Life is a journey
This page exists to support an interactive academic poster feature presented at the UCL Open Science Conference 2024, London.
Intergenerational Creative Arts and Healing in Rwanda
Neza's story
You found your way out of the maze following Neza's steps.
(This biography is drawn from our research but fictionalised to protect anonymity).
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Approximate reading time: 2mins
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Neza is a 20-year-old student who lives with her parents. Neza’s parents survived the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Her father’s injury sustained during that time is a daily reminder of Neza’s family and country’s history.
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She would like to ask her father about his injuries. She would also really like to have some reassurance that what happened to them will never happen again. But talking about these things seems impossibly hard.
One day Neza finds out about an opportunity to join a collaborative research project between Uyisenga Ni Imanzi (UNM), UCL & AERG (Association des Etudiants Et Éleves Rescapés Du Genocide). Neza knows UNM as they are a trusted local organisation, supporting vulnerable children and young people.
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Neza is trained as workshop facilitator and with the support of clinical psychologists, psychosocial workers, and the project co-principal investigator she starts facilitating workshops for Nkwihoreze project.
Neza is particularly excited about the Nkwihoreze travelling exhibition which will conclude the project towards the end of the year. Neza and all the other young facilitators will curate this exhibition which will showcase the artwork produced during the project duration.
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How do you think Neza’s participation in this project helps her own mental health? Do you think she will bring her own family to the exhibition?
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End of fictional story & real (interim) finding:
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During the workshops the importance and value of ‘igitaramo cy’umuryango’ (circle of family dialogue) was discussed by facilitators and participatns. This Rwandan tradition of meeting around the table as a family to talk became less common after the genocide. The workshop facilitators & participants discussed that they would like to see this tradition revived. They started developing a tool that would help families to bring back this tradition.
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To learn more about how children and young people co-create culturally appropriate tools to support family mental health please follow the Nkwihoreze journey at #nkwihorezeproject
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References: Irakoze, G.S. and K. Pells, with N. Kaneza, P. Mbabazi, E.P. Muhire, H. Uwineza and E. Uwishema (forthcoming, 2024) Translating and Transforming Intergenerational Trauma: understandings, experiences, and meaning-making among ‘second generation’ survivors in Rwanda. Aegis Trust working paper.(due for publication soon)
Gasore's story
You found your way out of the maze following Gasore’s steps.
(This biography is drawn from our research but fictionalised to protect anonymity).
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Approximate reading time: 2mins
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Gasore is a 25-year-old young man who works on road construction projects. His parents divorced when he was young, and his father moved to a different country. Gasore does not have much contact with his father but sees his mother regularly. Both his parents survived the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Gasore finds talking to his mother about the family history difficult and does not want to upset her.
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One day Gasore finds out about an opportunity to join a collaborative research project between Uyisenga Ni Imanzi (UNM), UCL & AERG (Association des Etudiants Et Éleves Rescapés Du Genocide). Gasore has heard about UNM as he walks past their branch on his way to work.
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Gasore is trained as workshop facilitator and with the support of clinical psychologists, psychosocial workers, and the project co-principal investigator he starts facilitating workshops for Nkwihoreze project.
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Gasore particularly enjoys the “reflective practice” which is a small group workshop with just facilitators (no participants) and psychosocial workers. They talk about what went well and what could be improved in the next workshops. He can see his ideas and input being taken seriously, and he feels more confident talking to a greater variety of people than just his peers.
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How do you think Gasore’s participation in this project helps his own mental health? What challenges do you think he might be facing?
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End of fictional story & real (interim) finding:
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Workshops participants started discussing the idea of resilience as a two-way flow (from children to parents as well as vice versa). This is particularly interesting considering much of the existing research focuses on the narratives of “inheritance” and sees children as simply “recipients” of their family’s past. This idea is being incorporated into the workshop planning and will be further explored with the project co-creators.
To learn more about how children and young people co-create culturally appropriate tools to support family mental health please follow the Nkwihoreze journey at #nkwihorezeproject
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References: Irakoze, G.S. and K. Pells, with N. Kaneza, P. Mbabazi, E.P. Muhire, H. Uwineza and E. Uwishema (forthcoming, 2024) Translating and Transforming Intergenerational Trauma: understandings, experiences, and meaning-making among ‘second generation’ survivors in Rwanda. Aegis Trust working paper.(due for publication soon)
Are you lost?
If you ended up here it means you got lost as there are only two paths out of the maze. The qr code you scanned is not reachable from the centre of the maze. That's ok, we all get lost sometimes! Please return to the start and try again!
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“Ntiribara umukuru nk’umuto waribonye”
Rwandan proverb
(It means that adults cannot explain better an event than the young person who has experienced it.)