98% users recommend the usage of this service to their friends.

How many big brand companies would want to use this headline in their advertisements? It shows the best appreciation of a service you can imagine, something most big brands can only dream of! So no, this is not an advertisement, and neither is it linked to a multi-million dollar company. It is the outcome of the evaluation of a project to support the survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, though a Legal and Counselling Helpline attended to by a team of professionals.

The Helpline is essentially a free telephone number that survivors can call to get legal and counselling advice. It has been running since 2013, run by the Student’s Association of Genocide Survivors (AERG) with invaluable support from Inspire!Africa and other SURF partners. Over the years the Helpline has attended to over 600 clients, and has grown to include field staff who provide support to clients through legal education and orientation, advocacy and representation in court

An evaluation has been conducted by interviewing 100 users and overall, the outcome of the evaluation is very positive, as shown by the 98% of the respondents that would recommend the service to their friends. Moreover, the Helpline scored an impressive 8.5 on a scale of 0 to 10 in the quality of the service. Still, there are some areas for improvement. A closer integration of the legal and counselling services is possible and would benefit the clients. More follow-up and advocacy for the clients is the most pressing need to improve the lives of these vulnerable survivors, but that would only be possible with more financial support.