healing circles in africa
Healing Beyond Borders is dedicated to fostering healing and connection, including delivering Healing Circles in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda and in the provincial capital of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As well as having trained Healing Circle Work Facilitators (see report below), we support the ongoing Healing Circles financially through Jahavel's operations.
We invite YOU to join us in this transformative journey of healing and empowerment.
Stay up to date by following our Facebook page (streamed below).
healing circles in nakivale, uganda
After decades spent developing a Healing Circle Work process that could be delivered to communities across Australia, in 2021 Jahavel rose to the challenge of sharing the model in Africa, within the Democratic Republic of Congo and war refugees living in the Nakivale settlement in Uganda.
Jahavel provides Healing solutions to transform and empower people, communities and organisations.
Jahavel has been delivering Healing Circles for many years and presenting at national and international conferences on the exceptional outcomes.
Jahavel Healing Circle Work is not a therapy, but therapeutic outcomes are experienced. Healing Circles are suitable for adults of any culture who have suffered trauma. Participants learn to live life in the moment, recognise and understand their own spirituality, and gain the ability to enter the moment to reaffirm themselves.
Jahavel had repeatedly been asked to provide Healing Circles across Australia. However, the distances and time needed were sometimes prohibitive. We decided to teach people to deliver Healing Circles in their own communities.
The first step was to develop the Healing Circle Work Facilitator training program. From there, we also put it online to make the training accessible.
The training came to the attention of members of the Nakivale Rotaract, the only Rotaract Club in the world based in a refugee camp, who contacted us. Seraphin Kighoma, Eric Mupika, and Patrick Issa wanted to learn how to facilitate Healing Circle work within the camp.
We then had to work out the logistics based on a lack of technology in the refugee settlement. The core challenge of providing training in a Ugandan refugee camp was the lack of technology—notably computers, printers, and suitable bandwidth. Even power to charge a mobile phone was an issue. But by using WhatsApp, the core issues were overcome, and the three men are now delivering the Jahavel Healing Circle process to Congo war refugees.
This was a significant opportunity to show that Jahavel's Healing Circle Work can be shared anywhere, no matter how remote. We are opening a pathway to improved health and well-being in all communities.
We have been honoured to open the way for Jahavel Healing Circles to be delivered in the DRC and Nakivale.
healing circles in goma, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Eric Mupika, one of the three Rotoract members who contacted us re delivering Healing Circles in Nakivale, moved back to his home in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo in February 2024, where he now delivers Healing Circles to two groups of up to 10 every week.
Goma, the provincial capital in the DRC faces a range of serious and interconnected challenges due to its geographic location, political instability, and economic conditions.
Armed groups: Goma and the surrounding North Kivu region are heavily affected by ongoing violence from various armed groups (e.g., M23, FDLR, Mai-Mai militias), which frequently clash with each other and the national army (FARDC).
Displacement: These conflicts have displaced hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom seek refuge in or around Goma, leading to overcrowded and under-resourced camps.
Looting and Sexual Violence: Civilians are often caught in the crossfire, facing looting, sexual violence, and other human rights abuses.
Humanitarian crisis: The humanitarian issues are at crisis point, with the influx of displaced people has overwhelmed humanitarian services. Food, clean water, healthcare, and shelter are in short supply.
Overcrowded conditions and poor sanitation have led to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, measles, and malaria.
Volcanic risk: Active volcano Mount Nyiragongo near Goma erupted most recently in May 2021, displacing thousands and damaging infrastructure. The city remains under constant threat from future eruptions and associated earthquakes. The presence of a large lava lake and risk of "mazuku" (pockets of deadly carbon dioxide gas) adds to the long-term geophysical threats.
Poor infrastructure: In addition, poor road conditions hinder the delivery of aid and commerce, and Gomas also has frequent power outages and unreliable access to clean water.
All of this leads to ongoing trauma that Jahavel's Healing Circles are seeking to address, thanks to Eric's ongoing commitment.
5 Facts about the Nakivale refugee settlement in Uganda
1 Nakivale is in the southwestern region of Uganda, approximately 160km from Kampala, the capital city. It's situated near the town of Ishaka in the Ishasha sector of the Kabaale District.
2 Established in 1958, Nakivale was initially meant to be a transit camp for Rwandan refugees fleeing conflict. However, it soon evolved into a long-term settlement.
3 Today, Nakivale is home to refugees from countries including South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia. Reports put numbers of refugees in the camp at between 150,000 and 175,000 people.
4 Many refugees live in self-made shelters of mud, thatch and wood.
5 Food shortages, limited fresh water, poor sanitation and lack of health care are all daily challenges, along with the ongoing influx of refugees and risk of violence.
how healing circles help refugees suffering trauma
-
Healing Circle Work is a form of mental health and psychosocial support that aims to strengthen familial and community-level social relationships among refugees.
-
Refugees face many challenges such as violence, discrimination, inequity, and lack of basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare. These can negatively affect their mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, leading to problems such as alcohol and substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
-
Healing Circles provide refugees with a safe space to share their experiences, emotions, and develop coping strategies with others who have similar backgrounds and challenges.
-
Healing Circles build trust, solidarity, and mutual support among the community, reducing the risk of isolation, stigma, and conflict.
-
Healing Circles can help participants access resources and services that can improve their living conditions and opportunities, such as education and legal assistance.