Mukankubana

Before joining the group:
Before I joined the healing circle, I was living in very difficult conditions and facing serious physical health problems. Soon after I got married, I encountered many challenges one after another. Whenever one problem ended, another would begin.

I first fell seriously ill with malaria, which caused me to miscarry three consecutive pregnancies. My condition became so severe that I even went into a coma, and I lost hope of ever living a normal, healthy life again.

While I was still sick, I also faced a land and housing dispute. We had purchased land where we planned to live, but the seller later claimed we had not paid him, even though we had paid him in full. This happened the very night I returned home from the hospital.

From that moment, I began to experience severe headaches, which I have suffered from since 2010 until the day I joined the peacebuilders’ group. The headaches were especially intense at night, often leaving me unable to sleep.

At the same time, the legal disputes over the house and land began, worsening my condition and plunging my family into deep poverty. Conflicts with neighbors also arose. I reached a point where I trusted no one, believing everyone was against me. This mistrust extended into my marriage, causing serious conflict between my husband and me, and we stopped understanding each other.

How I joined the group:
One day, while I was at home, some people came to visit me. They introduced themselves as Community Healing Assistants (Abubatsi b’amahoro) and explained that they were implementing the Imenye Wigire healing program, which would last fifteen weeks.

I thought I would be alone in the circle, but when I arrived, I found many other participants like me. We greeted each other warmly, hugged, laughed, and for the first time in a long time, I felt joy returning to my heart.

The healing journey:
The peacebuilders guided us through discussions and various exercises designed to relax the body and restore calm. From the very first session, the body movement exercises helped me. I had thought my body was functioning normally, but I discovered that parts of it had been tense and “asleep” for years.

On the second day, we learned about calmness. I had lived in constant fear and anxiety, always expecting harm because I had experienced severe mistreatment. That day, I returned home feeling peaceful, smiling, and laughing together with others—something I had not experienced in years.

I slept well that night, which had been impossible for a long time.

As the sessions continued, I practiced each exercise diligently because I felt they were bringing healing. One exercise, called “Haa for strength,” helped relieve my chronic back pain, which I had suffered from for five years.

My menstrual cycle returned after being absent for many years despite medical treatment. From that moment, my health improved significantly, and I have not experienced those problems again.

Transformation and reconciliation:
As we progressed through the sessions from calmness to trust and finally the shame-burning rituals, where we were asked to write down what makes us feel shame, and we symbolically burnt the papers. After doing this, I felt completely free and healed.

Life today:

I reconnected emotionally with my children. I had previously felt detached from them because I had lost earlier children, but now I regained love and closeness with them. We began laughing together again.
My illness has healed, and I no longer live in constant fear or conflict. I regained strength and began working again, supported by my husband, who saw the positive changes in me.

Today, my home is filled with peace. My husband and I now cooperate and face life together without major problems.