About PHARP (“Peace Building, Hope, and Reconciliation Projects”)

PHARP is a non-profit organization involved in building peace, healing and reconciliation in Rwanda and the surrounding region.

PHARP started in 1995 in Nairobi, Kenya by Rwandan students as a response to the influx of Rwandan refugees who had fled the war after the genocide, as well as other refugees fleeing from the civil wars of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The activities in Rwanda began in 1998 with a focus on training leaders from groups of youth, women and community leaders. The trainees are assisted to create spaces of dialogue in their own communities where different people share experiences, creating new understanding and the transformation of attitudes.PHARP encourages their initiatives to form associations for local mutual assistance and working together for peace, reconciliation and development.

Mission

PHARP’s mission is to encourage hurting individuals and communities to forgive each other, to reconcile and live together in harmony.

The most important element of PHARP’s work is the creation of spaces of healing and reconciliation. Child Protection, anti-SGBV & Child Abuse .These spaces include training workshops, income generating activities, and mutual support groups. Each of these three components provides an opportunity for people who previously held negative attitudes against one another to meet and talk to one another, and begin to walk and work together in their communities. This result is the changing of attitudes, restoration of relationships, mutual healing, reconciliation and development.

Reconciliation

PHARP believes that dialogue between Genocide survivors (Tutsi) and perpetrators (Hutu) produces confession and forgiveness and therefore there is reconciliation and peaceful coexistence. This activity brings the two groups together for training and dialogue aimed at healing, forgiveness, reconciliation and peaceful cohabitation. PHARP encourages the two groups to work together in mutual support groups, food production and income generating activities.

PHARP has 6 groups made of more than 300 members both survivors and perpetrators.

Women’s rights

PHARP is an instrumental outlet for women in Rwanda who have been the victims of mistreatment and abuse.

As a consequence of 1994 genocide, thousands of women are widows while the husbands of some other women are in prison. PHARP brings these women together in training workshops and     mutual assistance association where they can share their stories, experiences; learn about trauma counseling and conflict resolution.

The women have formed self-help group’s trough which they have initiated income generating activities such as sewing, hand crafts making, rearing domestic animals, and gardening. By participating in these activities together, the women have built deeper relationships with one another and as a result there is mutual healing.

PHARP provides these women with education and jobs producing handmade goods, so that they do not feel pressured to remain in potentially unsafe relationships for financial reasons.

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