Welcome to THARS. A non-profit that creates a healing space where communities grow stronger through resilience, reconciliation, and the power of mental well-being.

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About us.

Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Services (THARS) was founded in 2000 with a bold vision: to break the cycle of violence in Burundi by healing the invisible wounds of trauma. In a region scarred by decades of interethnic conflict, THARS stands as a beacon of hope, offering an innovative, community-based approach to peacebuilding rooted in healing, reconciliation, and empowerment.

Our story begins with Dr. David Niyonzima, a survivor of the 1993 mass killings, who fled to Kenya as a refugee. There, he began to understand that lasting peace couldn’t come through political solutions alone—it had to start with people. With the belief that unhealed trauma is the soil where future violence grows, Dr. Niyonzima returned with a mission: to help individuals and communities confront the past, restore dignity, and rebuild trust.

Today, THARS is a leading force in trauma recovery and social healing in Burundi and the Great Lakes Region of Africa. We provide mental health services, facilitate reconciliation dialogues, and build local capacity so that communities can transform pain into strength and division into unity.

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Our Vision

At THARS our vision is for traumatized people embark on healing processes to become spiritually, culturally and economically resilient.

Our Mission

Our mission is to contribute to the healing of psychological traumas by offering psychosocial services and capacity building, empowering the community to become psychosocially, spiritually, culturally and economically resilient.

Our Values

  • Awareness and Gender Sensitivity

  • Healing and Conflict Transformation

  • Holistic Resilience

  • Cultural Relevance

  • Environmental Care

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Our services.

At THARS, healing and hope go hand in hand.

Through our Community Therapeutic Centers, we help individuals and communities grow stronger—mind, body, and spirit. We run trauma healing workshops, train inspiring local leaders and volunteers (including those at our Listening Centers), and use creative outlets like music, theatre, sports, and storytelling to make the healing journey empowering and fun. Our work also includes peacebuilding through the Alternatives to Violence Program, raising awareness about trauma, protecting children, and promoting eco-friendly farming for a healthier, more resilient future.

Our team.

At the heart of THARS is a dedicated team of mental health professionals, community leaders, volunteers, peacebuilders, and support staff who share a deep commitment to healing and reconciliation in Burundi.

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Group of 18 people gathered in a room with white and blue curtains, some seated on green chairs and others standing behind, posing for a photo.

The Burundi Government recognized THARS as a not-for-profit organization and registered it under the Ordonnance Ministérielle N° 530/430 of July 8, 2002, granting full authority to operate throughout the country. It also has a conformity authorization after complying with the new law regulating the local associations under the “Prise d’Acte” Nº 530/110/CAB/2018.