The 1994 genocide in Rwanda is well known. What is less understood is the lasting impact it continues to have on survivors’ ability to lead normal lives and earn enough income to support themselves. Many are heads of child-headed households, some are single mothers, and others are involved in land ownership disputes with relatives who seized their parents’ land when they were killed during the genocide.
Working with our partner, the Survivors Fund (SURF), we provide mental health support as part of SURF’s wider programme, which offers a holistic package of entrepreneurship training to survivors of the genocide.
In 2017, we ran a pilot programme in which we trained four counsellors. These counsellors in turn trained other survivors to become Peer Support Counsellors, who then offer group counselling to their peers. This model helps create supportive networks where young survivors can share experiences and build resilience together.
The programme delivered impressive results. For example, when asked about their general health after six months of receiving support, 62% of clients described their health as ‘good’ or ‘very good’, compared with only 6% at the beginning of the project.
Each year, we replicate and expand the scheme, enabling us to support more and more survivors through peer counselling alongside entrepreneurship training.
A new short film produced by SURF showcases the stories of three participants who have taken part in the Entrepreneurship programme. Through their experiences, the film highlights the challenges survivors face and the positive impact that access to training, support, and peer counselling can have on their ability to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.
Our Partner:
The Survivors Fund (SURF) was founded by Mary Kayitesi Blewitt OBE in 1997. It supports survivors of the 1994 genocide through local partner organisations established and managed by survivors themselves, including AVEGA (Association of Widows of the Genocide) and AERG (National Student’s Association of Genocide Survivors). SURF delivers technical support including capacity-building and monitoring and evaluation to these local organisations. This enables their partners to deliver projects ranging from healthcare to housebuilding, education to entrepreneurship. SURF is a UK registered charity, managed and run out of its head office in Kigali, Rwanda.