From Our Own Correspondent – "Rebuilding Lives in DR Congo"

BBC Radio 4 | Hosted by Kate Adie | February 8, 2025

Overview

This episode of From Our Own Correspondent takes listeners beyond the headlines with personal, on-the-ground stories from conflict zones and communities in transition around the world. The central segment focuses on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group’s violent advance on Goma. Through deeply personal accounts from people affected by the conflict, the episode explores the devastation of war and the extraordinary resilience of survivors as they attempt to rebuild their lives.

Other dispatches include:

• The aftermath of the Israel–Hamas ceasefire and hostage/prisoner exchanges
• Ecuador’s war on drug gangs and its human costs
• Youth debt and shopping addiction in Malaysia
• Language learning by immersion on a German farm

Key Segments & Insights

1. Rebuilding Lives in DR Congo

(02:13–08:16) | Reporter: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham

The Crisis Situational Context

• The M23 rebel group seized Goma, DR Congo’s key eastern city, after years of fighting.
• Over 3,000 lives lost; more than 400,000 people displaced since early 2024.
• Humanitarian efforts are hindered by ongoing violence and a fleeting ceasefire.

Personal Stories and Human Cost

Dunya Pendeki’s Loss (03:38)

• Dunya, mother of six (now five), recounts the day a rocket killed her son Bauma at a displacement camp on Goma’s outskirts.
  • “As she recounts the day a rocket fell from the sky and killed her son…only five children are playing at our feet.” (03:38)
  • Dunya describes how ordinary the day began, before the sudden attack:

    "I told my eldest child that he had to look after the little ones and cook their rice for them. At noon, a loud boom echoed from the outskirts of the camp. A bomb had fallen...I lay on the ground...I ran like crazy to see if my babies were okay. The shelter was in pieces...I thought I had lost them all, but it was only my eldest, Bauma, who had died." (04:10)

• The sense of abandonment:

  “How is this happening to us? Was a common refrain. The world knows we are being killed, but they do nothing.” (05:25)

Prosthetics & Rehabilitation: The Shirika Center (05:45)

• The ICRC-run Shirika Center in Goma provides prosthetics and support for war-wounded civilians.
• Over 400 prosthetics and braces built in the past year alone.
• Spirits of resilience: “The main hall is full of shouts of joy, the bustle of activity and the sound of sneakers squeaking...a group of patients passing basketballs back and forth, practicing balancing on their new metal artificial legs.” (06:08)

Naomi Kabuo’s Journey (06:18)

• Naomi, 21, lost her left arm in a mortar attack while searching for food near the frontlines.

  • “I felt like I was being strangled...I saw blood pouring out of my wounds. I saw my own bones on the ground in front of me, but I felt no pain, only a shiver,” Naomi recalls. (06:50)

• Now undergoing rehabilitation at the center, learning to walk with shrapnel-damaged legs.
• Supported by her mother, Nadine, Naomi finds solace among fellow patients:

  “They say the worst has already happened. We can’t change anything, but we can face the recovery,” says Naomi. (07:51)

Closing Insight

• The reporter notes the fortitude of Congolese families:

  • “Military power and chaos remains the order of the day, but the families of East Congo, the most resilient people I have ever met, will rebuild brick by brick, town by town, limb by limb.” (08:06)

2. Israel–Hamas Ceasefire and Prisoner/Hostage Exchange

(08:16–14:01) | Reporter: Wira Davis

• The fragile Israel–Hamas ceasefire enters its fourth week amid prisoner and hostage swaps.
• Ceasefire’s first phase: 21 hostages exchanged for over 500 Palestinian prisoners; limited returns to homes on both sides.
• Israeli families face grief and uncertainty:

  • “I have mixed feelings. I’m thrilled, happy and I’m almost crying, but we want all the remaining hostages to return home,” said Liat Castelnova, friend of former captive Keith Siegel. (12:22)

• Palestinian returns mingled with tragedy:

  • “I got out of prison and discovered that my wife, my daughter, my sister in law and my nephew were all killed,” said Ahmad Dababesh, a released Palestinian nurse. (13:10)

• Widespread exhaustion and hope for peace:

  “This war has taken its toll on too many people. They are tired of conflict and have been given a small glimpse of what can be achieved when the fighting stops.” (13:52)

3. Ecuador’s War on Drug Gangs

(14:01–19:18) | Reporter: Irony Wells

• President Daniel Noboa’s war on gangs: mass arrests, military deployment, pushback against cartels using Ecuadorian ports.
• The human cost: kidnapping, torture, and violence.
  • Victim describes:

    “They left my father’s body as a mockery, with his finger in a bottle tied to his hand, making fun of what they had done.” (15:02)

• Innocents caught in the crossfire:
  • The case of two teenage boys, Ismael and Josue Arroyo, seized by the military and killed, families left in anguish.

    “Their bodies were later found mutilated and burned. Just a finger and a foot remained identifiable.” (17:08)
    “Instead of the military providing security to citizens, they murder us. They were children. They took them away and then just left to go home for dinner.” (17:40)

• Reflection on international responsibility:

  • “For a moment of your own pleasure. Our lives are destroyed. Do not contribute to the destruction of our world.” (19:08)

4. Malaysia’s Shopping Addiction Crisis

(20:57–26:04) | Reporter: Hannah Gelbart

• 70% of young Malaysians are now in debt, driven by peer pressure, mall culture, and "flex" culture on social media.
• Stories from fashion entrepreneur Brian Chin and influencer Lilo Lorcombe illustrate consumerism’s grip.
• Brian:

  “He tells me it’s become something of an addiction. In the past, he’s spent entire paychecks on shoes, sometimes taking on extra work just to make ends meet.” (22:02)

• Lilo on unhealthy shopping habits:

  “Influencers flex their wealth and extravagant lifestyles. Targeted ads seem to know the exact product you’ve been talking about and buy now, pay later schemes are getting more and more popular in Malaysia. They’re enticing young people to live beyond their means.” (24:12)

• Rising costs outpace wages, creating a precarious economic reality for young people despite growth.

5. Learning German on a Baltic Farm

(26:04–31:26) | Reporter: Lucy Ausch

• Frustrated with her lack of progress learning German in Berlin, Lucy volunteers on a remote farm in the Baltic region for total immersion.
• Faces language barriers, loneliness, and the realities of rural Germany.
• Encounters with locals:

  “I ask the woman in the only shop there if she speaks English. Of course not, she replies briskly. She told me she learned Russian at school in the gdr, but she only remembers three: bread, table and chair.” (29:16)

• A bittersweet realization:

  “I didn’t speak a lot of German during my week on the farm. Yet I feel something has shifted…At least I can dimly perceive their outlines, like the buildings slowly emerging through the sea spray and the mist. Dare I say, ich fuller mich fast wie zu Hause. I almost feel at home.” (31:13)

Memorable Quotes

• BBC Correspondent on Congolese resilience:

  “The families of East Congo, the most resilient people I have ever met, will rebuild brick by brick, town by town, limb by limb.” (08:06)

• Naomi Kabuo on hope:

  “They say the worst has already happened. We can’t change anything, but we can face the recovery.” (07:51)

• Ecuadorian Cocaine Victim:

  “For a moment of your own pleasure. Our lives are destroyed. Do not contribute to the destruction of our world. That’s all I can ask.” (19:08)

• Lucy Ausch reflects on language immersion:

  “I didn’t speak a lot of German during my week on the farm. Yet I feel something has shifted…Dare I say, ich fuller mich fast wie zu Hause. I almost feel at home.” (31:13)

Notable Timestamps

• DR Congo Crisis & Personal Stories: 03:38–08:16
• Israel–Hamas Exchange: 08:16–14:01
• Ecuador Drug War: 14:01–19:18
• Malaysia’s Youth Debt Crisis: 20:57–26:04
• Learning German on the Farm: 26:04–31:26

Conclusion

This episode movingly documents the immense pain, resilience, and humanity found within global crises: whether in the aftermath of bombs in the DRC, amid the politicized exchanges between Israel and Hamas, in communities torn apart by violence in Ecuador, or through the quiet struggles of everyday life in Malaysia and Germany. By centering personal stories and unvarnished realities, From Our Own Correspondent offers listeners a nuanced and empathetic look at the people behind the news.