Media

Réunir les solitudes (A feeling of belonging)

The Rwandan genocide ripped apart communities breaking down their capacities to care for their members. For many in Rwanda, the psychological impact of the trauma they experienced has caused serious mental health issues. For them, a sense of belonging to and participating in a community is critical to alleviate suffering and rekindle a sense of self. In this documentary, Handicap International explores the impact of their project to build and support community mental health initiatives aimed at supporting individuals to regain a sense of self and take part in their environment. This work has also helped to reawaken a feeling of community enabling individuals to cope with new social participation dynamics in a post-genocide Rwanda.

Handicap International Federation
14 av Berthelot
69007 Lyon - France

http://www.handicap-international.org/

Author(s)

Guillaume PEGON & Elodie FINEL

G.PEGON, a clinical psychologist by training, Guillaume Pégon holds a Doctorate in sociology and has been working in the field of humanitarian assistance for the past ten years. Combining clinical experience and academic research on migrant communities and homelessness in France, he is currently supporting Handicap International teams around the world on mental health and  psychosocial support and protection programs in Bangladesh, Algeria, Morocco, Ethiopia, Haiti, Southern Sudan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya. He is also General Secretary of the French Association of Community Psychology, promoting  the development of participatory approaches and community mobilization in the field of psychology in order to improve the well-being of individuals and communities in France.

E.FINEL - After a career in film and communication, Elodie Finel joined Handicap International in 2010 to support  knowledge building and communication creating new formats for sharing information including film and video. After a year in the field supporting teams based in Rwanda, Madagascar and Burundi, she is now the coordinator of the Knowledge Management and Professional Communication unit of Handicap International in Mozambique.