In the cramped treatment centres of eastern Congo, a quiet revolution is taking place. Those who have survived the Ebola virus are now frontline soldiers in the fight against it. They are the carers, the counsellors, the proof that the disease can be beaten. Their presence is a rare glimmer of hope in a crisis that has killed more than 300 people in the past three months.
For Robert Kisombo, his survival came at a cost. He lost his wife and three children to the virus. Now he spends his days in a protective suit, holding the hands of patients who are terrified and alone. 'I tell them, I was where you are. I made it. You will too,' he said.
The World Health Organization says survivors are critical to gaining trust in communities where suspicion of foreign medics runs deep. But their role is not just emotional. Studies show blood from survivors, rich with antibodies, is being used in experimental treatments. More than 100 patients have received such transfusions.
Yet the psychological toll is immense. Many survivors face stigma, shunned by neighbours and even family. They are often left jobless, their homes burned. Support groups have formed, a lifeline for the forgotten. 'We are not cured of the memories,' says Grace, a survivor who now runs a small support network. 'But we are learning to live again.'
The epidemic shows no sign of slowing. But in the eyes of the survivors, there is a determination that says more than any statistic. They are the heart of the crisis, and they will not be broken.
