Reconciliation of Refugees Returning from Exile.

IPB FEBRUARY 2024 NARRATIVE REPORT

At this time, we must respond to the needs of people who seek refuge in our country, Burundi. Tanzania has decided to chase out all refugees living there. The majority of them are Burundians. We welcome them to return to Burundi. Following the fighting in eastern Congo, we expect to receive more Burundians and also some Congolese from Kivu, Bukavu and Ngoma.

IPB will continue to focus on conducting workshops and dialogues on behalf of returnees from exile and those who remained here in the country for their community healing and reconciliation.

For this February 2024, a three days basic trauma healing workshop was conducted on 26 till 28 of February 2024 at IPB office

Twenty students from different universities were present among them eleven (11) women and nine (9)   men.

In this February, 95 refugees returned home from Mahama camp in Rwanda after nine years

Facilitator received those who followed the January training in listening sessions to deepen their trauma healing.

Beside this workshop on trauma healing, the listening sessions, IPB pursued a coaching of eight (8) Self Help Groups on a weekly basis. 95

One of the key success histories

Jeannine

I was wounded by different situations in my life. Born in the full political crises of 1993, we passed seven years in the Rutegama IDP Camp, Muramvya province. The security for adult people was not guaranteed. My parents lived under strong stress and fear. My young sister died there. No open and functional primary or secondary school was there. Men was kidnaped manly during the night by soldiers. Women even young ones were sexually violated. The cattle and other livestock were stolen. This was during my little age.

When I attended the University in 2015, the security situation was once again precarious and I was new in Bujumbura capital city. We had to flee and stay in the mountains above Bujumbura. The sexual violation was once again there and kidnapping. Fear, desolation, hopeless, lack of food and other daily needs for a period of a whole year wounded me to.

My psychological situation is full of a deep trauma. I need a real a special follow up to overcome it.

I’m glad to comprehend what is trauma, its causes, symptoms and consequences, mainly the way to overcome from it. I was pleased to learn that: after a trauma experience, life must continue. I will fight for that.

On behalf of IPB

Elie Nahimana

Project leader