Broadcasting hope and local knowledge during the pandemic lockdown in Rwanda — Chaste Uwihoreye

In this interview, Chaste Uwihoreye discusses his ongoing commitment to discovering local names for the difficulties people face. This is one step towards establishing solutions that fit their own lives and contexts. He also describes how the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown in Rwanda have led to further innovations. The lockdown that has affected much of the world coincided with the annual period of commemoration in Rwanda, providing a unique challenge. Normally, April is a time of coming together for Rwandan people and communities as they remember the genocide and support one another. It is also a challenging time for mental health workers. This year, Chaste has had to find a new means to respond to people despite physical separation. Combining a range of narrative practices with communication technology, social media, radio and television to reach people both individually and collectively, Chaste has managed to overcome physical barriers to establish contexts of mutual and community support and connectedness.