About City of Joy

The City of Joy is a transformational leadership community for women survivors of violence, located in Bukavu, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Conceived, owned, and run by local Congolese, the City of Joy has flourished since it first opened its doors in June 2011, healing women from their past trauma through therapy and life skills programming while providing them with the essential ingredients needed to move forward in life – love and community.

Serving 90 survivors of gender violence aged 18 to 30 at a time, City of Joy has graduated 2069 women leaders since it opened in 2011.

The City of Joy is a project of the Fondation Panzi (DRC) and V-Day.

>> Origins of the City of Joy
>> Vagina Warrior Program
>> Life at the City of Joy
>> Why It’s Needed
>> Why Congo?
>> Program Philosophy: What Makes it Different
>> What Does the City of Joy Look Like?