His cousin, a Catholic nun, sends him videos and photos of the aftermath of violence, but as hard as it is to see, he doesn’t have the heart to discourage her from sending them.
“They want to know that other people in the world understand how they are suffering,” Mr Mupenda said.
“Every time they go to sleep they don’t know if they will wake up.”
Mr Mupenda is the president of local organisation Voice for Silent People which has started a petition calling for an international tribunal to investigate allegations of crimes against humanity in the DRC by armed rebel groups.
Mr Mupenda was a human rights advocate there and was imprisoned three times before he came to Shepparton as a refugee in 2007.
The DRC is the second-largest country in Africa and has been embroiled in conflict for decades.
According to the petition, the leading cause of conflict is the exploitation of minerals such as coltan and cobalt, used in the manufacturing of smartphones, computers and batteries for electric vehicles.
“We need justice for restoring the rights of victims and fair punishment to criminals, this is the only way to stop other people from joining,” Mr Mupenda said.
“I understand that people are focusing on what is happening in Ukraine ... but what you saw there, it is happening every day in eastern Congo.
“Innocent civilians killed just because they want to get to their land for the minerals; people should not also forget about Congo and do something so this can stop.”
Through Mr Mupenda’s cousin, Voice for Silent People also supports orphans in the DRC whose parents have been killed in the conflict to access healthcare and education.
The organisation aims to amplify the voices of victims who want to express themselves but are not heard.
To sign the petition visit change.org/JusticeForDRCongo2022
Anyone interested in joining Voice for Silent People can contact Mr Mupenda on 0432 405 572, visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/VFSP1 or the website www.voiceforsilentpeople.org
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