Alumni Stories: Germain Naruhana
Recent Sydney graduate Germain Naruhana has progressed quickly since completing the Certificate in Humanitarian Foundations in February 2018.
Germain, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is the new ‘Witness to War Project Officer’ with STARTTS - a Sydney based specialist, non-profit organisation that for more than 25 years has provided culturally appropriate and cutting edge psychological treatment and support to help people heal the scars of torture and refugee trauma and rebuild their lives in Australia.
Germain’s new role see’s him working with:
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Relatives and friends of individuals caught up in overseas conflict zones;
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Individuals or families returning after living overseas for some years preceding conflict;
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Individuals returning to Australia after working in conflict zones (including Journalists.
Humanitarian Aid workers and other non-combatants in conflict); -
Members of communities with cultural or other ties to overseas conflict zones; and
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Vulnerable consumers of media or social media coverage of overseas conflict.
Germain has also set up a small NGO in DRC to support people who are suffering from Humanitarian catastrophes such as war related malnutrition and hunger. Germain's NGO supports:
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Children with school material and fees;
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Mediation and cohabitation among communities through peace related activities; and
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Promoting Human Rights and reaching out to people around issues pertaining to Child Protection and Gender Based Violence.
NB: No website is currently available but we'll promote it when live
“I just want to say thank you again for the training and the good time we had together. My success in gaining this position was in big part based on the information I got from Humanitarian Institute. I am so happy I was part of the program” Germain said.
Humanitarian Institute wishes Germain all the best in this challenging yet rewarding role, and looks forward to bringing you updates as his career progresses.