Mental disorders-mainly depression and anxiety make up 14% of the global burden of
diseases, predominantly in low and middle-income countries especially the African continent.
 In post-genocide Rwanda, 1 in 5 people i.e. over 20% in the general population and 1 in 2
people in the genocide survivors population are suffering from mental disorders
predominantly depression, anxiety disorders and post-traumatic disorders. The situation is
compounded with collective traumas that’s have crossed the borders.
 Social and economic corollaries are heavily felt with the pauperization of the people affected by
ill-mental health, compromised education of their children, gender inequality, sexual and
gender violence including domestic violence, just to name but a few.
 The individualized and medicalized conventional response of the healthcare system is
overwhelmed with only 1 in 6 accessing badly needed mental health to services.
 We are bridging the gap with a scalable, culturally sensitive, non-stigmatizing accessible
community-based social healing model, which integrates safe and cost-effective mind-body
practices, collective narrative practice and rituals. They are provided through healing groups
for 16 weeks by Lay People- Community Healing Assistants who are recruited from the
community, trained and supervised by psychologists. After the completion of the therapeutic
window, healing groups transition to long term support groups and create additional activities
including loans circles, solidarity work and cooperatives to cement healing and resilience.