Theresa

Theresa is 50 years old with 5 children. She is a 1994 genocide survivor. She disclosed that she was raped by 20 men during the genocide against Tutsis. Although the perpetrators are in prison for this crime, she felt spiteful towards their family members who currently happen to be her neighbors.” I used to physically torture their kids whenever I met them on the way”, she said.

Theresa reported that she suffered from insomnia, and pervasive fear caused her to carry stones in her bag all the time so that she could defend herself if she was attacked. She was hostile and aggressive against everyone in the community and even against her own children who had to leave her alone. She said she was often sick and repetitively hospitalized, but the drugs she received did not help her to improve her life.

After participating in the healing group, she said “I now feel confident and no longer vindictive and have started seeking forgiveness from my own children and the kids that I used to torment….I now feel human.”