There is a scarcity of knowledge on community assets and resources in conflict-affected settings. To contribute to the development of community-led and asset-based mental health and psychosocial support, the aim of this study was to explore the ways in which communities recover from the aftermaths of conflict. Of particular interest was the community’s mobilisation of their own resources when they have very limited international and government assistance. The ethnographic research was conducted in 2015–2016 and 2019, with 49 participants from the local community of Musanze, northern Rwanda. Findings first identified social groups that participants perceived to have helped their recovery. These were faith-based groups, mutual-saving groups, and kin and neighbour networks, which contributed to spiritual, mental, social and economic recovery. Across these groups, six common practices-visiting (gusura), chatting (kuganira), praying together (gusenga), helping each other (gufashanya), sharing (gusangira), and reconciliation (kwiyunga)—were found to have constructed the recovery process through spiritual-healing, social-bonding and problem-solving in everyday life. The study highlighted the usefulness of communities’ problem-solving practices as well as cultural resources, both of which represent their identity and their view of humanity, which is, that human beings need to help one another in order to thrive.
