Prayer: An Instrument for Assessment of Spiritual and Psychological Concerns for Burundian Refugee Women in Maison Shalom Rwanda

A qualitative research methodology was designed to analyze how prayer can be used as an instrument to reveal various spiritual and psychological issues Burundian women refugees face in Rwanda. Six Burundian refugee women were surveyed throughout the seven weeks of the research. Various modalities of prayer were used to assess different concerns that they might have had. Participants met in both one-on-ones and group sessions. Data gathered suggested that prayer was a crucial tool that allowed the participants to reveal their traumatic events and created a strong bond among participants. The collected data indicates that the practice of prayer became therapeutic for the participants. The results gathered from this research will be one of the building blocks in building a future a program based on prayer to assess the needs of Christian Burundian women

PROMOTING NON-VIOLENT PARENTING AMONG REFUGEE MOTHERS IN DURBAN

This research began by examining the attitudes and behaviour of mothers from the Durban refugee community regarding the use of corporal punishment in bringing up children. Its use was found to be widespread and frequent among a sample of 50 mothers. A training course in non-violent parenting was designed and administered to 16 mothers. A very preliminary evaluation suggests that there were significant shifts of attitude among the participants in favour of non-violent parenting

Values, Assumptions, Behaviours, and Practices Influencing the Professional Development of Nursing Students Within Acute Care Practice Environments in Rwanda: A Focused Ethnographic Study

The future of the nursing profession in Rwanda in large part depends on the nursing students who join the workforce and the training they have received. Preparing them to enter the profession with the necessary clinical competencies, values, and attitudes requires practice-based learning environments to become more supportive of facilitating their professional development. The current learning environments experienced by nursing students in Rwanda, and the values, assumptions, practices, and behaviours of different stakeholders involved in preparing them to enter professional practice, have not yet been explored. The aim of this study was to address that knowledge gap by exploring the values, assumptions, practices, and behaviours within acute care practice environments and an educational institution within a resource-limited context like Rwanda and how the cultural aspects of these environments influence the development of nursing students as future nurses in professional practice. Guided by a constructive lens, this study used focused ethnography to explore the values and assumptions co-constructed by multiple stakeholders involved in the professional growth of students, particularly from the perspective of students, staff nurses, clinical instructors, and nurse leaders. Individual interviews, observations, and document reviews were used as data sources. Findings from this study revealed that the acute care practice learning environment is a multifaceted entity influenced by interconnected sets of values, assumptions, behaviours, and practices that intersect at institutional, unit, and individual levels. Nurturing, professional gatekeeping and engagement emerged as positive values and assumptions that guided clinical settings and academic program members in their behaviours and practices to nurture and support nursing students as they develop into future nursing professionals. On the other hand, collaboration, structural, and interpersonal barriers prevented the acute care practice environments and the academic institution from enacting these positive beliefs and values. This disconnect between values and the actual enacted practices and behaviours within acute care practice units and by individuals constrained practice environments and academic programs from creating and sustaining enriched and positive environments conducive to preparing students for professional practice. The findings of this study illuminate that building and sustaining a nurturing and positive learning environment that fosters the professional development of nursing students requires a multifaceted approach that engages every concerned stakeholder in “co-creating” a learning culture to close the existing gap between the desired learning environment and the actual unit practices and individual behaviours. Recommendations related to policy, education, practice, and research have been formulated and addressed in this dissertation

Exploring depression among people living with HIV/AIDS and attending a primary health care centre in Kigali, Rwanda : a descriptive, cross-sectional study.

Thesis (MN)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.HIV is major public problem in the world and in Sub-Saharan Region in particular. The literature has shown that mental disorders and particularly depression are common among people living with HIV/AIDS, but that little is known about the prevalence of depression and factors associated with it, among people living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was done to assess the prevalence of depression, the clinical profile and the factors associated with depression among people living with HIV and attending a primary health care centre in Kigali-Rwanda. This study was informed by the stress and vulnerability framework. A questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and HIV related medical information, while depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory Scale, with a cut off of less than 10 for no depression and above 10 scoring positive for depression. Respondents were randomly selected from the patient appointment list for patients who were scheduled during the period of data collection and according to the sample selection criteria. The sample consisted of 96 people living with HIV. Permission to conduct the study was requested and obtained from the University of Kwazulu-Natal Ethics Committee, from the CNLS Research and Ethics Committee in Rwanda and from the management of the health care centre to consult patients' files. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS for window, 15). Descriptive data was analyzed by means of frequencies, mean and standard deviation. Cross tabulation using Pearson' chi-square test was performed to test the association between sociodemographic factors and HIV related medical information and depression for categorical variables, while t-test for independent simple test was performed for continuous variable. Multi logistic regression analysis was performed to test further association between the above mentioned factors with depression, while controlling for confounders. The results were presented by means of tables, histograms and graphs. The findings of the study revealed that depression is very high among HIV-infected patients attending a primary health care centre in Kigali, with a prevalence of 41.7%. The most frequent depressive symptoms presented were pessimism, fatigability, sad mood; lack of satisfaction, somatic preoccupation, loss of libido, crying spells, work inhibition, irritability, social v withdrawal and loss of appetite. The majority of respondents scored mild to moderate depression, whereas few had moderate to severe depression and only very few scored severe depression. Having considered all other socio-demographic and HIV related medical factors that were studied, being a female, having presented many HIV-related symptoms in the month prior to data collection, and having less than 250 CD4 counts were statistically associated with depression. On the other hand, having high social and family support was a protector factor to depression. Although the results of this study are not generalizable to the Rwandan population living with HIV, they underscore the importance of integrating mental health in HIV/AIDS services for the care of those who present mental problems related to HIV such as depression

Access to justice in civil matters : a critical analysis of legal representation of minors under guardianship in Rwanda

Every person is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in international human rights instruments without distinction of any kind: this includes race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. In particular, every person is entitled to access justice to vindicate his or her rights. Although age is not expressly mentioned as one of the prohibited grounds of discrimination, particular provisions provide for special legal protection for minors. In addition, other particular instruments have been adopted to protect the rights of minors. The right to an effective judicial remedy for acts violating fundamental rights is guaranteed to minors by human rights instruments. The notion of ‘access to justice’ is used here in reference to an individual’s opportunity to enjoy equal access to legal services necessary for the protection of one’s rights and interests regardless of one’s means. It also implies the mechanism by which an individual may seek legal assistance including, among other things, drafting formal documents (wills, contracts), In reality,the effective enjoyment of rights is not possible when the holders of the rights have limited access to justice, i.e. access to judicial remedies in cases where their rights have been violated.Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2011.http://www.chr.up.ac.za/nf2012Centre for Human RightsLL

Probing marital conflicts within the context of migrant families from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province.

Doctor of Philosophy in Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2017.This study is based on marital conflict among migrant families from the Democratic Republic of Congo living in Durban, South Africa. It aims to explore and examine the extent of marital conflicts among these migrant families, investigate the root causes of marital conflicts among them and examine whether there is any relationship between marital conflict and migration. Additionally, this study aims to investigate if there are any existing approaches to marital conflicts resolution among Congolese migrant families and if so, to identify them as well as examine their functions and effectiveness. The theoretical framework within which this study is constructed includes the theories of Social Constructionism, Symbolic Interactionism, and Conflict Transformation. This study utilises a qualitative approach; 20 men and 20 women married, divorced and separated Congolese migrants participated in the initial questionnaires. Respondents in this study were identified through two selected Congolese migrant Churches. In-depth personal interviews were conducted with 8 men and 8 women volunteers from those participated in the questionnaires and with two church leaders and church Counsellors from where participants were selected. The target group for this study were men and women married, divorced or separated, from Congolese migrant community living in Durban. Respondents in these categories are selected because of their own experiences in marriage. The research has used a random and judgmental sampling method. After examining the extent of marital conflict among migrant families from the DRC living in Durban, the findings show that marital conflict among these families is prevalent. The findings from this study also demonstrate that there are a number of root causes and factors that results in marital conflict among them. These include family life stress, unemployment, lack of communication between couples, changing behaviour of one or both partners, the influence of relatives or friends and lack of social support. It was also revealed that other factors such as the absence of one partner, emotional and financial depravation of one partner and alcohol abuse also contributed to marital conflict among migrant families from DRC living in Durban. In examining whether there is a relationship between marital conflict and migration among Congolese migrant families in Durban, the majority of the study participants agreed that there is a close relationship between marital conflict and migration. Several indicators were identified and these include the change of behaviour by one or both partners in the host country, family life stress, unemployment. With regards to whether there are any approaches to marital conflict resolution among these families, the findings from this study show that there are several approaches to marital conflict resolution. Negotiation and mediation however were considered to be the key approaches in solving marital conflict among Congolese migrant families living in Durban

Patients’ Experiences of Seclusion during Admission in Psychiatric Settings in KwaZulu-Natal: A Qualitative Study

Background In South Africa, seclusion is one of the practices used in the management of disruptive behaviors in psychiatric settings. Despite its continued use, seclusion is always subject to controversial debates, and patients who undergo it express a range of negative experiences. Objective To explore the experiences of patients regarding seclusion during their admission in a psychiatric hospital. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was used. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten patients attending a community psychiatric clinic in KwaZulu-Natal. Interviews were analyzed using content analysis. Results Two themes emerged from the findings: controversial views of seclusion and negative experiences of seclusion. Seclusion was considered more as a punishment measure which was often used abusively, than a therapeutic intervention. Participants expressed loneliness, humiliation, and powerlessness following their seclusion experience. Limited patient-staff interaction and communication worsened patients’ negativity towards seclusion. Conclusion Findings from this study underscore the need to review practices, policies and procedures regarding the use of seclusion. Seclusion should be only used when the need is absolute and as the last treatment option. Open communication between the care providers and the patients should be emphasized during the time of seclusion. Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2020;3(3):342-36

Intimate partner violence and its contribution to mental disorders in men and women in the post genocide Rwanda: findings from a population based study

This is the published version of a paper published in BMC Psychiatry. Citation for the original published paper (version of record): Umubyeyi, A., Mogren, I., Ntaganira, J., R E S E A R C H A R T I C L E Open Access Intimate partner violence and its contribution to mental disorders in men and women in the post genocide Rwanda: findings from a population based study The prevalence of mental disorders was investigated using of a diagnostic tool, the "MINI: Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview". Risk factor patterns were analysed with bi-and multivariate logistic regression. To find the proportion of mental disorders attributed to IPV, the population attributable fraction was computed

Integration of international labor migrants: comparison between South Africa and Latvia.

Research paper for Social Policy.Abstract available in PDF

The role of community health workers in COVID-19 home-based care: lessons learned from Rwanda

Investment in the health system is essential for effective pandemic response: Despite Rwanda’s rapid implementation of control measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, the country faced several challenges in the early stages, due to inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of trained staff. A home-based care approach alleviated the facility-based care burden during the pandemic: Implemented in September 2020, this key strategy engaged community health workers (CHWs) to provide health education and monitor patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms. The integration of medical doctors (MDs) into home-based care teams strengthened the COVID-19 response in Rwanda: Operation Save the Neighbour, launched in 2021, integrated MDs into home-based care teams. This improved the quality of care provided to COVID-19 patients, enhanced patient monitoring, and offered additional support to CHWs at household level. The provision of continuous support to CHWs contributed to overcoming challenges in implementing home-based care models: CHWs played a critical role in community mobilization and surveillance. However, they faced significant challenges, including fear, anxiety, and overwhelming workloads. To support these frontline workers, ongoing training and an adequate supply of resources, including personal protective equipment (PPE), are required