Gyslaine Uwitonze , Bachelor in LAW

Kigali, Rwanda

In 2006, I met Global Grassroots, a non-profit organization using Breath-Body-Mind (BBM) as an integral part of a conscious social change program designed for women and young women who want to bring social change in their community in post conflict countries, now working in Uganda and Rwanda. From my first day I met Global Grassroots, I started working with them and immediately learned Breath-Body-Mind practices. Since then, up-to-date BBM practices have been my ties with Global Grassroots because it has changed my life significantly.
As a Rwandan Genocide survivor, second born of my family with so many responsibilities after losing my parents, I have faced so many challenges trying to figure out the life afterward with a lot of dreams as a child. My main dream was to be a parliament member so I could participate in laws establishment to reduce oppression and other types of suffering people in my country were facing. That was the only my way I could see. After attending BBM Practices with my employer organization, I started to discover who I am, what I want, and recognized my level of anxiety, trauma and stress resulted from the struggle in life I survived since my childhood. My heart was heavy and held all untold stories of my life I kept for a long time. Meeting Global Grassroots introducing BBM in Rwanda for the first time and working with Grassroots level women and young women made me realize people need my help and in which way they needed it. It was not by having me being a judiciary agent; instead, sharing something to heal their wounds, relax their mind, heart, and spirit. BBM benefits myself, my family and my work subordinates. Women I work with become confident to run social project sustainably after learning and using shared Breath-Body-Mind practices in their daily life as a social change agent. They use breath work to respond wisely to make wise decisions, self –regulation, inner connectivity and sense of social care; gained from all the above practices that help them to remain united despite diversity as they belong to a rebirth country from genocide against Tutsi of 1994.

I am honored to get the chance to meet Dr. Richard P. Brown and Dr. Patricia Gerbarg through Global Grassroots work and to be able to learn those practices. I am happy to continue to support and teach those in need of Breath-Body-Mind practices, and I believe together we will contribute to the healing of the world.

guwitonze@globalgrassroots.org

+250788890401