Horror and Hope in the Congo

Congo is deemed the worst place on earth to be a woman and is designated the "rape capital of the world." In the face of horrific violence and a war that has claimed over 4 million lives, Heal Africa provides critical care to desperately injured women.

Here's eight minutes of horror and hope from the Eastern Congolese city of Goma, from PBS's award winning News Hour. Correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro provides an illuminating view of the war in Congo and profiles Heal Africa, a pioneering hospital in this besieged region, confronting the immeasurable toll on women from rape, brutal violence, and obstetric fistula.

De Sam Lazaro interviews the courageous founders, British-born Lyn Lusi and her Congolese husband, Dr. Jo Lusi. Lyn Lusi cites the "mandate to care," that's an integral part of both Christian and Muslim faiths as providing the power and force behind their work to ensure injured women get help.Husband, Jo, one of the only surgeons in a region of three million people, explains that the need for care is not just to repair damaged bodies but also to heal broken spirits.

Into the deep darkness of this horrendous war, the Lusis and their team continue to light candles of caring and hope. Watch it and you too will be riveted by the heartbreaking carnage, while simultaneously deeply touched and inspired by the Lusis.

Watch 'The Worst Place on Earth to Be a Woman' on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.