Reflections on my journey to the DRC
Oxfam CEO and President Abby Maxman reflects on the prolonged crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, exacerbated by recent cuts to USAID.
Abby Maxman shares her experience traveling to DRC, where crisis and conflict have been worsened by cuts to humanitarian assistance. During her trip in July, she met Francine, a 24-year-old community volunteer who had been displaced multiple times by conflict.
When I met Francine, she had recently returned to her old village after being forced to flee a displacement camp in eastern DRC. She found her village pillaged and many of her neighbors killed.
Abby Maxman asked Francine about her aspirations and hopes, and she described the desperation of young women around her, resorting to survival sex work.
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Author's summary: Oxfam CEO reflects on DRC crisis.