Imagine We Rwanda is an organisation dedicated to empowering the reading and creative writing culture in Rwanda. An initiative has recently been launched by author, Dominique Alonga Uwase who aims at encouraging open discussions for the youth regarding mental health experiences.
Her innovative card game called ‘Deeper Conversations’ comprises of 55 thoughtfully designed cards which aim to create a supportive and safe environment for the expression of emotions. She believes that Rwanda has an unexpressive culture where people don’t trust easily and carry around a lot of trauma. She feels the game allows people to get to know each other better.
She collaborated with mental health experts who have proven the game to be safe for use by mental health victims.
A Rwanda Mental Health Survey (RMHS) was carried out in 2023 and the results have shown that many Rwandans between the ages of 14 and 25 are struggling with psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, and trauma.
The card games have sold out twice in less than a year and there has been a lot of positive feedback from families, especially couples and parents. Parents especially, are finding the cards useful in getting to know their teenage children better.
Photo: (c) unsplash.com/Marcel Strauß
