‘Healing in Harmony On the Move’: Mobilizing music, mental health, and gender equality in remote communities in Eastern Congo
With support from the Fund for Innovation and Transformation (FIT), Make Music Matter partnered with Panzi Hospital and Foundations to deliver mental health and psychosocial support programming to remote communities on Idjwi Island in South Kivu, DRC.
Through the Healing in Harmony On the Move project, the local team led participants to challenge gender inequalities and create new pathways for communication, dignity, and mutual respect.
Originally planned for Walungu, South Kivu, the project was relocated to Idjwi Island in early 2025 due to escalating conflict and instability. Its arrival marked a historic milestone – for the very first time, it brought a psychologist to serve the island’s population.
With limited access to basic services, the communities of Kisiza and Mugote face deeply rooted gender inequalities that heighten women’s vulnerability to sexual and gender-based violence. In this context, Healing in Harmony provided a vital space for dialogue and healing. Two cycles of the program have enabled both individuals and couples to address their trauma, inspiring profound shifts in agency and gender dynamics.
A measurable impact on mental health
The Healing in Harmony model has consistently proven effective in reducing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress, while rebuilding self-esteem and strengthening community bonds. The results on Idjwi Island confirmed this effectiveness: participants experienced significant improvements across all three psychological indicators following the intervention.
PTSD symptoms eased noticeably, particularly among women aged 18–35. Anxiety dropped across all age groups, with more than 92% of participants aged 26–35 becoming anxiety-free. Depression also fell sharply, with nearly 80% of participants—both men and women—showing no signs after the program.
These numbers show just how powerful music therapy can be in helping people heal from trauma and regain hope, even in communities with limited access to care. Beyond individual recovery, the program also strengthened a sense of connection and resilience within the community, offering a glimpse of what is possible when people are given the tools and space to heal together.
Rethinking gender roles and embracing equality
A key feature of our approach was the active involvement of men. Evidence from similar programs in the DRC shows that engaging men—through the promotion of positive masculinity and more equitable sharing of family responsibilities—can help prevent gender-based violence and foster healthier family relationships.
On Idjwi Island, the Healing in Harmony program wove these principles directly into therapy sessions, working closely with Panzi’s Gender Specialists to facilitate conversations about gender roles. Including couples in the intervention proved essential to transforming gender-related behaviors, reinforcing psychosocial gains and supporting lasting change within households.
Nearly three-quarters of participants reported a stronger understanding of gender equality in post-program screening, a shift linked to the program’s focus on reflection, experimentation with new behaviors, and exposure to alternative role models in a supportive environment.
“Each of us thought our problem was more complicated than the others, but by sharing, we realized our difficulties were very similar. Today, we understand that we are the main players and the solution to improving our mental health,” one Healing in Harmony artist shared.
Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more stories from Idjwi and the first songs from this cohort of Healing in Harmony artists!
