Turning Pain into a School of Life

When Serge Nyirinkwaya arrived in Calgary from Rwanda to begin his PhD in the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work, he couldn’t have predicted just how deeply his research would resonate with his community, his colleagues and, most importantly, with the youth at the heart of his work.

Recently, Nyirinkwaya successfully defended his dissertation, a culmination of years of inquiry, reflection and participatory research. His dissertation, “We Turned Pain into a School of Life: Rwandan Young People as Archivists of Knowledge in Response to Childhood Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence,” explores the often-overlooked experiences of children who grew up in homes marked by domestic violence in post-genocide Rwanda.

“I see myself as a practitioner-researcher,” says Nyirinkwaya. “I come from a background in narrative therapy and community work, and my research is rooted in creating space for young people to share stories that have long been silenced — not intentionally, but because of culture, context or lack of resources.”

Nyirinkwaya’s journey into this line of research began during his master’s studies at the University of Melbourne and the Dulwich Centre in Australia. Through his community work, he became increasingly aware of the connection between the country’s history of genocide and the ongoing crisis of family violence. 

Identifying gaps in research into intimate-partner violence

While much attention had been paid to intergenerational trauma, direct violence against children and youth, and violence against women and girls, less was being said about the rising number of children affected by intimate-partner violence between their parents or caregivers, many of whom were fleeing their homes and ending up on the streets or in other situations putting their mental and psychosocial health in danger.

In his research, Nyirinkwaya asks some hard questions: What happens to the children who experience intimate-partner violence between their parents or guardians? What supports do they need? And how do they carry these memories forward, and how might those memories be transformed into something healing and educative?

Local wisdom and personal experiences vital to research

Rather than merely documenting harm, Nyirinkwaya chose to co-create with the youth involved in his study. Working with 13 young mental health advocates in Rwanda, he facilitated a participatory process rooted in digital archiving and multisensory storytelling. Youth were invited to preserve sensory memories: the smells, sounds and sights that brought them comfort during moments of chaos.

“These stories were full of resilience,” Nyirinkwaya says. “One participant shared how the smell of traditional banana beer being brewed by his mother brought a moment of peace. Another found calm in the sound of rain hitting the tin roof at night. The sound drowned out the violence and gave him a way to sleep. 

"These memories helped them hold on to a sense of safety, even in very unsafe environments.”

The result is a deeply human, nuanced archive of youth experience, one that values their voices not only as victims or witnesses, but as knowledge holders. Nyirinkwaya's methodology challenges conventional top-down approaches to trauma and mental health research and instead centres the youth as co-researchers, storytellers and archivists of lived knowledge. 

He began by centring local wisdom, beginning with a famous Rwandan proverb: “ntawe uribara nk’umuto wariraye,” which translates as: "No one can tell the story of the night better than the young person who lived through it.” 

Research extends to Alberta context

Throughout his doctoral work, Nyirinkwaya collaborated with several UCalgary scholars including Dr. Angelique Jenney, PhD, the Wood's Homes Research Chair in Children's Mental Health; Dr. Ajwang’ Warria, PhD, a University of Calgary Research Excellence Chair; and Dr. Kathleen Sitter, MCS'02, MSW'08, PhD'12, Canada Research Chair in Multisensory Research and Knowledge Translation, in incorporating principles of multisensory engagement and trauma-informed practice. 

He also extended this research lens into the local context where he co-led a community-based project with Calgary’s South Sudanese diaspora that explores culturally grounded responses to domestic violence. He also serves on the board of directors of the Ruth’s House Society, where he contributes to initiatives aimed at preventing and responding to domestic violence in African diaspora communities in Alberta.

Jenney, a mentor who collaborated with Nyirinkwaya on the research project, describes the impact of his work with heartfelt admiration: “Serge’s beautifully written dissertation has made a meaningful and timely contribution to our field. His thesis exam was a powerful reflection of his scholarly excellence.”

Beyond the academy, Nyirinkwaya's research is creating ripples of change, both for the young people who finally had their stories heard, and for the broader systems that too often overlook them.

“My hope is that, by sharing their stories — on their own terms — these young people can heal and help others heal, too," he says. 

"Pain can be a school of life when it’s met with care, community and deep listening.”