Avega Agahozo Women Association on Reconciliation and Peace Building Among Genocide Victims in Rwanda

ABSTRACT The study intended to establish the relationship between activities of AVEGA AGAHOZO Women Association and reconciliation and peace building in Rwanda after the Genocide. The study employed a descriptive correlational, expost facto and cross sectional survey designs. A sample of 346 respondents was taken. The questionnaire was used to answer 4 research questions which included; profile of respondents; degree of activities of AVEGA AGAHOZO Women Association; level of reconciliation and peace building in Rwanda after the Genocide; and relationship between the degree of uctivities of AVEGA AGA~OZO Women Association and level of reconciliation and peace building in Rwanda after the Genocide. Data analysis was done using frequencies and percentages, means and Pearson's Correlations. The findings indicated that most respondents (160 or 46.2%) were in middle adulthood age of 40-59, 126 (35.4%); were females (214 or 61.8%); had a secondary level of education 95(27.5%), had Bachelor's degree, very few 12(3.5%) had Masters Degree; 186 (53.8%) were married and 160(46.2%) were singles; majority had stayed with AVEGOR for more than five years (79.2%); were Catholics 113(38.4%), protestants were 112(32.4%) and Muslims were 101(29.2%); Tutsi were 208(60.1%) and Hutus were 138(39.9%). The degree of activities of AVEGA AGAHOZO Women Association was generally very satisfactory (average mean= 3.80). Respondents were also very much satisfied with all social activities (overall mean= 3.78). Economic and livelipood activities were very satisfactory (average mean = 3.73). All activities of education and legal were very satisfactory, ( overall mean =3. 79). The level of reconciliation and peace building in Rwanda after the genocide was very high ( overall mean=3.27). There was a significant relationship between the degree of activities of AVEGA AGAHOZO women Association and level of reconciliation and peace building in Rwanda (r = 0.961, sig. = 0.000). From regression analysis, all activities taken together had a positive and significant influence on reconciliation and peace building, contributing over 94% (Adjusted R square = 0.940). But, regression wise, only education and legal activities (Beta =0.903, sig. =0.000) had a positive significant inflt.:ence on reconciliation and peace building. The general and economic and livelihood activities had a negative influence on reconciliation and peace building. The researcher recommended that there is a need for AVEGA AGAHOZO Women Association to increase on training volunteers in trauma counseling who help others from their own villages and cells. Management should increase home visits to people given assistance, keep on testing them to ensure an improvement trend, ii ,cre-ase on teaching their staff, members and volunteers techniques of records management and organize more workshops and training on entrepreneurship skills. To increase the level of reconciliation and peace building, management should sensitize people and encourage them to always help persons from the other group when they have a need, encourage them to always feel sympathetic whenever they see a member of the other group suffering and to have feelings that acts of perpetrators should not make all members of other group bad people and also teaching them to believe that they all harmed each other, so there is need to forgive and forget and that they are all equally blamed for what happened.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Preliminaries 

DECLARATION A 

DECLARATION B 

DEDICATION 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

LIST OF TABLES 

LIST OF ACRONYMS 

ABSTRACT 

Chapter 

CHAPTER ONE 

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE 

Background of the Study 

Statement of the Problem 

Purpose of the Study 

Research Objectives 

Research Questions 

Null Hypotheses 

Scope 

Theoretical Scope 

Geographical Scope 

Content Scope 

77mescope 

Significance of the Study 

Operational Ddinitions of Key Terms  

CHAPTER TWO 

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 13 

Concepts, Opinions, Ideas from Authors/ Experts 13 

Theoretical perspective 28 

Related studies 33 

CHAPTER THREE 

METHODOLOGY 

Research Design 

Research Population 

Sample Size 

Sampling Procedures 

Research Instruments 

Validity and Reliability of Research Instruments 

Data Gathering Procedures 

Data Analysis 

Ethical consideration 

Limitations 

CHAPTER FOUR 

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF 

DATA  

CHAPTER FIVE 

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS 72 

Findings 72 

Recommendations 76 

Further research area 77 

REFERENCES 78 

APPENDICES 80 

APPENDIX IA: TRANSMITTAL LETTER 80 

APPENDIX IB: TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR THE RESPONDENTS 81 

APPENDIX II: CLEARANCE FROM ETHICS COMMITTEE 82 

APPENDIX III: INFORMED CONSENT 83 

APPENDIX IV A: FACE SHEET: 84 

APPENDIX IVB: QUESTIONNAIRE 85