Continuing our series of articles from our Annual Report 2023/24, we outline here our work with Shooting Touch.

Shooting Touch, in collaboration with Survivors Fund (SURF) and Uyisenga n’Manzi, is using the power of sport (basketball) to improve Rwandan individuals’ knowledge and management of mental health illnesses, while striving to reduce the existing stigmas, on an individual, family, and community level, around the understanding and treatment of such illnesses.

Funded by Comic Relief, the three-year project, which launched in 2021, will deliver the following:

1. Women, boys, and girls suffering from mental illness(es) report a greater awareness of their mental health status.

2. Increased access to and utilization of mental health services for at-risk (defined as an individual with a mental health concern) women, boys, and girls.

3. Increased knowledge surrounding mental health illnesses, coping strategies, and available services for staff, participants, families, community members, and health workers.

4. Decreased social stigmas surrounding mental health illnesses and treatment amongst participants, families, and fellow community members.

5. Increased sense of self-worth, acceptance, and knowledge to live healthier and happier lives amongst at-risk participants.

The project focuses on Kayonza District in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. The partnership strategically combines sports-based approaches with quality mental health support. It provides mental health education, physical activity, and expanded access to counselling services. The approach is to move into a new village each year, while also sustaining existing participants, enabling us to serve as many as 520 at-risk Rwandan women and youth in each village, engage over 100 healthcare professionals with up to 4 coaches, and educate approximately 4,000 community members.

Chantal *

For many years, Chantal’s life was very difficult. Employed as a houseworker, Chantal was the sole earner in her family, whilst also being expected to cook, clean and look after three children. This marital dynamic is quite common in rural Rwanda. Chantal’s husband offered no support at home whilst retaining complete financial control – often spending Chantal’s wages without consulting her. To add to these pressures, her husband’s family, who did not approve of their marriage, would openly insult her in the village.

Now, she is a leader with an inspiring message to share. Back then, Chantal was in a lot of pain and unable to see a way out:

“My husband’s family didn’t love me. They would call me bad names, whatever they wanted. Even my neighbours hated me because of them. Because of the way I was treated, I felt helpless.”

But then Shooting Touch arrived in Chantal’s village. It uses the power of sport to help whole communities tackle the effects of poverty, health and gender inequality. A basketball court was set up and Chantal, excited to play, signed up immediately – continuing even as some people harassed her for it.

Over the course of the programme, Chantal learnt about her rights as a woman, and about how gender norms were negatively impacting the community. Finding her voice, Chantal decided to speak up for herself and challenged her husband’s behaviour. “I went home and I asked my husband ‘Why don’t you help? I’m tired. I do everything. If you don’t help me, I will go.’ He listened.” Although resistant at first, Chantal’s husband began to appreciate what she was saying. And one day she came home from work to find a clean home and a cooked dinner. Long-term, their partnership has now improved significantly, and the pair have expanded their farming business, benefiting the entire family.

Chantal has gone from strength to strength and was recently elected to be a Community Health Worker for the village. Her role includes distributing mosquito nets, educating others about health and working with children under five. She also played a huge role during the Covid-19 pandemic, informing her community about the virus and administering the vaccine.

“I was elected to be a community health worker. They saw that I have potential.” Chantal is now more motivated than ever and describes her family as happy and thriving. “My plan is to work hard for my family and for my children to study well and make a living, and for me to move forward. I want to keep moving forward every day.”

“The message I would give to other women is that they should be bold.”