Standing Strong Despite Everything | From Survival To Governance

A woman on crutches smiles as she participates in the Shamba la Amani program organized by community development actor Bahati Mubuya Gladys in Mudja, Nyiragongo Territory, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, on April 6, 2026.

Balancing a container on her head with effortless dignity on the volcanic rock ground, she embodies the extraordinary resilience of women in eastern DRC who, despite physical injury, displacement, and years of ethnic conflict, continue to show up for their families, their communities, and for each other.

Gladys' integrated approach to peacebuilding deliberately includes the most marginalized and physically vulnerable women, ensuring that the program's benefits agricultural tools, shared land, psychosocial support, and economic opportunity reach those most often left behind by both armed groups and humanitarian aid systems.