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The project will train 24 young genocide survivors to be lay counsellors so they can provide counselling to 250 genocide orphans, in group and one-to-one counselling sessions. This will reduce the survivors’ anxiety so they can take up income generating opportunities to alleviate their poverty.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
While the 1994 Rwandan genocide is well known, less understood is the conflict’s lingering impact on survivors’ mental health & therefore their ability to lead normal lives & support themselves. Many orphans had to raise their siblings, some are single mothers & others have been cheated out of their inherited property by distant relatives & strangers. Since Rwandan mental health services are woefully under-resourced, many face lasting trauma, anxiety or depression. Most are living in poverty.
Solution
We will train 24 lay counsellors in trauma counselling. They will be embedded in their communities and will run group counselling for beneficiaries. These sessions will raise awareness of PTSD and reduce stigma surrounding mental illness. Lay counsellors will also identify people who need more help and refer them to the project counsellors. Relieving the survivors’ anxiety and depression and offering support will equip them with the confidence to return to work and alleviate their poverty.
