Bomb Survivor Becomes Congo's Leading Prosthetic Specialist for War Victims
Kinshasa, 29 January 2026
After losing her leg in a 2014 bombing, Wivine Kavira Mukata trained as an ortho-prosthetist and now runs eastern Congo’s only comprehensive amputee centre. Her facility in Goma fitted 722 people with prosthetics in 2024 alone, serving refugees and conflict survivors from decades of regional violence.
From Trauma to Training: A Decade-Long Journey
Mukata’s transformation from victim to healer began with her own devastating injury in 2014, when a bombing in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo cost her a leg [1]. The experience of losing a limb brought profound psychological challenges that she describes with candid honesty. “You get demoralized. You think it’s the end of your story,” Mukata explained, articulating the mental toll that amputation inflicts on survivors [1]. Rather than succumb to despair, she channeled her trauma into purpose, embarking on specialized training to become an ortho-prosthetist. Her educational journey took her to Togo, where she acquired the technical skills needed to craft and fit prosthetic devices [1]. The timing of her return in December 2024 proved fortuitous, as eastern Congo was about to face another devastating wave of violence that would create urgent demand for her services [1].
Rising Violence Creates Urgent Need for Services
The month following Mukata’s return from training witnessed a dramatic escalation in regional conflict that underscored the critical importance of her work [1]. In January 2025, the M23 armed group launched a lightning offensive that seized control of Goma and subsequently captured Bukavu, resulting in thousands of deaths and displacing hundreds of thousands of people [1]. This latest surge in violence represents a continuation of instability that has plagued the region since the 1994 Rwanda genocide, creating a steady stream of conflict-related injuries and disabilities [1]. The renewed fighting has made the Shirika la Umoja centre, whose name translates to “Community leads to unity” in Swahili, busier than ever as wounded civilians seek treatment and rehabilitation [1].
Comprehensive Care in Eastern Congo’s Medical Hub
The Shirika la Umoja centre stands as the sole comprehensive facility serving amputees in Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city, offering a full spectrum of services that extend far beyond basic prosthetic fitting [1]. The centre provides orthotics, prostheses, wheelchairs, and crucially, mental health sessions that address the psychological trauma accompanying physical injury [1]. This holistic approach reflects an understanding that successful rehabilitation requires both physical and emotional healing. The facility’s statistics demonstrate the scale of need it addresses: 722 people received prosthetics at the centre during 2024, while through September of the current year, 524 individuals benefited from various forms of physical rehabilitation [1]. Of these recent patients, 143 received prostheses and 192 received orthoses—externally fitted devices designed to help body parts move or recover from injury [1].
Legacy of Service Spanning Six Decades
The centre’s current work builds upon a foundation of service that stretches back more than 60 years, reflecting the long history of conflict and medical need in the region [1]. In 2014, the facility achieved formal recognition as an official partner of the International Committee of the Red Cross, enhancing its capacity to serve the growing population of conflict survivors [1]. Despite ongoing security challenges that prevent some potential patients from reaching the facility, the centre maintains its operations through the dedication of staff like Mukata, who works daily on prosthetic limbs and other devices [1]. Her personal experience as an amputee provides unique credibility and comfort to patients navigating their own recovery journeys. “Since I’m also a victim, I can at least motivate them and tell them that after the amputation, life goes on,” she explained, highlighting how her dual role as survivor and healer enables deeper connection with patients [1]. The centre’s courtyard serves as a testament to this philosophy, where amputees spend mornings trying out crutches and wheelchairs between physical therapy sessions, working toward renewed independence and dignity [1].