Overview

Peace building and psychosocial support is one of the most impacting initiatives that Prison Fellowship Rwanda has introduced since its inception. Community-based initiatives related to mental health and social cohesion at grassroots level are implemented in communities and in prisons to resolve conflicts, mitigate crimes, promote practical reconciliation, social cohesion and to contribute to the efforts towards sustainable peace in Rwanda. PFR is implementing following projects under Peacebuilding and psychosocial support.

1.Societal Healing Program

In partnership with the Rwandan Government’s Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE), Interpeace, Haguruka, Dignity in Detention (DIDE), and the Embassy of Sweden as a donor, Prison Fellowship Rwanda (PFR) is implementing the program Reinforcing Community Capacity for Social Cohesion and Reconciliation through Societal Trauma Healing' in five districts: Nyagatare, Ngoma, Musanze, Nyabihu, and Nyamagabe. The societal healing program adopts a comprehensive and distinctive approach, providing mental health treatments, improving social cohesion, and developing long-term livelihoods for the intended beneficiaries. These include Genocide survivors, Genocide perpetrators, ex-combatants, and returnees from 1959 to 1994 (current and former/released offenders), in addition to the families of these individuals, youth, and local leaders. Other planned participants are community-based groups and entities involved in mental health, social cohesion, and joint economic development initiatives at the community level. The programme provides safe spaces for dialogue, healing, and capacity strengthening of existing formal mental health structures and local societal healing practitioners to strengthen a comprehensive and community-based mental health and psychosocial support system. Our program aims to contribute to the consolidation of a peaceful, resilient, and inclusive Rwandan society, enabling it to overcome the wounds of the past, peacefully manage conflicts and diversity, collectively and inclusively strengthen livelihood resilience, and empower citizens to influence policies responsive to their priorities. It is implemented through three axes: mental health, social cohesion, and sustainable collaborative livelihoods. Gender, climate resilience, and conflict sensitivity aspects are also integrated as cross-cutting issues across the three axes.

2.Advancing Human Right in Rwanda

Prison Fellowship Rwanda, in partnership with the Rwanda Bridge to Justice (RBJ), Initiatives for Peace and Human Rights (IPeace), and International Bridge to Justice (IBJ), is implementing a project titled "Advancing Human Rights in Rwanda" with the goal of expanding holistic legal and rehabilitative protection to communities at risk of torture, arbitrary detention, and other forms of abuse. The role of Prison Fellowship Rwanda in this project is offering psychosocial support to inmates.

3.Intergeneration healing and Community Reconciliation and Sustainable Peace-Mvurankuvure

In Mutual collaboration with Community Based Socio-therapy (CBS), EAR Byumba Diocese, and Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Prison Fellowship Rwanda has been implementing the project "Intergenerational healing and community reconciliation for sustainable peace-Mvurankuvure". The project's implementation focused on three key outcomes, psychosocial reintegration of convicts, boosting awareness of reconciliation among local leaders and teachers, and intergenerational legacies of the Genocide. Families of Genocide survivors, ex-prisoners, and adolescent descendants were the project targeted.

*Reconciliation Villages Project

Prison Fellowship Rwanda since 2003 started the reconciliation village program, to foster Peacebuilding and reconciliation. PFR runs 8 reconciliation villages across the country that accommodate 4,080 people from families of released Genocide perpetrators, Genocide survivors, new returnees, and vulnerable members of the communities. In the context of practical reconciliation, those groups living in reconciliation villages (ex-prisoners and Genocide survivors) accepted to come and live together as a result of a long process of community dialogues on unity and reconciliation. This practical reconciliation approach for the target groups creates a favourable environment for discussing and sharing which results in mutual understanding, trust and daily cooperation in income-generating activities, the communities in this village have become family. PFR reconciliation villages in Rwanda’s post-Genocide era serves as best practices at the national and international level of reconciliation in post-conflict societies.

PFR reconciliation villages compared to other existing villages were primarily intended to provide an enabling environment for continued practical reconciliation, community reintegration, and lung of surrounding area since in all of this villages trees were planted while also offering shelter to the target groups. In 2023, Reconciliation Villages will receive a great number of guests from all over the world, as it has in previous years.

4.Bilalo Byetu

In 2022, Prison Fellowship Rwanda and Elman Peace partnered on a pilot phase of the project titled "Psychosocial reintegration of ex-combatants, ex-prisoners, and community social cohesion in Rwanda (Bilalo Byetu)." This project aims to reduce ex-combatant rejection and stigma, increase community healing and reconciliation, increase sustainable alternatives to violence and social cohesiveness, and strengthen cross-border peace and community reintegration initiatives.

5.Promoting social healing, social Cohesion and Community Resilience.

Prison Fellowship Rwanda, in collaboration with MINUBUMWE, is undertaking the project of Promoting social healing, social cohesion, and community resilience in Muhanga, Nyanza and Nyamagabe districts. This project has objectives of addressing past wounds and promoting social cohesion and resilience with increasing the community awareness of mental health problems, reconciliation, and resilience at the district level. This project aims to strengthen Community facilitators' knowledge, skills, and spaces for addressing trauma, social cohesion, and community resilience. Moreover, collective healing spaces will improve mental well-being, social cohesion, and resilience in the target communities. Finally, joint socioeconomic development activities will be enforced in order to increase social cohesion and resilience in the target communities.

Overview

Prison Fellowship Rwanda facilitates restorative justice process among offenders and victims whereby we approach offenders and victims to find solutions to damages caused. This process provides space for perpetrators to acknowledge their accountability (confession, recognition of crimes and harm caused) through truth telling and revealing information that was hidden, repentance and asking for forgiveness. Prison Fellowship Rwanda believes a crime is beyond breaking the law – crime also causes harm to people, relationships, and the community. So, a just response must address those harms as well as the wrongdoing. If the parties are willing, the best way to do this is to help them meet to discuss those harms and how to about bring resolution.

1.Strengthening the Rule of law in Rwanda project

Prison Fellowship Rwanda, in collaboration with UNDP and the Nyamagabe district, is carrying out a project: promote the rule of law in Rwanda: justice, peace, and security for all. It is a project that supports people of the community affected by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, as well as prisoners who took part in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, in seeking repentance and forgiveness by personally writing confession letters to prison authorities confessing their role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. This project has created a space for social healing while also tackling mental health issues through psychotherapy sessions in order to increase mental health well-being among participants. It has brought together survivors’ of 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, offenders, and their families for community healing events that have prepared the road for repentance and reconciliation.

Overview

Join us in our collaborative efforts with UNHCR and MINEMA to empower forcibly displaced and stateless persons and their communities through our Community-Based Protection, Legal Assistance & Community-based Socio-therapy Project. Since 2020, PFR have engaged refugees, asylum seekers, and community leaders, addressing their continuous needs for legal assistance, civil registration, and Community-Based protection across refugee camps, urban centers, and transit centers. Additionally, our Mental health & psychosocial support service aids newly arrived asylum-seekers in Nkamira Transit Centre from DRC. Since 2015, our partnership with Prison Fellowship International has supported children of prisoners in Rwanda, addressing vital needs such as health, education, child protection, and spiritual growth during parental incarceration. Through our programs, we are changing mindsets, exposing real needs, and providing essential support to vulnerable groups, including legal aid and livelihood opportunities.

1.Community-Based Protection, Legal assistance & Community based Sociotherapy to refugees and asylum seekers.

Community-Based Protection, Legal assistance & Community based Socio-therapy Project to refugees and asylum-seekers considers forcibly displaced and stateless persons and their communities at the centre of the project design and implementation in collaboration with UNHCR and Ministry of Emergency Management (MINEMA). Since 2020, refugees, asylum seekers, refugee leadership structures and communities at large have been involved in regular exchange, coordination and feedback mechanisms that highlighted the continuous need for the provision legal assistance, civil registration, and Community-Based protection activities in the All refugee camps, urban centres, and transit Centres. PFR also provides Mental health & psychosocial support (MHPSS) service in Nkamira Transit centre that hosts newly arrived asylum-seekers from DRC

2.The Child Journey Program

Since 2015, Prison Fellowship Rwanda is in partnership with Prison Fellowship International to provide assistance to children of prisoners in Rwanda under the program called “ The Child’s Journey (TCJ)” it aims at intervening when a parent is incarcerated by providing services and activities which meet the four most vital needs namely health, education, child protection, and spiritual growth for the duration of their parent’s incarceration. Many people and institutions did not believe in this effort when it first began, considering our history and how Genocide inmates crowded all jail facilities. This program changed the mindset of many, introduced harsh realities, and exposed the real needs of children of prisoners in Rwanda.

Prison Fellowship Rwanda supports children of prisoners and their families to meet their basic needs and enjoy their rights through the promotion of education, safety, health and spiritual resilience. PFR empowers families of children with livelihoods opportunities to promote their wellbeing and reducing the cycle of crimes associated with their living conditions. Furthermore, Prison Fellowship Rwanda provides legal aid to the most vulnerable groups as mentioned above especially focusing on legal education, advice, mediation, and legal representation where necessary.

Overview

Prison Fellowship Rwanda, with partners PFI and RCS, implements TPJ across nine correctional facilities, fostering spiritual growth and reconciliation among inmates. The program aids in successful reintegration into the community post-sentence. Since 2018, PFR, alongside chaplains, focuses on forgiveness and emotional healing within correctional facilities. Recognizing reintegration challenges, the project prepares released inmates for a smoother transition to community living.

1.The Prisoner’s Journey Program

Prison Fellowship Rwanda is in partnership with Prison Fellowship International (PFI) and the Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) is implementing The Prisoner's Journey program (TPJ) with the aim of helping inmates to know who is Jesus, why he came and so what? It mostly helps them restoring vertical relationship with God and horizontal with fellows among them victims. This project is being implemented in nine correctional facilities, including Nyarugenge, Rwamagana, Musanze, Muhanga, Bugesera, Ngoma, Rusizi, Huye, and Nyanza. The Prisoner’s Journey is also used as a tool of practical reconciliation leading to a successful reintegration back to the community once the sentence period is ended.

2.Evangelization Program

Since 2018, PFR in collaboration with chaplains, is implementing the project of spiritual transformation program in all correction facilities. This program serves in transformation among inmates with a special emphasis on fostering forgiveness among inmates, by making them access a supportive environment and emotional healing spaces, this enables inmates to overcome past grievances and build a foundation for a more positive future.

Recognizing the challenges faced by released inmates, this project actively works towards preparing them for successful reintegration into society to ensure a smoother transition from correctional facilities to community living.