In the novel When the Rain Clouds Gather, by Bessie Head, the protagonist, Makhaya, deals with suffering , trauma and eventual healing, especially when he arrives at Golema Mmidi. At the same time, the novel deals with issues of tribalism, greed and hatred in a postcolonial state. Throughout the novel, Makhaya attempts to resolve these struggles and create a new future for herself. The novel tells us that Makhaya is grappling with several very large-scale struggles. Makhaya wants to live in a country free of all forms of apartheid, racial domination and conflict between rich and poor and black and white. Makhaya spent his entire life under the apartheid system in South Africa, where offensive terms such as "boy", "dog" and "kaffir" were used to refer to black people, and tried to escape this system when crossing the border into Botswana. “…He simply wanted a country to love and chose the first thing at hand…” (Head, When Rain Clouds Gather, p. 17). He settled in the village of Golema Mmidi which provides a unique refuge for Batswana and South Africans trying to escape the misfortunes of their lives. Makhaya left South Africa for many reasons, one being that if he lived in a free country he thought "perhaps some of the ills in his life would correct themselves" ( Head, When Rain Clouds Gather, p. In this journey, Makhaya realizes that her main aspiration is that of a simple life. “…One road may lead to fame and importance, and another may lead to peace of mind. This is the road to peace of mind that I seek” (Head, When Rain Clouds Gather, p. 20). In Golema Mmidi, a place where social norms and values ​​are well respected, Makhaya joins a group of refugees and exiles. and gets involved in... middle of paper... human society was sane and normal", and that he simply had to "reconcile himself with his society" because that was all that he had (Head, When Rain Clouds Gather, p. 164). We learn that the process of healing and overcoming his struggles involves Makhaya working through his struggles by learning to trust and believe in the friends he is done and to the people he meets in Golema Mmidi. Although not all of Makhaya's inner struggles are fully resolved in the novel, he accepts who he is and learns to open up to the people around him. It’s living within a community, learning to accept that some things can’t be changed, and living simply that provides “peace of mind” for Makhaya. Although his thoughts are not silenced, they are calmed by his focus and determination, his involvement in the agricultural program, his friendships and his relationship with Paulina..