AFFLECK LAUNCHES CONGO FOUNDATION
Hollywood star BEN AFFLECK has established a new aid foundation to help w omen and children affected by rape and sexual violence in the troubled re gion of eastern Congo.
The Daredevil actor spent five days in the Central African nation last week (begs15Mar10), meeting with former child sex slaves and rape survivo rs, as well as male prisoners convicted of sex crimes, to gain a better u nderstanding of the issues facing locals.
Now Affleck is using his new found knowledge to benefit the Eastern Con go Initiative, a foundation he launched on Monday (22Mar10), that will pr ovide 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.
In a statement, Affleck says, "The situation in eastern Congo has been neglected for far too long - it is one of the worst humanitarian tragedie s in the world.
"Right now, the attention paid to this crisis doesn’t match the needs o f 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." The star founded the initiative with Howard G. Buffett, the son of Amer ican investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett.
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