Ben Affleck launches aid foundation in Congo

Ben Affleck found a new aid foundation to help women and children affected by rape and sexual violence.

London: 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,” a news daily 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. The actor founded the initiative with Howard G. Buffett, the son of American investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett. ANI