London,
(ANI):
Actor
Ben
Affleck
has
established
a
new
aid
foundation
to
help
women
and
children
affected
by
rape
and
sexual
violence
in
the
troubled
region
of
eastern
Congo.
Affleck,
37,
spent
five
days
in
the
Central
African
nation
last
week
meeting
with
former
child
sex
slaves
and
rape
survivors,
as
well
as
male
prisoners
convicted
of
sex
crimes,
to
gain
a
better
understanding
of
the
issues
facing
locals.
Now
he
is
using
his
new
found
knowledge
to
benefit
the
Eastern
Congo
Initiative,
a
foundation
he
launched
on
March
22,
that
will
provide
support
and
grants
to
those
left
traumatised
by
the
country"s
years
of
conflict
to
help
turn
their
lives
around.
The
organisation
also
aims
to
improve
access
to
healthcare.
“The
situation
in
eastern
Congo
has
been
neglected
for
far
too
long
-
it
is
one
of
the
worst
humanitarian
tragedies
in
the
world," the
Daily
Express
quoted
Affleck
as
saying
in
a
statement.
“Right
now,
the
attention
paid
to
this
crisis
doesn"t
match
the
needs
of
those
affected
by
it.
“We
will
raise
that
attention
level,
and
work
with
the
extraordinary
Congolese
people
who
are
making
a
positive
difference
in
their
own
communities,"
he
added.