A Woman and Her Chimpanzees Heal Together After Trauma | The New Yorker 

Mama Zwadi has the most perfect soul she’s overcome the most horrendous, awful horrors imaginable and now can still laugh and love. She is a saint in my eyes loving and caring for animals who have also suffered tremendous fear and loss.

The mental fortitude of this woman is unbelievable. To go trough all those horrible events and still be able to find a place in her heart to love really puts things into perspective.

Her name means "gift" in Swahili. She, and all the people at the sanctuary truly are a gift to the world. Humans don't deserve this planet😥😪

The violence and torture that humans inflict on other humans and animals sometimes hard to believe. I pray she and the Chimpanzees continue to overcome.

This lady is a saint. I’m tearing up a bit. Those babies recognize saints.

I feel sick for what those men did to her.

Look how sweet, innocent and precious that Baby chimp is sleeping. First time she's likely felt safe in days after seeing her family slaughtered.

The strength of this woman exudes beyond the screen. This video is so desperately sad but also so very beautiful. I like mama immensely. God Bless the good that's these people do. The whole world should be fighting for Chimpanzees and all endangered animals.

The sound of that gunfire in the distance and that feeling of dread as one realizes it’s getting closer all the time reminds me of my childhood growing up in the ghetto.

I'm crying. The amazing strength of the relationship between the chimpanzees (and indeed all animals) is so profound. May she and all victims continue to heal. To see Mama Zawadi laugh is healing to the soul of anyone who watches this..

This poor woman…may god grant her mercy and peace.

These are the sort of people who should be revered. True saints walking among us. To have all that done to you and not hate the world and hold love in your heart 😘

What a precious soul she is. All the evil horrible things done to her, and she shows no signs of bitterness or hatred…. Only sadness for her losses. God bless and protect her, and all those like her in that hostile environment. - Rita M.

Mama's smile is sooo beautiful ❣️ I pray for God's protection for her and the Chimpanzees always.Amen❣️🙏😌

This was an incredibly poignant, beautiful and deeply painful story; I cried for the entire second half, and am still crying. Thank you for such an extraordinary documentary.

Such depravity to want to destroy such beauty and love in all of these beautiful beings. May love continue to win out.

What a beautiful woman! God protect her she is taking care of these orphans. Under this hostile environment she loves these babies. She definitely is MaMa and their mother.

I swear the most horrific things happened to the sweetest most beautiful people! What a beautiful woman inside and out! She’s so good with the baby chimps. God bless you love!

Nothing like critters when you've been grievously hurt by humans and you're still full of love.

Mama Zwadi truly is a Saint! Beautiful inside and out, I pray that God watches over her. I wish I could meet her and give her the biggest hug ❤

I also pray they are very safe with security where they stay with the animals.

Humans are indeed scary and horrible. As a human, I'm traumatised too.

She is such a strong woman. Giving back love after what happened to her, there are very few who could do that.

I can see the sadness through her eyes. God bless this woman. I admire her strength and resilience. May her future be full of protection and love. She will be in my prayers.

Truly beautiful. I hope by telling her story it will help her to heal. I wish her the best.

I cried when she told her horrific past and to see this beautiful woman smile, through my tears I had to smile. I wish her much happiness as she brings her babies.

How I wish I could be close to mamma and help her! My prayers go out to this precious soul and I know our God is smiling on her helping these little lost babies.

What a true hero. I watched with tears

we truly do not realize what well lived lives we have....I am humbled by this story

My heart broke for this beautiful women. She and the animals bonded out of their trauma.

Humans are the worst. How can a situation like this even be helped? It seems impossible.

Pray for these women

She is a wonderful powerhouse of a woman. Someone should look into starting a gofundme for them... What an amazing woman...

This is so moving, what a beautiful story about love! Even though it’s extremely sad, it’s beautiful to see what love can do!

Mama ZAWADI humbles me greatly and at the same time feel ashamed that , as humans beings there is so much evil in these so called mens hearts ..a true survivor , a warrior of the highest ! I salute you Mama ZAWADI , you have a beautiful smile and an exceptional soul ..that I pray is healing ❤️‍🩹 through her love for these poor animals who do not understand their fate x GOD BLESS YOU MAMA ZAWADI XX

Mama... What an Amazing, Beautiful STRONG Woman. She is An Inspiration.

Mama zawadi is a strong woman, who has chosen to survive and help the chimps so both can have a joyous future. I thank the new Yorker at bringing this story to light. It brought me to tears at times but also brought me joy when seeing Mama laughing with the chimps. Healing for both.

The chimpanzees and Mama Zawadi both needed love, and they found it in each other. What a sad but wonderful story. I wish them all the best for the future. 💖😥

I have been to Kahuzi Biega. And saw a silverback and his family up close with a party of 5. It was a privilege.

I wish I could hug and hold you mama. You sweet woman. May God hold and take your pain away. Bless you.

Mama Zawadi's journey is terrifying yet life-affirming. She's found a way to thrive. I'm blown away.

I never feel totally at ease or safe with other humans, only with my 4-year old niece because she is pure. Not once has another being stomped on me or hurt me intentionally, only humans have. With animals and nature, I feel a perfect peace. They healed me too. When we learn to get back to our roots and reconnect with nature, humanity has a chance at redemption ❤

How can people live with themselves after hurting someone or an animal. It's so sad that she and other women will likely never feel safe. No one should have to live like that.

I am so sorry she had to go through this wickedness, Most High give her strength to pull through.

Mama Zawadi I pray 🙏🏻that you and your baby Chimpanzees will be forever safe and very carefully protected!!! Be blessed always precious soul 🙏🏻

God bless mama zwadi and mamma Lorena !

So sad! Stop the war,the hate.Your Awesome Ma’am

What a beautiful heart wrenching story. I too am a champion for chimps. These women are so brave and self sacrificing. I hope one day women and chimps will be valued and protected. God bless you all.

My heart hurts and is so broken for her. She’s so traumatized that even when she cries, she does it in a silent way. 🙏🏾

That was so beautiful her and her baby chimpanzee😇🤩😍🥰❣❤💯❤❣🙉💯❤ she's such a lovely person may God continue to be with her a whole beautiful family

Thank you for this great story. I hope the conflicts in Congo will soon take an end so that no more people have to endure trauma and hardship.

May god bless this saint. I’m praying for her

I am so so sorry what happened to this young woman. My heart bleeds for her!

I have to say, men are so disappointing. Some of them, like these, are such cruel bastards. Sick of men treating others like this. When will it stop, world wide?

I didn’t knew there were still chimps in Congo, good to know. Very admirable job.

Beautiful, horrifying & inspiring what an incredible woman & such a lesson in love.

What a beautiful, joyous woman Mama is and the bravery of all the women at the sanctuary is unbelievable.

What a powerful story....

Heartbreaking and inspiring! Healing a human life by nurturing wildlife. A tale of our times.

OMG just how cruel cam people in chimp countries be, as seen here the chimps have encountered the cruelest of man and the most kind and motherly, but so have the humans so together they heal,

I felt so very bad for this lady. May God please continue to heal this lady's pain.

My goodness 😳 Mama story, just heartbreaking, this makes me so 😔 But, it is Great to see her and the Chimps are finding ways to heal. Hats off to those two ladies at the Sanctuary...Continued Blessings 🙌 to All!

Que esta mujer tenga paz y amor rodeándola para siempre! Es una mujer poderosa, amable, y llena de amor, merece lo mejor! ❤️

i find this so sad to see. in a supposed civilised world that people can treat an amazing lady like this in this way, and my heart goes out to her and all the people treated in this way.

What an Amazing woman. Her Love and kindness is saintly. I'm saving this video it helps to to see tough times in a very different perspective. What an amazing lovely human being.

Everyone alive should watch this. What a wonderful testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit... of women... and a profound example of the power of love. Beautiful story. Thank you.

Heartbreaking 💔😭 … I hope with all my soul that Congo finds peace soon. 🙏

Thankyou for being such a WONDERFUL MAMA!

This amazing lady has an amazing smile but more than amazing is her heart , full of compassion and love , a heart full of love after all because to be compassionate the love has to be there , my respects for this extraordinary woman that restores my faith in humanity !

Such a beautiful compassionate person you are. Bless you and lovely creature!!

We have to witness all the pain before the peace comes

What an amazing woman. May the rest of her life be filled with healthy happy baby chimpanzees.

MY heart breaks for her and other victims Jesus this s a cruel world

so beautiful thanks, we have to remember there are good humans in this crazy world

Thank you for sharing this story. One minute I was all smiles then my heart was aching for MAMA. What a precious woman she is and those babies adore her❤️❤️❤️

I am so glad this lady has something to make her smile,so much suffering,my heart hurts for her.Stay well Mama Zawadi. U.S.A.

Ce monde souffre vraiment d'un gros déficit d'Humanité! Je me sens sonnée, choquée par l'extrême cruauté qui se manifeste chez certains individus.... Et oui, l'Amour est la clé. Là maintenant, j'ai le coeur rempli d'Amour pour cette merveilleuse femme si courageuse et ses petits protégés. Je leur souhaite le meilleur. Paix, Amour, Joie

That really got to me, made me cry a river, the evil of mankind, the beauty of healing between the chimps who are innocent as well and also traumatized and this beautiful woman! You can feel a part of the trauma and you can feel the love between the chimp babies and Mama Zawadi! How they heal each other is one of the most precious and beautiful things I have seen in a long time! I am still crying, but I want to send Mama Zawadi and the chimp babies the biggest hug of all times! Beautiful, beautiful Documentary! 🤗💖🤗❤️❤️😘😘🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

I feel so bad for them! Bless this woman for helping them!

What a strong women she is. WOW. Wishing her continued healing and blessings with the monkeys.

This is so heartbreaking, she is a strong beautiful woman!

Mama Zawadi, vous êtes une femme très courageuse. Une maman aimante pour les bébés chimpanzés et vous vous apportez mutuellement la joie, le bonheur et la résilience. Je vous envoie plein de ❤ ainsi qu'à toute l'équipe et bien sûr à vos petits protégés.

Adorable petite cœur, 🙏🙏🙏🙏que dieu vous bénis, qu'elle femme courageuse, que dieu vous donne la force 🙏🙏💛💛💛💛💛🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

How beautiful the love you have for these beautiful creatures of God that only want love, security cuddles and affection, is so heartwarming. I love it that you are teaching them there traits as monkeys in the wild, like looking for fleas on each other. Your love and respect for these beautiful chimps is a testimony to how all our children need to be cared for.😇 Bless You

If this doesn’t make you Smile and your Soul Happy Nothing will. May God Richly Bless You❤️♥️

This is heartbreaking 💔

God bless her her monkey s are her joy and strength people need to open their eyes about these poor women instead of going on about crap xx

Ladies thank you for taking in Mama Zawadi. I will pray for all of you and the chimps.

New Yorker: Please add a link or contact information so we can help Mama.

I wish for absolute love, healing, happiness and safety for the rest of her life and the life of these precious chimps.

My god, human is capable of the best but, unfortunately, also of the worst; what you endured is terrible but today i hope that you are safe, and sometimes feel safe.

What a beautiful lady. Such a good heart. So sorry to hear her tragic story. She’s right. The past is the past. Still, how does a person deal with what she has gone through? It makes me happy to see she’s found something that brings her joy and the knowledge she’s helping the chimps. My best to her.

A very strong lady, with big heart. Thanks for sharing your sad story. It sure moves our hearts...and tears.

Please Lord Jesus don’t let anything else happen to this woman please be with her always protector send your warrior angels to protect her for the rest of her life please in Jesus name I pray this for her.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Beautiful beautiful sole of the loving woman. She knows suffering and know what the babies need. She is giving them life back❤Thankyou so much.

Amazing quality, it should have way more viewers.... It probably will when people find it.

This makes me so F'ing angry, I can't even find the words. I'm seeing comments about smiling and being happy & I don't get it. BUT, I'm only half way through so I'm guessing some good things happen? I guess I will stay until the end because, my God, after hearing the horror this brave and amazing woman went through, I really need to see something here that will make my heart happy. I cannot believe what evil things humans are capable of. It sickens me hearing how baby apes become orphans, what they are forced to witness. Then hearing what humans do to other humans, I don't know. Are the words to describe such atrocities, the human suffering brought on by another human? If there are words for that, I can't find them. What I do know, or maybe just feel in my heart, is that this woman right here, telling her story to us, is so brave! Those people victimized her over and over & then after, the people that should have helped her, well, they victimized her all over again. Those people were really no better then the scum that beat & raped her & should be horribly ashamed of themselves. This woman was victimized, no doubt, but she is NOT a victim today. She is a survivor & she is so strong. I wish I could say that I'm even half as strong as her, but I know I'm not. I wish I could give her a hug. I will never forget her or her story of suffering that she so bravely shared with us. I hope the rest of her life is full of nothing but love & happiness. She truly deserves that at the very least! 💕💕💕

These people are truly hero’s and brave to say the least. Trying to help these babies and then risking their life. I just can’t imagine what that lady went through.

Mama Zawadi is the most beautiful human being.

Chimpanzees >>>>> Humans! I hope they help you heal, Mama! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Is there some way we too can help?