Reconciliation of Refugees Returning from Exile.

1. Introduction

The quarter of September, October and November each year is a crucial period when Self Help Groups share what they have gained in each one’s savings.

It’s a period we expect to have some divergences when calculating each one’s yearly savings and its gain. Reason why IPB organize nonviolent conflict management as money affairs should create some misunderstandings within the group

A two day’s workshop on that was then conducted on August 15^th and 16^th, 2023 in favor of twenty six (26) members of one SHG, among them twenty four women (24) and two men (2).

IPB’s experience is that, when this workshop is dispensed before sharing, the group get opportunity to present each one’s amount of money to get during the workshop and decide how the haring will look like.  Some groups prefer to get a uniform to put on that day and a special celebration where they invite their spouse.

During this workshop other themes are introduced such as the “Economic opportunities analysis and the Social Cohesion”. Participants presented some ideas on what they plan to initiate to wide their income generation.

1. Some key stories of success

Kevin

  It’s now a whole year since I participated in the trauma healing basic workshop. I was unable to share my psychological situation. Day after day I felt a need to share my emotional feeling after going through what I had learnt about trauma, its causes, symptoms and consequences. I did it with people to whom I have confidence. The trauma symptoms disappeared one by one and I acknowledged that teachings we got were true.

Today I feel safe in me and I’m opened to share what I was taking as my secret for forever.  To follow these trainings on nonviolent conflict management, mostly learn the “win - win “process, the social cohesion and the economic opportunity analysis, are added values in my life

Emelyne

The workshop on nonviolent management, social cohesion and economic opportunity analysis are more benefit to me. It’s a good idea to have mainly the nonviolent conflict management some days before sharing our savings and their gains.

Some among us started to spread rumors saying that our money was already used for other aims and that we don’t expect to get it on the right time.

Meaning that the nonviolent conflict management workshop was more needed today and I appreciate the fact of showing what we are going to get next week as our savings ant it gain.

We are going to prepare for that and invite our spouse for that celebration. This is honor for us women, it’s an added value. We are able to say that “together we can” behind our husband

Gloriose

This training is real an act of effective reintegration for us coming recently from the refugee’s camp.

I appreciate positively to have these themes during this two days’ workshop is a deepening of the trauma healing workshop that introduced us in the Self Help Group.

To have the nonviolent conflict management workshop in the period before sharing our savings and gain is real an act of social cohesion and an assurance that our money will reach us by next week. It gives us an opportunity to plan for the next investment

Conclusion

This workshop on nonviolent conflict management will be organized and facilitated for seven Self Help Groups (SHG).

More thanks for IPB’s donors who  

Elaborated by Elie Nahimana

IPB June 2023 narrative report By Icishatse Elie Rodrigue 1. Introduction At IPB, two workshops which dealt with trauma management and healing within small groups of people were conducted in the months of June 2023. The workshops took place on June 13th to 15th and 20th to 22nd, one following the other. Forty participants among them seven (7) males and thirty three (33) females were fully present. 2. Contextual background Like other societies in the global south, Burundi is a collective society that values family ties. With the poverty that keeps deepening, family ties become more and more a source of survival. So, anything that takes the lives of family members, either a war or a disease can quickly transformed itself in a traumatic event with severe psycho-social and economic consequences. In this report, we revisited stories of such separations of family members that precede trauma suffering and how HROC workshops contribute in creating a safe space where the traumatic events can be shared and the lives lost been remembered. 3. Key stories of success • Marie My husband went to Gitega and was killed and I did not get the news. Unfortunately, some strangers kept his body and looked for me. I finally was able to reach his body and we buried him. Around the same time, my mother passed away too and, unfortunately for her, we failed to bury her because it was during the war. The two simultaneous death wounded me and I am still grieved by them. Evangeline My mother passed away but before that she has insisted that I should show her a grandchild. Unfortunately, she passed away before I got one. Each time I remember this, I feel a lot of pain. • Anne Last January, I lost my elder sister and I was grief that she did not see my first born. I had always taken care of her babies when she was out working and it has been a wish from her to see and take care of my children in return. But, she passed away before I got them. Also, I am grieved that we are no longer together to help our mother who is old and needs someone to take care of her. Now that I have my own kids and those of my late elder sister to take care of, I am unable to fully commit myself to my mother and it pains me. Since I learnt about trauma symptoms, I saw that I need trauma healing. Reason why I decided to share this for the first time. I will continue sharing it with facilitators and I’m glad that majority of them are women 4. Conclusion There is no doubt that the separation of families via man-made reasons especially war leave wounds and despair among remaining family members. The promises and wishes unmet and the difficult that follow such deaths make the healing process difficult. Participants in HROC workshops have an opportunity to come together, learn about trauma management and building trust among themselves. Through exercises of remembering and commemoration, participants can see their beloved ones valued and their stories shared. Majority of them will continue to be followed through the Self Help Groups. July 16th, 2023

• A trust walking session to rebuild group trust (DOCX)
• Men' good listening on trauma causes & consequence (DOCX)
• Group photo of participants (DOCX)