Healing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Goma, eastern DRC: A nurse checks on a prematurely born baby at Heal Africa, a private hospital financed by international donations.

(Monique Jaques)

Bulengo IDP (Internally Displaced People) Camp: Hundreds of thousands of IDPs live at the camp, which hosts health facilities mainly staffed with Doctors Without Borders volunteers.

(Monique Jaques) Photographer Monique Jaques visited a number of medical sites after speaking with health care officials in Goma, the eastern capital of DRC. She spent several days

Goma: A woman waits at Heal Africa's outpatient house to have a fistula surgery. Congolese women with fistulas are often ostracized by their families.

(Monique Jaques)

Goma: A mother and her baby wait for the Heal Africa free clinic to open.

(Monique Jaques)Such challenges are often exacerbated by the still-constant cloud of conflict in the country. And yet, Jaques says, she was surprised to find a pervasive optimi

Bulengo Camp: A Doctors Without Borders teacher explains the benefits of proper personal hygiene to a class.

(Monique Jaques)

Goma: Women pose for a portrait at Heal Africa's outpatient house for fistula surgeries.

(Monique Jaques)Jaques says she hopes her project will infuse some empathy and positivity into the global perspective on the DRC. Viewers can now put faces and stories to the b

Bulengo Camp: A woman looks into the Doctors Without Borders clinic area.

(Monique Jaques)

Goma: A mother and her son, who was born malnourished, rest in Heal Africa shortly before being discharged.

(Monique Jaques) **Check out Monique Jaques' work in war-torn Afghanistan; see more of photography on her website, and follow her on Twitter or Instagram**