ONE MILLION THUMBPRINTS
VIOLENCE AGAINST HER IS VIOLENCE AGAINST US
One Million Thumbprints began when Espérance, a woman from the Congo, stamped her thumbprint underneath the words, “TELL THE WORLD,” inviting Belinda to help her bring healing to her sisters in Congo who were being brutalized in a country known as the rape capital of the world. Since then, One Million Thumbprints has helped thousands of women and girls in Congo and the Middle East.
Hundreds of women and girls are raped every day on the front lines of conflict. “In order to break a nation, you must take the land,” said a Congolese warlord. “To take the land, you must break the village, and to break the village, you must break the heart of the village—the women.”
Ending violence against women in conflict includes changing community perceptions about sexual violence, putting an end to stigma so that survivors can receive adequate care and restoration.
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest Souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. ”
Our implementing partners help ensure survival for women and girls experiencing violence in war zones through emergency relief in the form of immediate food, clothing, and shelter. Because sexual violence is weaponed against women during war, emergency relief also includes rape or sexual violence treatment, trauma assistance and medical support. Protecting women and ensuring the care of survivors is essential.
Our implementing partners also train women leaders within their communities in conflict resolution skills and trauma care as a means of stabilizing their community and preventing future violence against the vulnerable.
