About Us

Hooley Dooley! HAHA!I have been made Honorary President of Counseling Volunteers Club in Rwanda which is an umbrella for 12 associations,at this present time,including international organisations such as F.X.B,an A.I.D.S charity supporting families affected by this disease.Also Amahoro organisation who is supporting children affected by A.I.D.S and other Genocide survivor associations.

C.V.C was founded by its President Banamungu Idi who was instumental in organizing the Clay Therapy Training that I facilitated from Sophia College of Counseling in Australia.The Clay Therapy absolutely exceeded any of my expectations and I can truly say that I was priviledged to be witness to its amazing healing qualities with severely traumatized people.I listened to true and directly experienced horror stories suffered by Genocide survivors that had undergone many years of conventional counselling that had only marginally scratched the surface of their grief and loss.Many of the participants in the Clay workshops were dubious that anything could ever help their pain filled hearts and bring peace back into their lives.I was so grateful that they trusted me and the Clay Therapy to persevere that little bit more through to the end of the Clay Sequences and find the healing they had needed so desparately,just to BREATHE FREELY again.It is incredible evidence that holistic approaches to healing and empowerment are successfull in the rehabilitation of severely traumatised people and its because of this that I want to continue to provide Rwandese with more opportunities to heal beyond their own expectations!I know together we CAN do this.

Laughter Yoga was also another surprise to me as I thought maybe Rwandese might be a bit shy to laugh loudly and let go of themselves but they embraced it with BELLY LAUGHS!The 1000's of school children that did the activities with me never wanted me to stop!Even when I was walking through the ghettos in my own time they would see me and chant "very good very good YAY" or "Ho ho hahaha" and send me into thrills of delight that Laughter Yoga had reached them so deeply.Moments I will treasure for ever!I included Laughter Yoga in my Clay workshops also and they made an enormous differance to the coping skills of everyone as the endorphines and natural painkillers filled the blood stream creating a mental and emotional relief for the participants.Next visit to Rwanda I will be doing Laughter Yoga Facilitators training as everyone wanted to form a Rwandese Laughter Yoga Club.IMAGINE........The healing powers of LAUGHTER lifting the souls of these such deserving people :)

Much GRATITUDE to Banamungu who has dedicated his life to providing means to a better future for vulnerable Rwandese through music,drama and counseling.Through Banamungu and C.V.C I was able to make sure the money donated by you all went to honest and vulnerable beneficiaries and that enabled around 70 children to go to Primary school for a year,10 to go to Secondary school and 40 families with medical insurance and many A.I.D.S families with food and homecare vouchers.Our money stretched so far,when you consider that a year in Primary costs only $30 approx its not even the cost of a night on the town or out for dinner for us!I wish you were all there to see the jubilant and grateful faces of the children as I did when they received their vouchers from the people of Australia to attend school for the whole year OMG!Such precious moments :)

After joining ideas with Banamungu and seeing the amazing empowerment the Clay Therapy and Laughter Yoga brought into the lives of Rwandese we decided to create Counselling Volunteers Club as a means to training people to help themselves and each other.Instead of just handing out money, which on its own does'nt provide empowerment,we will be asking beneficaries to first attend a "What is a volunteer?" workshop and listing 3 activities they can offer another member eg, cooking for a member who is sick or fixing a car or sewing clothes,this teaches people to reach out to each other so no one feels alone or helpless.Each member also must attend 1 empowerment or healing workshop to ensure they are on their way to providing a better and more joyfull future for themselves their families and ultimately their country.When these things are completed they will then be eligible to receive financial help.

To provide this training and financial help I would like to get at least 100 Australians to direct debit into a C.V.C bank account only $10 a month which would give a total of $1000 a month to put kids in school,provide medical insurance,homecare,food and training to many Rwandese.I have registered 70 families that I met personally and know they are truly vulnerable and I would like us to take care of them first by implementing this plan with them.This is a chance for you to help knowing that it is direct to these people and not only a % going to them but ALL of it!Being an Honorary President I will be overseeing everything from training to financial benefits and I endevour to make this an amazing and successful project.I invite anyone to join me in Rwanda to get personally involved with C.V.C and our vision.

I also wish to approach the Rwandan government for a grant for the Genocide mourning period in April 2013 to hold 1month of healing and empowerment workshops that I hope some of you might be interested in joining with me.If you can create a workshop that you feel will help the Rwandans and want to come to Africa with me on a journey of a lifetime this is your chance and you have time to save for your trip too :)

Kimmy O'Meara