Solidarity and friendship — Claver Haragirimana

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Claver Haragirimana is the co-founder of OPROMAMER, an association to promote solidarity among people with mental illness in Rwanda. OPROMAMER is working to transform understandings about mental health and to reduce the significant burden of stigma faced by mental health patients
and ex-patients in Rwanda. Founded by former patients of a psychiatric hospital with which it is now affiliated, OPROMAMER has grown from a single person’s vision to become a nationwide organisation with twenty independent groups and 1000 members. In addition to advocacy work, Claver’s organisation runs a savings club that has supported the development of small economic projects and enabled members to access loans to pay for school fees or healthcare. This interview of Claver Haragirimana was conducted by David Denborough.