THE AMANI TRUST
The AMANI Trust was set up in the wake of several regional conferences and workshops to provide
assistance to survivors of repressive violence. Initially operating under the umbrella of the Psychiatric
Association of Zimbabwe, the AMANI Trust was established as an independent NGO in November 1993.
The objectives of the AMANI Trust's activities are well-described by the Vienna Declaration and the
mandate for these objectives is described in a series of reports of meetings (6,7).
AMANI has been involved already in a wide range of activities to date. AMANI mounted a communitybased programme for refugee camp workers during 1992 and 1993 (8,9). Fifty camp workers were
trained in the detection, assessment, and management of psychological disorders, and several hundred
refugees were helped during this programme. Most recently, AMANI ran a regional training workshop for
persons working with victims of organised violence, and participants came from Malawi, Mozambique,
Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
AMANI has established relationships with various human rights organizations, nationally, regionally, and
internationally. AMANI has also become affiliated to the International Rehabiliation Council for Torture
Victims (IRCT), and is represented on this Council.
PROJECT AREA
Mount Darwin and Rushinga are two administrative districts in Mashonaland Central Province of
Zimbabwe. Situated in the north-east of the country, these two districts were very early involved in the
Liberation War of the 1970's, with the first attack of the ZANLA forces coming in December 1972 at
Altena Farm in Centenary, an adjacent district. Mount Darwin, with Rushinga, comprised "Chaminuka"
operational area for the ZANLA forces, and, with "Nehanda" and "Takawira" operational areas, formed
the first major offensive of the war. These three areas were part of "Hurricane" operational area by the
security forces of the Rhodesian government.