Friday, July 23, 2010

This will probably be my last blog post this trip. I'm leaving tomorrow for home; it will be good to be back.

I just finished sending David and Gabo a concept paper based on the interviews. It has to do with the process of dehumanization and rehumanization, which I hope to develop further. I'll send a copy to anyone who is interested. You know where to find me.

I talked to Odette Kayirere today, the director of AVEGA in the Eastern region. We talked about the tradition Rwandan view of the world, including traditional Rwandan psychology although they don't call it that. In many ways it seems to coincide with a lot of family therapy ideas. The ancestors are always present, they want things from the people still here, they affect what we do, they need to be kept satisfied etc. The difference between this and Western views is that they believe it is literally true.

However, Odette is suspicious of some traditional healing methods. She says that people who are schizophrenic are often seen as possessed by the ancestral spirits and treated by traditional healers, who don't help. Only after they have spent all their money do they go to the psychiatric hospital for medication. The relationship between traditional healing and Western psychology/psychiatry seems complex. I've heard other Rwandans who are suspicious of traditional practices. On the other hand, Odette's daughter, who I also met today, is interested in research on traditional Rwandan medicinal plants. She says that they need research to investigate how and when they are effective.