Incomprehensible - The ability of people to survive the worst

I have recently become very interested in development specifically in Africa and have been trying to take in as much information as I can.

At the moment I have very little knowledge and with such complex situations in each country it will take time to have any real grasp.

In my research I have come across the New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and writes about human rights and worldwide conflicts.

His writing is moving and provides a great resource for beginning to understand some of the complexities of the situation in many African nations.

Today I read this article by Nicholas D. Kristof: Orphaned, Raped and Ignored - NYTimes.com and watched the accompanying video here. 

As you will see the article and video details some of the atrocities occurring in Eastern Congo. Specifically, the story of Chance a young girl who had to flee her home when militia came to murder her family. She fled to her aunts house where once again the militia attacked.

What truly astounded and is so very far from my comprehension is how Chance's aunt survives the truly horrific things that have happened to her. 


She had to watch the slaughter of her husband, the rape of her niece, was herself raped by six men who gave her a sexually transmitted disease, her teenage daughters were kidnapped by the militia and are suspected to be dead. 


I cannot imagine the strength you would need to survive one of those events let alone all those things happening at once. I honestly can not comprehend how you could have rape, death, disease and violence forced upon you and still be able to get up in the morning and continue living.


I hope to turn my interest in development into a career in the future. I don't expect that I will ever have the skill or ability to change the world but I do want to make a choice to have some involvement in attempting to improve people's lives. It's stories like these that make that a very easy choice.

Check out the International Rescue Committee's website for information on how you can help http://www.theirc.org/where/congo