Rwanda Resilience and Grounding Organization - rrgo

CRM Intervention with Survivors and Perpetrators of the Rwandan Genocide | School of Behavioral Health My name is Samuel Habimana, and I hold a bachelor's degree in clinical psychology and a master's in Public Health fro

We are truly excited that the CRM skill training resulted in significant improved mental health and increased pro-social attitudes. This type of a mixed delivery and the pro-social effects are critical as this is how participants live their lives and many are currently not engaging with each other, adding to their already stressful lives. Interventions such as this one are critical to help with the reintegration of perpetrators¹ and their families into Rwandan post-genocide life, and help survivors² and returnees³ live together with more pro-social engagement.

CRM Intervention with Survivors and Perpetrators of the Rwandan Genocide | School of Behavioral Health My name is Samuel Habimana, and I hold a bachelor's degree in clinical psychology and a master's in Public Health fro

Task Sharing As An Empowerment Strategy: Implementing The Community Resiliency Model In Trauma High-Risk Communities Of Rwanda For Enhanced Community Resilience And Forgiveness. “What I learned here is the key for cleaning the path from my house to the house of survivors whom…

I had the privilege of participating and delivering a presentation at the 39th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS), hosted at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in Los Angeles, California, USA, from November 1 to 4. This event provided a valuable opportunity to engage with and receive feedback from a diverse panel of experts in the field of trauma management and research.

During my presentation, I shared the ongoing results of my research, which focuses on the impact of the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) on alleviating trauma symptoms, enhancing resilience,social cohesion, and forgiveness among survivors and perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide. Importantly, our findings revealed that a mere six hours of CRM intervention distributed over three consecutive days led to a substantial reduction in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, anger, and emotional dysregulation, while simultaneously boosting resilience, social cohesion, and forgiveness.

On going Regional Research Symposium where I will speak on CRM and laughter yoga interventions on restoration resilience and mental well Being among genocide survivors and perpetrators in Rwanda

A 64-year-old woman from Kamegeri sector, Nyamagabe District who spent 17 years in jail following her conviction for genocide, shared a profound transformation: "Upon learning that my sentence had ended, my heart raced with anticipation, filled with questions about how I would confront the survivors of the families I had once contributed to harming. At that point, I felt stripped of my humanity, overwhelmed by shame for my past actions.

I heard about a Community Resiliency Model(CRM) training program from local leaders, but initially, I questioned whether I deserved such an opportunity. Nonetheless, I took the leap and joined the training. From the very first day, meeting the trainers and immersing myself in the model, it felt like a rebirth. Long-lost emotions returned, and empathy and tranquility resurfaced. By the third day of training, I had become a new person, shedding the weight of shame that had burdened me for so long. Now, I aspire to collaborate with others to bring peace and happiness not only to my family but to others as well.

What astonishes me most is the newfound ability to openly connect with people, particularly young individuals. I realize that I possess valuable skills for well-being, an authentic story of love, and a transformative journey to share with them."

In Nyanza district, located in the southern province of Rwanda, a combination of CRM skills training and Laughter yoga was employed to foster peace, reconciliation, and mental well-being among both genocide survivors and ex-prisoners who had been convicted of genocide-related crimes. This initiative significantly contributed to rebuilding cohesion, promoting cooperation, and rebuilding trust within the community.

A survivor from Nyanza village shared, "I used to live in constant fear, worried about potential harm from the perpetrators who had returned to the community after serving their prison sentences. However, since I participated in the Community Resiliency Model training, I have gained inner strength that has freed me from fear and allowed me to cooperate with my neighbors. Now, I confidently leave the keys to my house with them when I go to the farm, and they pass them on to my grandchildren when they return from school. This program not only helped me overcome my fear but also instilled trust and cohesion in me towards my neighbors."

The ongoing Community Resiliency Model "Inzira y’ umutuzo" program in Nyamagabe district, located in the southern province of Rwanda, among 1994 genocide survivors seeks to reduce trauma, promote healing among genocide survivors, enhance their resilience, and foster compassion, cohesion, and resilience in their daily lives.

The Three Days of Community Resiliency Model (CRM) boosted by Laughter Yoga in Nyanza district, Rwanda, sounds like a powerful initiative to promote social cohesion, prevent familiar conflict, and build resilience among genocide survivors and perpetrators. Here are some positive stories of how the trainings are helping the participants heal from internalized stigma associated with depression, and PTSD, and giving them a reason to live:
Breaking Barriers between Survivors and Perpetrators: The combination of the Community Resiliency Model and Laughter Yoga has created a safe space for survivors and perpetrators to come together and engage in healing activities. Sharing laughter and participating in the exercises together has helped break down walls of animosity, allowing for genuine interactions and understanding between the two groups.

full to Victoria Park and Butare Rotary Club for working together and funding this important important

Here we go

Discussing the Community Resiliency Model – Catalyst 2030 The Community Resiliency Model: The autonomic nervous system, how the body responds to stress and how it can be restored to balance.

The Rwanda Resilience and Grounding Organization (RRGO) is actively engaged in promoting peace, resilience, and healing between genocide survivors and perpetrators. Curently, they conducted training sessions in the southern province of Rwanda, specifically in the Ntwongwe sector of the Ruhango district and the Cyahinda sector of the Nyaruguru district. These training sessions focused on utilizing the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and laughter yoga intervention to foster resilience and healing within the community.
https://www.rrgo.org/?p=2024
RRG0 " # Victoria Rotary club # Butare Rotory club and Rotary club Rwanda and Internation.

We are excited to announce that RRGO will participate in the Glasswing Conference 2023, Reimagining Mental Health Virtual Conference, on the panel led by Madam Elaine Miller Karas, where the RRGO Director will speak about "Working with Trauma in Rwanda After 29 Years of Genocide: The Impact of Community Resilience Model on Healing Trauma, Building Resilience, and Enhancing Social Cohesion Among Rwandans." On May 30, 2023, the conference will be held virtually.

From today 7th April to 4th July, Rwandans and friends of Rwandans are commemorating the 1994 genocide perpetrated against Tutsi in 1994. The genocide has stopped but its effects are still fresh in hearts of Rwandans ( either who were exposed and those born after the massacres).
In this period, we are sincerely condolences to those who survived and lost their beloved one.
They are easy and impactful skills you can practice when you are not Ok because of remembering and get emotional dysregulation. It is normal and it is not weakness of you or you body. Here is skills you can practice:

1. You can take a cup of water and notice the warm, coldness of the water.
2. You can take the phone and listen the songs that bring you hope and strength and notice the content of that song you like
3. You can talk to your friends / family member that make your strong and notice that attachment
3. You can move around and notice the movement of your foot and arms
4. You can shift the negative thought to positive and after pay attention to the positive memory you had.Notice that place or person Came in image of positive memory.
You can do one exercise or more based on how you are feeling.
“Our story, our strength to move forward.”

Peace and smile between survivors and perpetrators of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
# wellness skills yoga .

EMOTION REGULATION AND RESILIENCE AMONG RWANDA GENOCIDE SURVIVORS AND GENOCIDE PERPETRATORS. Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda is an inhuman atrocity that takes a million Rwandan community lives in three months. Since…

Ongoing building of resilience and social cohesion among genocide survivors and perpetrators of genocide in Nyamagabe, Cyanika sector.
RRGO has been using " Inzira y'umutuzo" to help survivors and perpetrators heal and enhance resilience and mental well-being. and Laughter yoga intervention were used to support these communities. Today Training our Funder" Rotary club ' was on filed and represented by Rotary Club Butare.
Thank you again, Nyamagabe district, for excellently working hand in hand with RRGO and the community to find sustainable solutions for mental health issues in our community.

You can never get tired of helping your own community. RRGO continues to foster resilience and wellness skills in the Rwandan community. Rutsiro district, western province of Rwanda, where an RRGO team was providing CRM skills training alongside laughter yoga. Community Resiliency Model skills training teaches adaptive wellness skills that are simple and inexpensive to all community groups. Genocide survivors and former incarcerated populations of genocide crimes were gathered and shared wellness skills for trauma resilience. They formed a club called "Umutuzo club," which translates as "Resilience zone club," at the end of the training. They want to maintain their resilience while also increasing their cohesion and compassion.

Rwanda Resilience and Grounding Organization - rrgo - has begun online refresher Community Resiliency Model skills training provided by Trauma Resource Institute today. The trainers were Elaine and Nancy. RRGO staff and volunteers are grateful for these vital trainings, which continue to help us strengthen Rwandan community resilience. The training began on February 2nd, 2023 and will last until March 2nd, 2023.

On going restoration of mental wellness ,peace , resilience among the genocide survivors and ex prisoner perpetrators of 1994 genocide against Tutsi, in Rwanda.
Doing Community Resiliency Model (CRM ) skills training and combining laughter yoga practice bring the dynamic in room .
Here we trainer # Resilience skills on CRM and after we do laughter exercises of looking in the mirror .
This is how we are in present moment !
” I was surprised of how all of us we have almost the some resource “ loving our children and family “.No resource of survivors nor perpetrators. Look how we are “ said One participant.
I feel calm and joyful! Sensing pleasant You can see. “ we are helping each other to build resilience. Thank you partners Park RotaryRotary InternationalTrauma Resource Institute@ Butare Rotary club and Kibilizi sector , southern province of Rwanda

Rwanda resilience and grounding organization has launched the project of building resilience and social cohesion among genocide survivors and ex prisoners of 1994 genocide against Tutsi .

This project started in Kibilizi sector , Gisagara district. It is going to be implemented in 15 districts of Rwanda . We are using # Community Resilience Model skills training and laughter yoga for supporting our community.The project aimed to heal mental health , build resilience and enhance social cohesion between families of survivors and perpetrators ( finish punishment back in community) of 1994 genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda.

RRGO thanks our partners Victoria Park Rotary , Rotary Butare, Rotary International ,@ Trauma Resources institute(TRI) and laugther yoga international.

Today , Kigali, Rwanda # Community Based sociotherapy(CBS) has launched 3 days of international Conference about Beyond trauma: Intergenerational healing and peacebuilding in the Great Lakes Region.” Rwanda Resilience and Grounding organization ( RRGO ) has been represented.

RRGO since 2015 has been worked with other partners to strive our mission to Building resilience to trauma and enhancing social cohesion among Rwanda community.
“ Talking to your positive memory or experience have found to contribute not only emotion regulation but also ensure equilibrium of nervous system “ said RRGO representative.

CRM is an effective approach in promoting not only mental wellbeing but also physiological and social wellbeing. I get these after my practices of this approach and learning from the experiences and findings from the recent publications. We appreciated the efforts of TRI and Elaine for making this effective approach possible and practiced in different communities of the war. See some publications doi:10.1136/bmjoq-2022-002011

“They can’t kill us all”: These scholars lost their countries and found each other At the New University in Exile, they fight for democracy from afar.

Inspiring activities of Trauma Resource Institute in built resilience and mental healing internationally Through Community and Trauma Resiliency Model. They are still many places need this excellent resilience model helping mental suffering individuals and communities to back into wellbeing . RRGO is proud and missioned to spread this healing model in Rwanda : North , Souther , East and Western and central provinces of Rwanda .

I think to be resilient and develop ability to back into wellbeing is now .

How do we bring healing and wellness to the global community? Listen here: https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/139430/international-healing-the-community-and-trauma-resiliency-models

TRI’s CEO, Dr. Michael Sapp, and Reena Patel, LCSW Director of Education & Training joined Elaine Miller-Karas’ podcast to discuss how they use the Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® and Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)® in international spaces.

On May 24th, 2022, Rwanda Resilience and Grounding Organization (RRGO) celebrated world laughter yoga day with primary school students at Gasabo District, Kigali city.
It was a great time and opportunity for RRGO to share laughter sessions with students to help them to benefit from the impact of laughter yoga.
Laughter yoga among children contributes to developing emotional intelligence through laughter and play, love and connections, decreasing Stress-related to the school, domestic abuse, and environmental stress and increasing the learning ability, and helps to enhance academic performance.
RRGO thanks the partners, schools, and donors who continue to donate(Donate (paypal.com) to RRGO to extend our activities in different places in Rwanda. Consider supporting RRGO to continue advancing wellness skills in Rwanda post-genocide period. Donate (paypal.com)
Who laughs last!

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