A Community-based Participatory Framework for the Assessment of Resilience in Rwanda
Three decades after the Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda continues to navigate the complexities of rebuilding the social fabric and strengthen resilience of its population. The Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE), in collaboration with Interpeace has released a new research titled: A Community-based Participatory Framework for the Assessment of Resilience in Rwanda. The objective of this study, conducted across all 30 districts of Rwanda, was fourfold. Firstly, it aimed to formulate and validate resilience indicators for structuring future research activities, policies, and programmes related to community resilience in Rwanda. Secondly, it sought to devise a participatory, multi-level methodology for assessing resilience indicators, drawing from existing frameworks, while tailoring them to Rwanda's specific context. Additionally, the study aimed to establish a baseline for community resilience across all districts of Rwanda and to propose actionable policy and programmatic recommendations for enhancing resilience nationwide.
Involving a significant sample of 7,481 individuals, the study adopted a mixed-methods approach, integrating both qualitative and quantitative methods. Resilience was evaluated across four levels—individual, household, community, and institutional—using a comprehensive set of 38 indicators.
The findings underscored a commendable degree of resilience across all assessed levels, demonstrating a significant milestone three decades after the Genocide against the Tutsi. Recommendations emphasised the need for intensified efforts in societal healing initiatives, infrastructure development, and facilitating access to finance and employment opportunities.
The Societal Healing Programme in Rwanda - Summary of The Annnual Report 2023
This summary highlights the key results, lessons learned and challenges of the Societal Healing programme in Rwanda, implemented by Interpeace and its local partners during the period between January and December 2023. This programme covers Musanze, Nyabihu, Nyamagabe, Nyagatare and Ngoma districts. Overall, 5 163 people were reached (2 540 men; 2 623 women) through various interventions such as 153 healing spaces established in communities, health centres and correctional facilities; activities aimed at strengthening capacities of mental health professionals; social-emotional skills and trauma-informed leadership skills training for local level decision-makers; and interventions focused on improving livelihoods. The programme contributed to fostering mutual healing, reconciliation and community cohesion, promoting economic empowerment of individuals and communities and mitigation of the intergenerational transmission of genocide and other negative legacies.
Promoting Intergenerational Dialogue to Foster Peace and Social Cohesion in Rwanda
Facilitating young people’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding initiatives should be a cornerstone of any effort to foster a peaceful and cohesive society. This resonates particularly well in Rwanda, where more than 70% of the population is youth, with a large proportion born after the Genocide against the Tutsi that took place three decades ago.
The Genocide tore Rwanda’s social fabric apart. A significant number of young people were manipulated and involved in the killings. To build lasting peace and consolidate the reconciliation and social cohesion gains that have been achieved, youth must be involved in the process.
On June 1, 2024, the Rotary Club Kigali Seniors (RCKS) partnered with Interpeace to organise a one-day retreat to further engage young Rwandans in peacebuilding and social cohesion. Themed “Consolidating Peace and Social Cohesion in Rwanda,” the event brought together more than 50 young people, members of Rotaract clubs (youth-led Rotary clubs), and elders.
It served as an intergenerational dialogue, enabling youth to understand their country's tragic past, which led to genocide, and to chart ways to build a peaceful and resilient Rwanda in the future. The participants were university students and young professionals from across the country. Their elders were prominent individuals from various backgrounds, including the public and private sectors, academia, and civil society organisations.
“This country was destroyed by ethnic divisionism 30 years ago. We have come far to rebuild it. It’s your time to understand where we came from and commit to never letting it happen again. You must build a better society than Rwanda is now,” underlined Dr. Jean Pierre Dusingizemungu, a university lecturer, as he delved into Rwanda's history of past violence, the path to reconciliation, and reconstruction. He stimulated participants to reflect on the adverse consequences of Rwanda's history of conflicts and genocide and to forge a common identity to foster unity and social cohesion in their respective communities.
Nathalie Siborurema, one of the participants, said, “This kind of dialogue is very important and necessary as it enables us to learn from experienced people who lived through the situation we hear about. It arms and prepares us to build a future peaceful and cohesive Rwandan society. I feel ready to take up the challenge with enthusiasm.”
Dr. Jean Bosco Kabera, a prominent member of RCKS who coordinated this activity, underscored the importance of educating young people to promote social cohesion. “I think it’s critical for Rwanda to ensure that youth not only understand the past but also take a leading role in defining our future,” he said, adding that the partnership with Interpeace to organise this retreat was enriching as young people are among the targets of its holistic peacebuilding programme in Rwanda that seeks to address mental healing, promote social cohesion, and support improved livelihoods.
Participants committed to sharing the knowledge and skills acquired with their fellow members. To make a more significant impact, they will take those skills to the community level and reach more people.
Frank Kayitare, Interpeace’s Country Representative, says empowering young people ensures lasting peace and social cohesion. “If you want to sustain peace and cohesion in Rwanda, you have to target young people. These discussions not only help them understand the past but also forge a mindset that is different from the one that led to the Genocide against the Tutsi. They also enable them to cultivate a mindset of dialogue, to solve any conflict through dialogue.”
Interpeace’s Work to Support Youth in Rwanda
Rwanda has made remarkable progress in strengthening social and economic resilience in the past 30 years. However, many Rwandans, including young people, face challenges related to the psychological wounds of the genocide and its aftermath, as well as economic development.
Interpeace uses community-based psychosocial support interventions such as Sociotherapy and Multifamily Therapy to create healing spaces for young people and their parents to discuss their past and embark on a mutual healing journey. It works with local partners such as Haguruka, Prison Fellowship Rwanda, and Dignity in Detention to organise intergenerational dialogues in the community.
Through a collaborative livelihood approach, Interpeace and its partners work to address socio-economic disparities and foster socio-economic resilience in youth by equipping them with financial and entrepreneurship skills. Young people are facilitated to learn how to develop bankable business projects and create and manage them. Through a competitive process, the most promising projects are supported with seed capital. Joint business initiatives play a dual role: enabling them to improve their social and economic conditions and sustain the social bonds they have formed during the healing journey.
Interpeace also works with youth-led organisations, such as Rwanda We Want, to strengthen their capacity and enable them to empower more youth across the country.
The power of sociotherapy in prisoner rehabilitation and reentry
In Rwanda, Interpeace, along with its local partners, utilises Sociotherapy to provide psychosocial support care to prisoners and facilitate their reconnection with those they offended, before their release. This approach fosters social cohesion and successful reintegration of prisoners into families and communities, a crucial endevour in nation still grappling with the aftermath of the Genocide against the Tutsi, a tragedy that occurred three decades ago.
A community united against suicides in Burundi's Gitega Province
In the central region of Burundi's Gitega province, the Bugendana community is facing a significant challenge. There has been a considerable increase in suicide cases, which has brought about a serious concern for the area. With an average of four lives lost each month, the suicide phenomenon has become a pressing concern that correlates with health, peace, democracy, and inclusive development, prompting urgent collaborative action.
Bugendana, a commune with a population of 121,401 and a density of 409 inhabitants per square kilometre, bears the scars of Burundi's tumultuous past. During the inter-ethnic violence that afflicted the country in the 1990s, this region was severely affected, leaving deep psychological wounds that have yet to heal. The lingering effects of these crises have impacted the mental health and psychosocial well-being of the population, intensifying existing challenges.
Recognising the gravity of the situation, the communal administrator of Bugendana acknowledged, "The phenomenon of suicide is a reality...the rates are even higher compared to the suicide rates recorded in other communes...we still do not know the causes of this phenomenon."
However, in the face of adversity, a positive development has emerged from within the community itself. The Bugendana community group, with support from the Synergy for Peace III project, which seeks to facilitate inclusive and collaborative livelihood and social cohesion initiatives, has come together to confront this crisis. Identifying the suicide issue as a priority, they have developed an action plan to tackle the problem.
The local administrator, who is also a member of the Bugendana community group, participated in the discussions and stressed the urgent need for action: "We need to run awareness campaigns and organise psycho-emotional support activities for the family members of people who have committed suicide. Hill administrators should also be equipped with the skills they need to identify signs of distress among people in their communes so that they can intervene as quickly as possible."
Collaborating closely with local authorities, the Bugendana community group has identified individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts or whose family members have committed or attempted suicide. They plan to provide them with psychosocial support through community healing spaces. These spaces will also welcome other community members going through difficult periods in their lives. They will serve as sanctuaries for those grappling with distress, providing much-needed solace and hope for the future.
The initiative has received commendation from both community members and the administration. The head of Bugendana commune commended the initiative, affirming: "Beyond community awareness-raising, the healing spaces will carry out targeted and in-depth support interventions to better respond to the phenomenon of suicide in this community."
As the Bugendana community unites to confront the devastation of despair, their efforts resonate with the power of grassroots initiatives in building a brighter future. If successful in reducing suicide rates and promoting mental health, this initiative could serve as a beacon of hope, inspiring replication in other provinces and even nationwide.
In a context where psychological trauma is prevalent, community-led efforts to promote mental health and psychosocial well-being are not only crucial but also a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. The journey of the Bugendana community is one of healing, unity, and the unwavering determination to reclaim their collective well-being from the depths of despair.
Mugisha’s transformation from a rebel to a community champion
Mugisha Pascasie, a 39-year-old woman from Nyamisure in Gitega province, Burundi, has been the driving force behind the impact on her community. Her efforts have influenced how the community addresses its most pressing issues, particularly the problem of access to clean drinking water.
For a long time, Nyamisure has suffered from a shortage of safe water, resulting in health concerns and the spread of illnesses like cholera and diarrhoea, especially among children. The responsibility of fetching water primarily falls on women and girls, exposing them to risks, including harm and violence. The competition for limited resources has also created social tensions and conflicts, potentially leading to displacement and hindering children's education as they prioritise fetching water over attending school.
Mugisha's personal transformation has marked a turning point in addressing this urgent issue. As a former rebel who has undergone demobilisation, her community once feared her. Known for her forceful demeanour and lack of collaboration, she experienced a significant shift in perspective after participating in a training on citizen participation and community needs organised by Interpeace’s Synergies for Peace III programme in February 2023. The programme seeks to facilitate inclusive and collaborative livelihood and social cohesion initiatives.
Reflecting on her transformation, Mugisha acknowledges, "In the past, I used to be very brutal and relied on force to make others understand my point of view." However, the training opened her eyes to the power of collaboration, leading her to realise that "by working together, we can overcome any obstacle."
With her newfound collaborative approach, Mugisha has catalysed positive change in Nyamisure. Her efforts have garnered admiration and appreciation from her fellow residents. The local leader recognised her remarkable transformation: "She has transitioned from being forceful to embracing collaboration and humility." Mugisha's initial actions included summarising the training for her community and emphasising the importance of identifying problems and seeking solutions collectively. She then approached the local leader, who had also received training from the Synergies for Peace III programme, to discuss mobilising the community to install a fire hydrant. Together, they presented the project to the zone chief and sought support from the communal agronomist and administrator.
After identifying erosion and water scarcity as critical issues, they engaged all community members and partners, mobilising workforce and resources to address the challenges. Through their collaborative efforts, they successfully installed the operational fire hydrant, known as IGITO, effectively resolving the water scarcity issue in Nyamisure. Emmanuel Bacanamwo, a beneficiary of the newly restored water source, expressed gratitude for Mugisha's leadership and its positive impact on the community. Bacanamwo stated, "We warmly welcomed Mugisha's good deed; we were exhausted." Mugisha continues to work with the local population, and the hill head confirms, "Mugisha has truly transformed! Now she supports me in organising community development work."
Mugisha's journey is part of a larger transformation unfolding in Nyamisure. It is a testament to the increasing involvement of community members in addressing local needs. This shift underscores the importance of investing in community-driven solutions and promoting inclusive governance. Mugisha's transformation from a figure of fear to a respected leader is a powerful example of the resilience and potential within communities to overcome obstacles and pave the way for a better future for all.
In Nyamisure, the journey of a demobilised woman towards community empowerment has not only provided access to clean water but has also ignited a flame of hope. This illuminates the path towards a more inclusive and collaborative approach to addressing the challenges that bind a community together.
