Burundi has been torn apart by war and violence, but something miraculous is happening. Forgiveness is freeing people from decades of hate and pain. Communities are being healed as relationships are restored.
Burundi is a small country in East Africa struggling to rise out of a devastatingly violent past. A brutal civil war from 1993 to 2005 saw hundreds of thousands of people killed and many more fleeing to neighbouring countries. Today there is relative peace but ordinary people still suffer the long-term impact of the war.
Marie and Hélène
Marie is 72 years old. She grew up hating people of a different ethnic group because her parents told her that they were evil. Her wealthy husband supported rebels during the Civil War. However, when his money ran out, the rebels burned him alive. For over 20 years, Marie was terrorized by that event and her trauma went untreated; she wasn’t even able to eat cooked meat because of the associated memories.
Hélène is 60 years old. Her hatred of a different ethnic group grew during the Civil War. They attacked her village, forcing her to flee with her husband and seven children. Her Mother-in-Law refused to run, saying that she’d given food to this group in the past and they wouldn’t harm her. But, they brutally murdered her with machetes. Hélène and her husband had to bury her outside their home because they feared being killed if they went to the cemetery. Hélène and her family suffered decades of psychological trauma.
Both women had witnessed the most terrible violence. But there’s something else that connects their story. Hélène’s Mother-in-Law was killed by members of Marie’s family.
Healing and reconciliation
One of Cord’s ground-breaking projects helped these women and their communities to process the past through training, discussions and drama workshops. In safe spaces, people could be honest and express their pain. Expert psychological support began to address trauma, anxiety and depression. And the impact was remarkable. Marie says:
“Thanks to the project, I have joy and I have reconciled with the families from the other ethnic group including that of Mrs. Hélène Nzeyimana whom I have just embraced. In addition, thanks to the dialogues and healing of the memories, I currently eat meat when I could not eat it since 2000 after the death of my husband.”
Hélène says:
“I felt supported. I have forgiven the family of executioners and I have reconciled with them, starting with Mrs. Marie Bucumi with whom we kissed at the end of one of the workshops. Even my children have already forgiven the family of executioners.”
We don’t believe that Burundi’s destiny is death and destruction. When people are set free from hate, peace becomes possible. Thanks to your support, Burundians can build a brighter tomorrow through healing and reconciliation.
