignity to stand with disabled survivors of war in eastern DRC. The US$70 already received is a meaningful first step, but the journey toward the US$950,000 goal requires many more partners. With the support of GlobalGiving and a growing community of compassionate donors, we believe this goal is achievable.

A Message of Gratitude

We extend our sincere appreciation to every donor who has already contributed to this project. Your support tells war survivors that they have not been forgotten. We are especially grateful to GlobalGiving for providing a platform through which this urgent cause can reach supporters around the world. We invite you to remain part of this journey, share the project with others and help us build the resources needed to give thousands of survivors something conflict has taken away from them: the ability to move forward with dignity, independence and hope.

Thank you to every donor, partner and supporter standing with disabled war victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Together, we can turn compassion into mobility, dignity and lasting change.

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Apr 13, 2026
Support for War Victims in Kivu

By PASCAL NIYONZIMA | COORDINATOR

Humanitarian Project Report

Emergency Fund for Disabled War Victims in DRCongo

1. Executive Summary

The Emergency Fund for Disabled War Victims in DRCongo project aims to provide urgent and sustainable humanitarian assistance to more than 2,400 war survivors living with physical disabilities in the North and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

These individuals, affected by armed conflicts, landmines, bullets, and violent attacks, are now living with amputations and severe physical impairments, often without assistance, rehabilitation, or social recognition.

Through this project, we seek to restore their mobility, dignity, and social inclusion by providing prosthetic limbs, physiotherapy services, and advocacy for their human rights.

2. Context and Justification

Eastern DRC continues to suffer from decades of armed conflict. The human consequences are devastating: men, women, and children live with severe disabilities without access to specialized care.

Many are marginalized, excluded from community life, and left without any technical or social support. This situation increases poverty, dependency, and stigma.

There is an urgent need for a structured, sustainable, and inclusive support system.

3. Project Objectives

General Objective:
Improve the living conditions and social inclusion of war victims with disabilities in Kivu.

Specific Objectives:

Identify and register disabled war victims
Provide appropriate prosthetic limbs and medical support
Deliver functional rehabilitation through physiotherapy
Defend human rights and combat stigma
Strengthen local capacity for long-term sustainability

4. Main Activities

Identification and registration of beneficiaries
Establishment and operation of a rehabilitation center
Production and fitting of prosthetic limbs
Physiotherapy sessions and medical follow-up
Training of facilitators, trainers, and learners
Community awareness campaigns
Advocacy actions for disability rights

5. Beneficiaries

More than 2,400 war victims living with physical disabilities
Indirect beneficiaries: their families
Local communities through awareness and inclusion activities

6. Project Status

The project is currently in an advanced preparatory phase:

Identification of trainers is ongoing
Selection of trainees has begun
Structuring of the rehabilitation center is in progress
Official launch is planned for November 2025

Thanks to our collaboration with GlobalGiving, fundraising efforts have already started. So far, 1 USD has been raised, symbolically marking the beginning of an international commitment that we hope will grow significantly.

7. Estimated Budget

The total project budget is USD 950,000.
This will mainly cover:

Prosthetic equipment and medical materials
Operation of the rehabilitation center
Technical staff and training costs
Awareness and advocacy activities
Logistics and beneficiary follow-up

8. Partnership and Collaboration

The project is supported through collaboration with GlobalGiving, which enhances international visibility and helps mobilize donors worldwide.

9. Monitoring and Expected Impact

Improved mobility for beneficiaries
Reduced social stigma
Increased autonomy for persons with disabilities
Establishment of a sustainable local rehabilitation model

10. Challenges and Risks

Security instability in certain areas
Limited access to healthcare infrastructure
High financial requirements
Persistent social stigma toward disability

11. Call for Solidarity

We urgently call on all donors, partners, and well-wishers around the world.

Every contribution, no matter the size, represents a step toward dignity, mobility, and hope for these forgotten survivors of war.

Your support can change a life.

12. Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank all donors who have already supported this initiative, as well as our partner GlobalGiving, for their valuable assistance.

Your commitment brings hope and light to the victims.

Together, we can restore dignity, mobility, and hope to war victims in the DRC.

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Dec 8, 2025
Hope and Mobility for Survivors

By PASCAL NIYONZIMA | CORDINATOR

Hope and Mobility for Survivors

1. Background and Rationale

Armed conflicts in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in North and South Kivu, have left thousands of survivors with severe physical disabilities. Children, women, and men have lost limbs due to gunfire, landmines, and extreme acts of violence.
Isolated, often abandoned, and deprived of their most basic rights, these individuals face reduced mobility and deep social exclusion.

In response to this harsh reality, our project offers an urgent and compassionate solution to give these survivors a second chance at life.

2. Overall Objective of the Project

To provide comprehensive and dignified assistance to more than 2,500 war survivors living with physical disabilities, helping them regain mobility, autonomy, and social inclusion.

3. Project Summary

We are currently supporting 2,400 survivors across North and South Kivu.
Our work focuses on:

Identifying victims throughout affected communities.
Defending and protecting their rights, which are often violated.
Producing customized prosthetic limbs through our local rehabilitation center.
Providing physiotherapy and physical rehabilitation to restore mobility and confidence.
Conducting community awareness campaigns to fight stigma and discrimination.

Thanks to these interventions, beneficiaries gradually regain hope, dignity, and their ability to participate actively in community life.

4. Current Progress

The project has already received initial support through GlobalGiving, with a first contribution of 1 USD. Although modest, this first donation represents an important step toward wider mobilization.
We are currently in the process of identifying trainers and trainees who will participate in prosthetic production and physical rehabilitation activities.
The official launch of field operations is scheduled for November 2025.

5. Total Budget

The total required budget for the implementation of the project is USD 95,000.
These resources will cover beneficiary identification, prosthetic production, rehabilitation services, logistics, and community awareness activities.
(Detailed budget breakdown intentionally kept minimal as requested.)

6. Expected Impact

In the short and medium term, the project will:

Restore mobility to more than 2,500 survivors.
Significantly reduce stigma and discrimination within local communities.
Strengthen local capacity, through the training of prosthetic technicians.
Create a long-term support network for current and future victims.

In the long term, we aim to contribute to a more inclusive, compassionate, and rights-respecting society.

7. Call to Donors

We make a heartfelt appeal to all those who wish to transform lives:
your contribution can restore a leg, an arm, a step, a life, a dignity.

Every gesture matters. Every donation brings a survivor closer to walking again.
Thanks to our collaboration with GlobalGiving, we are confident that we will reach our goal and turn this project into a model of hope and resilience.

8. Acknowledgments

We extend our sincere gratitude to all donors who have already contributed, no matter the amount.
Your support is a powerful sign of compassion and solidarity that strengthens our determination.

Thank you for believing in the survivors. Thank you for standing by their side.

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