“Gisimba” memorial centre as it stands today is a community centre that has been in existence since 1990, focusing on advancing the wellbeing of children. We also note that their mission dates back 75 years, having begun this kind of work in Huye.  The centre was set up in memory of the “Gisimba” family, remembered for their enduring humanitarian contribution to Rwanda. The centre has since established itself at the frontline of fighting for the rights of children in Rwanda in addition to providing an environment that deals with specific cases of trauma.

Their work is based around after-school programs directed at underprivileged children. Through a holistic, trauma-aware approach, “Gisimba” provides community education that focuses on arts-based enrichment, family education and therapy.

In terms of architecture, an interesting opportunity to explore what shape this centre could take from a primarily trauma informed lens has emerged.  This is especially capitalising on the current discourse around mental health in urban environments.  As such, key questions that emerge from an architectural, anthropological and art perspective would include: How do we reimagine a place with fragile memories? How do we integrate trauma-informed principles? How do we deal with realities about the history of place and aspirations of the future? The project’s aim thus, is to explore how an existing facility can be re-imagined, while rooted in its origins and as a manifestation of the state of the art in its own right.