9 The Catholic Church and Psychosocial Support for Survivors of Violent Conflicts in Kenya’s North Rift

Abstract

Violent ethnic conflicts have devastating consequences on individuals, families, and communities. The physical, emotional, and psychological trauma that survivors of such conflicts experience can leave lasting scars that would affect their ability to lead healthy and productive lives. However, the community’s psychosocial support can play a crucial role in the healing journey of survivors, particularly when provided from a religious perspective. Recent studies show that religion and spirituality help improve health indicators in patients, although this improvement may vary across illnesses and patients. From evidence of field work done between 2018–2020 on the Catholic Church’s role in Peacebuilding, this chapter explores the way in which Church’s community engagement, contribute towards psychological and/or trauma healing, for survivors of violent ethnic conflicts in Kenya’s North Rift. The chapter uses a number of narratives from emergent themes from field data, as well as literature review. Data was gathered through focus group discussions, observation, and in-depth oral interviews. The arguments centre on the relevance of religious activities, and importance of community support systems in providing a sense of safety, belonging, and empowerment to survivors of violence. The support systems are in the form of support groups and therapy spaces, which are largely hinged on the theory of social capital, and the theory of contact. Ultimately, the chapter shows that a holistic approach to healing integrates psychosocial, religious/spiritual, and communal dimensions to provide a viable framework for supporting survivors of violent ethnic conflicts.