Utah Congolese women hope to rescue hospital hostages in their homeland

Utah Congolese women hope to rescue hospital hostages in their homeland

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SALT LAKE CITY — The birth of a child should be a joyous event for families. However, women in the Congo are reportedly being held hostage in hospital maternity wards for unpaid medical bills.

The women typically try to save money before they deliver to avoid becoming a hospital prisoner, but sometimes expectant mothers experience complications or other unexpected medical emergencies with their pregnancy and need to go into the hospital for additional medical services.

"Sometimes when they are pregnant, they never go to the doctor until the end (of their pregnancy) and they find out they have two kids," said Cathy Tshilombo-Lokemba, owner Mama Africa, a non-profit organization that provides catering services as well as hosts events to benefit women in the Congo. "They can't even afford one (baby), so what about two?"

Lokemba will host a cultural event with African food, music, and a fashion show on May 9th, with proceeds to help free Congolese women held captive in hospitals in the Congo for unpaid medical bills. Lokemba is also collecting baby supplies for the newborns, including diapers, blankets and clothing.

"Education (for the Congolese people) is the key, because we have everything there in the Congo," explained Lokemba. She said the world needs to know that there are ways they can help bring attention to what's happening in the Congo, to mothers and their newborn children, as well as educating Congolese families to fight for better conditions within their countries.

Photo: Nkoyo Iyamba/KSL NewsRadio
Photo: Nkoyo Iyamba/KSL NewsRadio

Women becoming what is commonly referred to as "hospital hostages" or "hospital prisoners" is prevalent in the central African country, according to media reports. Years of wars and political unrest has taken its toll and left many in abject poverty.

"Sometimes these women are locked up for weeks, sometimes for years, until they can get $200 that they owe to the hospital to be able to get out," said Mukon Ngoyi, director at Miss Earth Congo.

Miss Earth is an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness in both Congolese nations, the Democratic Republic (DR) and the Congo Republic (CR). Pageant contestants will also work to raise awareness of Congolese women living in hospital maternity wards while also working to raise money to pay their hospital bills. Miss Earth Congo 2015 national competition will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 23 - Aug 1, 2015.

Ngoyi says other groups are also helping the cause.

"Chosen 1 Entertainment will begin raising money to help free hospital hostages in the Congo," explained Ngoyi. "Through live shows that'll unite both Congolese and American artists."

Ngoyi said this is the type of collaboration needed to make a significant impact on freeing hospital hostages.

"The average woman in Congo earns forty bucks a month, and that's not enough," Ngoyi said. "So when they end up getting pregnant, their husbands don't have that money. So they do whatever they can to try to get them out (of the hospital)."

Rape is also prevalent in the Congo, explained Lokemba. Some of the women who end up giving birth and remain imprisoned in the hospitals are rape victims who also cannot afford medical care.

"They've been raped. That's most of the cases actually," Lokemba said.

Feature film focuses on beauty

Despite the grim picture of women and their children held hostage in hospitals until their medical bills are paid, there is hope. One woman considers herself an outsider who has a different perspective on the situation in the Congo.

Margaret Blair Young has been filming and doing work in the Congo for a few years. Her feature film Heart of Africa is set in the Congo. It is the story of a former Congolese revolutionary and a farm boy from Idaho who become missionary companions in the Congo for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


There are huge challenges but nothing is impossible with God.

–Margaret Blair Young, filmmaker


"There are huge challenges but nothing is impossible with God," said Young, referring to the poverty and political unrest within the Congo.

The country's rich mineral and other resources have made the Congo "the richest nation on earth," she said. "The money just isn't distributed ethically. If the distribution becomes as it needs to be, these other problems will be taken care of because industry will get set up."

Young also said that the Congo has great potential but "the international community has been ignoring the Congo unless there's a big civil war, then we see all of the pictures of the terrible things. ... and it looks so dangerous that we don't want to go there."

Young said despite the seemingly dire circumstances in parts of the Congo, her film hopes to shed light on the beauty within the two countries. As a Latter-day Saint, Young said she hopes to serve a mission in the Congo with her husband, Bruce. "I invite senior couples to serve missions in the Congo. You're needed."

The three Utah women hope Utahns will help support their efforts to bring awareness to Congo's Hospital Hostages through their individual events and projects.

[listen to ‘Hospital Hostages’ on audioBoom](https://audioboom.com/boos/3105323-hospital-hostages)

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