As a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, I have walked the long and painful road of trauma, grief, and healing. I have also witnessed, time and time again, the strength of women; the way we rise, even when the weight of the world is on our shoulders.

In a country that has endured the worst of humanity, it was women who stood at the forefront of healing. We carried not only our own pain but also the burdens of our families and communities. Despite all we had witnessed and suffered, we nurtured our children, comforted our husbands and brothers, and held our neighbors close.

We became the backbone of a nation rebuilding itself from the ashes of tragedy. Women have the power to heal a nation. We are tender, we are listening, and we understand pain in ways that make us natural caregivers.

This belief is what led my husband, Samuel Munderere, and I to create Solid Minds Counselling Clinic. We dreamt of a place where people could find mental health support free from stigma and judgment. At the time, we only knew that Rwanda needed a safe space for mental health, but we did not realize just how deep that need ran