Adonis,

My experience as an intern at Grace to Heal entailed several visits to rural communities and my first trip was to Tsholotsho where there are many people who were affected by the Gukurahundi atrocities of the 1980s in Zimbabwe. It was difficult at first to accept that such things actually took place and as victims gave their testimonies and experiences it made me realise that there are people who are still suffering even 26 years after these atrocities. Most of these people are from the grassroots levels in the country. It also made me realise that a lot could be done in helping these communities to heal from their painful memories of the atrocities.

We also had youth workshops and one such being in Gomoza, Lupane, a place were most people think violence is the easiest way of solving conflicts. This has actually affected the youth in that area as they have also adopted this culture of violence. It was quite a challenging experience as the youth in that area were zealous and eager to learn about Peace and Conflict. It made me realise that communities face very real and many conflicts which they needed assistance to deal with. I acquired different skills due to the exposure that l got at Grace To Heal, mostly in peace building and conflict transformation. For one to achieve these there is need for mediation and negotiation to take place and these are also very necessary tools. I also learnt that there is need for consistency in order to achieve targeted results 

I would like to thank the staff at Grace To Heal that made my internship worthwhile. They made me realise that everyday you have to challenge your capabilities and that nothing is impossible. I would like to thank Mr D Ngwenya for granting me the opportunity to be part of the team, Mrs S F Mathe for her undying support throughout the whole period, Pastor Ray Motsi for believing in me, Mr M Moyo, Mr JJ Moyo and Rev R.B Zikhali for showing me the necessary skills needed in peace building on the ground. Thank you all so much and God Bless.

Colleen,

When the word Peace building is mentioned most would think of rehabilitation, reconstruction, repatriation and restoration. Grace to Heal introduced me to a world that l did not think ever existed, poverty and the issue of intense conflict was not known to me.   Grace to Heal took me into the grass roots in the heart of Tsholotsho where as a student l discovered that political conflicts, general conflicts and the Gukurahundi issue are still the order of the day. The people of these societies do not accept strangers easily since they have the fear that Gukurahundi will haunt them again and again, the issue at hand is that they want accountability for the atrocities committed so that they can also be at ease with their day to day living.

At times we found ourselves face to face with political issues that have distorted the Tsholotsho community, even though our political leaders have joined hands, it is not the same at the grassroots.  Here people are at loggerheads with each other, still threatening each other and even beating up one another thus making life unbearable because of the fear and suspicions that permeates the communities. The exposure and experience helped me to understand that even though the government says it is working for a better nation the communities have to be conscietized and empowered in nonviolent conflict resolution skills so that we can have a cohesive and tolerant nation filled with a spirit of togetherness.

The organization had various workshops that l attended and the main objective was to teach people on peace building mechanisms of which these did not just help the community but me as a student. I was able to deal with my own traumatic experiences that had taken charge of my life. The good thing is that my experiences at Grace to Heal made me have a passion to continue with my education so as to get a better standing when it comes to peace building. I would like to say thank you to the Grace to Heal staff for they made my stay worthwhile and may God richly bless them.

The community programs that Grace To Heal initiates in the rural areas were an eye opener for me as I always thought that peace building must be initiated using only the top to bottom approach. The area that I worked in Gomoza, Lupane was an area that had victims of the 2008 election violence. I never thought that the election violence was so serious that it even spread to some parts of Matebeleland, but to amazement it did and I believed this when I saw the victims of the violence. It was shocked to note that the peace building activities done in the Gomoza area helped as the members of the main political parties now have friendly relations yet it was not so before.

I struggled during my first days at Grace to Heal as I was not used to the rural life but as time went on I managed to cope better. I worked with the youth in Gomoza and it was interesting to hear their perceptions about life and I got the opportunity to find out why they were the main perpetrators of violence. Their responses were mainly centered on greed and ignorance.

I had a good time at Grace to Heal. I enjoyed the field visits that I went to. The staff at Grace To Heal also were very patient with me especially Mr. J Moyo who taught me a lot about how to handle to peace building activities in the rural areas. Pastor Ray also played a big role in my life as an intern as he mentored me in the area of peace building. I will miss Grace To Heal and especially the youths that I was working with in Gomoza. I would like to thank the Grace To Heal Director for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to do my internship may God richly bless him and his colleagues.