‘Peace baskets’ to overcome isolation: Support for women in Rwanda
“The baskets are for mothers who gave birth to children but did not receive the customary gifts or best wishes. They are for children who grew up without grandparents, uncles or aunts. For women who were thrown out by their families.” This is how Godelieve Mukasarasi, the founder of our partner organisation SEVOTA, describes the ideas behind the ‘peace baskets’.
Social exclusion: Survivors of sexualised violence take the initiative
The idea of the peace baskets arose during a counselling session. Some women who met regularly in psychosocial counselling groups organised by SEVOTA decided they no longer wanted to wait for their communities to re-integrate them. Instead, they decided to become active.
They started visiting each member of their group in turn, eating and drinking together and giving each other ‘peace baskets’ as gifts. This type of basket has a high symbolic value in Rwanda, where they are traditionally given by guests to hosts when they visit. The SEVOTA women fill the baskets with seeds and foodstuffs such as beans, cassava, rice and fruit. So they are also providing each other with very practical assistance.
The women’s organisation SEVOTA: Enacting sisterhood and overcoming stigma
SEVOTA supports women who survived sexualised violence during the genocide in 1994. Many of these women were subsequently ostracised by their family or community. So by visiting each other they re-gain a sense of belonging and gradually learn to allow themselves to enter into relationships and community again. Ms Mukasarasi explains: “The tradition of the baskets creates a space where the women can practice sisterhood, speak with each other, and overcome the stigma and isolation they have suffered for more than 25 years.”
Survivors of the genocide find the strength to support other women
Currently the staff at SEVOTA are supporting almost 400 women in one-to-one and group counselling sessions. For this, the organisation relies heavily on the survivors supporting and sharing with each other. The women learn to open up to the others and trust themselves again. Staff from SEVOTA advise and support them, but the most important aspect is encouraging them to start their own activities.
The peace baskets are one of these ideas, and an especially encouraging one. It shows how beneficial the impacts of the work of SEVOTA are: the women are now finding the strength to make gifts to others, giving them a feeling of joy and community.
SEVOTA also offers courses for children of war in Rwanda
The women’s children also benefit from courses offered by SEVOTA. Godelieve Mukasarasi emphasises the importance of involving the youth. “It is important for the young people to know the truth and learn to deal with the consequences of the war, in order for them to understand why dialogue and empathy are so necessary.” During the Covid-19 pandemic, it became obvious how much solidarity the participants felt for each other. The youth actively helped those who were ill or alone, by visiting them, making donations or assisting them in their everyday work.
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A better plan than war and hate – Women after the genocide in Rwanda
