19 families that included “disappeared” members were suffering a range of problems as a consequence on the non-burial of their family members19. 4.2 Assessing the needs of survivors in the community20 Since the family visiting programme had strongly indicated severe poverty among the survivors, it seemed important to determine whether this poverty was peculiar to survivors or merely a reflection of the general poverty in the Province. Thus, in order to determine the psychosocial effects on survivors of OVT, a comprehensive questionnaire was constructed, based on information from the 1993 Census, the CCJP poverty datum study, the government’s own poverty assessment survey, consultations with members of the Department of Rural and Urban Planning at the University of Zimbabwe, and personal experience of the context. The assessment focused upon a series of key areas as follows below: • health; • children’s health status; • activities and employment; • household income activities; • housing amenities; • agricultural activities: • cropping; • gardening; • use of natural resources; • communication & transport; • household consumption; • perceptions of poverty. The questionnaire was given as a structured interview to all subjects. The subjects were chosen from amongst the clients of the Amani Trust, and chosen to give as broad a representation of all clients and various areas in which they live. An attempt was made to get at least 2 persons from each area in Mount Darwin. There were two sets of respondents: Clients [survivors], who were registered with the Amani Trust, and Controls, who were not registered with AMANI, and were immediate neighbours of the Clients. It was apparent that several Controls had histories of OVT, but had not sought assistance from or referral to Amani: about 50% had no experience of organised violence. In the end, the comparison was between those who sought assistance from Amani with those who had not. Clients reported more aches, pains and depression than the Controls. This suggested that one major difference between the two groups lies in the ability of the Controls to cope with any disability or disorder due to OVT; it may also reflect the fact that Controls did not experience significant OVT. Additionally, these were symptoms that would be expected form the selection criteria: severe psychological disorder and Impact torture. There were no real differences between the two groups in access to and use of health facilities, but some differences in the kinds of illnesses, and the days lost due to illness. However, the study did not sample the frequency of consultation, which would have been a useful indicator, and had implications for the economic costs suffered due to illness. There was one small indication in the amount expended 19 20 See Mupinda, M. (1997), Loss and grief among the Shona: the Meaning of Disappearances, LEGAL FORUM, 9, 41-49. See AMANI (1998), The Psycho-Social Needs of Survivors of Organised Violence and Torture in the Community, HARARE: AMANI; see also Reeler, A.P., & Mhetura, J. (2000), The psychosocial effects of organised violence and torture: A pilot study comparing survivors and their neighbours in Zimbabwe, JOURNAL OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA, 15, 137-169. AMANI TRUST: Psycho-Social assistance to Survivors of the Liberation War. A report on Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe.