“We survived the violence, but not yet the forgetting.”

DR Congo Gender Based Violence Area of Responsibility Inter-Agency Coordinator Eleonore Amenan Kouakou, deployed to UNFPA through CANADEM.

“We survived the violence, but not yet the forgetting.” This sentence, shared by a survivor in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, stayed with me throughout my surge deployment as GBV AoR Inter-Agency Coordinator. It captures the human

urgency of a crisis where millions are displaced and exposed to repeated violence.

I chose this mission out of a deep commitment to survivors, serving as the vital link

between local women-led organizations, humanitarian actors, and authorities. My

role was not just about providing expertise; it was about maintaining a human

presence—listening with respect and carrying forward essential messages for

protection, dignity, and healing.

The environment was profoundly challenging, marked by movement restrictions and persistent insecurity that required constant vigilance. I learned that protecting

women and girls also requires the ability to protect oneself to remain a reliable

resource for those who have already lost so much. Interactions with young survivors

were particularly distressing as they spoke of sexual violence and the daily fear of

forced recruitment. By creating safe spaces for dialogue and tailored economic

initiatives, I saw these young people begin to put words to their trauma and envision paths toward recovery.

I will never forget my encounters with survivors with disabilities who had been

excluded from protection services. When a deaf woman signaled that she never knew she had the right to be protected, it reinforced that exclusion is its own form of

violence. By adapting our communication through visual tools and sign language,

we ensured that healing began with recognition. Beyond the field, I focused on

strengthening inter-organizational coordination and high-level advocacy. This

included integrating sexual violence prevention into the Humanitarian Country Team’s strategy, leading to concrete commitments from authorities in a context where such topics were once taboo. This deployment was a demanding, meaningful experience that reminded me that to save lives, one must stay present where lives are most in danger.