Rwandans have defied the dire consequences of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, which had torn apart their social bonds, and moved to becoming a more united nation, stated Matilda Ernkrans, the Swedish Minister of International Development Cooperation. 

She made the remarks on Monday, February 21, 2022 while visiting Multifamily healing spaces in Bugesera district facilitated by Prison Fellowship Rwanda in partnership with Interpeace through funding by the European Union.  

"I’ve experienced grief in my life, but I am moved to see what you Rwandans went through…hence, it is my greatest honor and deep appreciation of your commitment in peacebuilding through unity and reconciliation,” she revealed.  

She added: "Thank you for overlooking the challenges encountered during the process of reconciliation, just for the sake of your country’s future and remember, even if the reconciliation process might be hard to take up, it benefits the majority of your population,” stressed Matilda.  

According to the recent reconciliation barometer, Rwanda's reconciliation efforts stood at 94.7 percent. 

Flanked by government officials alongside Interpeace and Prison Fellowship Rwanda staff, the Swedish delegation visited the Multifamily healing space after paying homage to thousands of victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi laid at Ntarama Genocide Memorial site, also in Bugesera.

Bishop John Rucyahana, the president of Prison Fellowship Rwanda commended the genocide survivors who pledged to take up the reconciliation journey but indicated another emerging issue of intergenerational trauma. 

"Reconciliation is not an easy mountain to climb, but a must-do for Rwandan people who want to clear the path for a brighter future of the next generations,” he noted.  

How is the sociotherapy program conducted?

Dubbed, "Reinforcing community capacity for social cohesion and reconciliation through societal trauma healing in Rwanda programme,” the programme started as a pilot last year in Bugesera district but is set to be expanded in five other districts of the country. 

The programme is run in multi-family healing setup which are group-based treatments, bringing together families of genocide survivors and ex genocide prisoners   

It aims at restoring relationships within and across families through psychoeducation and healing dialogues with a focus on intergenerational transmission of trauma. 

It is conducted in three main formats: intergenerational healing space that fosters intergenerational dialogue and breakout sessions for each family to offer them an opportunity to discuss their problems as a separate unit and facilitate their self-growth as individuals. 

The third format is the specific healing spaces (parents or youths only), which centers on family; unique perspective about family relationships, the current problems and how they have to be addressed. 

The participants conduct 18 total sessions of the program to graduate, and each session lasts for three hours, bringing together four to seven families which are made up of 20 participants. 

Each session is led by two therapists and conducted thrice a week.  

Some of the government officials who were present in the ceremony, indicated that the program is an added advantage to the nationwide reconciliation efforts and pledged full commitment to the program.

Richard Mutabazi, the Mayor of Bugesera District said that after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda embarked on three main strategies: staying together, being accountable and thinking big. 

Social Economic Development

Apart from psychosocial interventions, Prison Fellowship Rwanda together with Interpeace Rwanda also promote some of the socio-economic development activities to raise the standards of living of the programme beneficiaries. 

On the same day, one electric generator worth Rwf1.5 million to facilitate their irrigation activities was donated to Tuzamurane Cooperative of citizens living in the Reconciliation Village in Mayange Sector alongside a cheque of Rwf1 million set to facilitate them in their day-to-day development activities. 

Since the pilot of the program last year, up to 32 reconciliation groups made up of 480 people have received psychosocial support.

Furthermore Interpeace and their local implementing partners— Prison Fellowship Rwanda, Haguruka and Dignity in Detention with funding from the European Union and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has embarked on expanding the program to five other districts, which are Nyagatare, Ngoma, Musanze, Nyabihu and Nyamagabe.