5 2000; Reeler et al were talking to their informants about the chronic physical and psychological suffering consequent upon their experiences of OVT in the Liberation War of the 1970s. Given the widespread nature of the violence since 2000 we must anticipate high levels of fresh trauma and retraumatisation in these communities. Elsewhere in Zimbabwe, in work with Matabeleland communities traumatised by the 1980s Gukurahundi experience (Eppel 1998), reports of work with traumatised communities suggest that they may have other cultural resources which could be mobilised to enable healing and reparation, in particular in relation to rituals of reburial and cleansing. The Matabeleland work also importantly highlights the importance of attention to damage to the social fabric of communities and also notes that post Independence state violence may be experienced as more traumatic (perhaps because the perpetrators were previously seen as liberators) than that which occurred during the Liberation struggle (when suffering was anticipated but much comfort was gained from the importance of the cause). We have been influenced by this work and by accounts of therapeutic work arising out of narrative theory that seemed appropriate in a context when the importance of witnessing is paramount. For example, we have been profoundly affected by Weingarten’s (2000/2002) work on witnessing and the possibility that compassionate witnessing positions may help to ameliorate the effects of trauma, and challenging the consequences of deliberate silencing on our lives and communities. In this regard we find ourselves in agreement with earlier Amani work: “…it is clear that storytelling is power. It has been salutary indeed to see the effects of the stories being witnessed. The value of ‘story telling’ and ‘witnessing’ cannot be emphasised enough in the therapeutic process.” Reeler 1998: 11. Methodology Two counsellors/research assistants were employed for this project. Both had previous training and experience in counselling although neither had worked with victims of organised political violence prior to this study. Counsellors were instructed that only one session was possible with each client and the emphasis in that session should be on facilitating free flow of the client’s story. During the 13 week pilot stage, 84 sessions were offered by the Mopane Group to Amani for clients to be referred for a one-off session. The methodology employed for the study was based on taping and transcribing clients sessions. Due to circumstances within the context outlined above, Amani was only able to utilise 31 of the total sessions offered. Of the 31 sessions only 23 were finally transcribed due to equipment failure. In addition a small amount of quantitative data was obtained from Amani for those clients whom they had referred. This quantitative data AMANI Trust: At the boiling point of the pain. Report of a pilot study examining the eficacy of psychotherapy for torture survivors.