No official armed conflict is happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but an unprecise number of militias and armed groups keep devastating the villages and fighting against the national armed forces and the UN peacekeeping army to create social chaos and maintain control of many precious minerals’ extraction as cobalt and coltan, which are more and more exploited by international companies.

Being a human rights officer between 2019 and 2021 – firstly in Kananga, Kasai Central region; then in Bukavu, South Kivu region – I mainly supported women and girls survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, obtaining justice and reparations, and advocating for preventive measures. Despite the logistic difficulties, the monitoring missions allowed me to discover remote areas of the country that could have not been reached otherwise; and to meet and observe local communities from close.

The name “Ngalula” means “the only daughter” in Tchiluba dialect, and it was given to me because I was the youngest and only female staff member in the team. This reportage is the result of my life in DRC, together with many Ngalulas who suffer from unimaginable pain and whose rights are constantly violated. A life between individual and collective traumas - always keeping up the hope that this country's destiny will change, someday soon.