The 365 BTV Program is the branch of Beyond The Veil that hosts all annual activities, operating 365 days a year to reduce the effect of trauma in our community.
A major event observed every April commemorates the Genocide against the Tutsi while fighting social injustices such as anti-Black Racism or social inequalities. We believe that trauma should not only be addressed during times of crisis – but all year round.
365 BTV Program services include: Get Beyond Programming and Isoko-Wellness Program.
Get Beyond Programming is a department of the 365 BTV program that focuses on providing education to empower the mental well-being of Rwandans, African, Caribbean, and Black communities. Through Get Beyond Programming, we provide educational Workshops, Community Engagement, Rwanda 365 Trauma Booklet, and an Educational Opportunity Annual Mission trip to Rwanda.
Educational Workshops
Educational workshops, delivered from Mid-April to the end of October, are a series of workshops to demystify mental health and mental illness. We offer an open space for participants to learn and ask questions publicly or anonymously to promote trauma-informed care education among the Rwandans, African, Caribbean, and Black communities. These workshops are designed to share culturally competent resources to cope with past traumatic events and learn how to manage new crises.
There is a significant rise in Genocide against the Tutsi denials, which affects the mental health treatments that Rwandans in Canada receive. The healing of Rwandans who continue to live the impact of the Genocide against the Tutsi goes hand in hand with the education of their history.
BTV’s anti-Black racism programming addresses how racial identity impacts well-being, recognizing a huge gap exists in learning how anti-Black racism impacts lives in general. Before more awareness was raised about anti-Black racism, many had already faced countless racial injustices – impacting their socioeconomic statuses.
Our organization’s Board Chair, Shayle Graham, is a coach in equity, anti-racism, anti-Black, and anti-oppression. Miss Graham’s expertise helps Beyond The Veil access skills and resources that helps the team support our community and improve services for and provided by other Black community organizations.
Community Engagement
The Beyond The Veil team consists of members skilled in the mental health field with the capacity to lead successful workshops and training. Experts include trauma therapists, Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi survivors' storytellers, Education Consultants and activists, Anti-Black Racism Educators, Mental Health Activists, and more.
What is Rwanda 365 Trauma Booklet?
There is life after trauma. Rwanda 365 is our mission, and we are working 365 days a year to reduce the effect of Trauma in our community.
It is the honour of Beyond The Veil to bring this booklet to Rwandans with the hope of providing basic knowledge about trauma. This will allow individuals to self-evaluate trauma symptoms, open a conversation in their households, and access some resources that will allow them to get in touch with different mental health services.
Educational Opportunity Annual Mission trip to Rwanda
Beyond The Veil, Mission involves promoting education about the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsis in Rwanda. It took more than 23 years for the United Nations to finally recognize the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Our Founder, Lydia Nimbeshaho, has shared her story as a survivor Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum; Rwandans now Living in Ontario reflects on 25 years since the Genocide Against The Tutsi. She continues to share her concerns about how difficult it is to create appropriate mental health services for Rwandans living in Canada to help them heal from trauma while the Canadian news or academic field continues to be dominated by information that denies their experiences. Beyond The Veil aims to close this gap by continuing to educate our community about the history of the genocide against the Tutsis through Get Beyond Programming. In addition, we seek to promote the yearly educational mission to Rwanda with our team to highlight how the genocide against the Tutsi impacted Rwandans. Canadians can learn from Rwandans how to improve services to refugees of war, genocide, and violence.
The annual trip to Rwanda targets those serving in the human rights sectors, mental health practitioners, social workers, politicians, activists, and students. Canada can learn from Rwanda what racial and ethnic discrimination can do to a country if no action is taken. Participants can also learn about Rwandan history and how reconciliation and peace pave the path to empower strong communities. You can not only prevent genocide, but its impact will take a lifetime to fix.
Before the Genocide against the Tutsi, the world witnessed at least four genocides: the Holocaust, the Holodomor, Cambodian, and Armenian, but the United Nations could not prevent thegenocide against the Tutsis of 1994, which was planned for many years. No lessons were learned from the genocide against the Tutsi, as since then, several countries have experienced unending conflicts, wars, refugees, and rapes.
We need the government of Canada to support these educational trips as they will improve services provided to war, genocide, and rape refugees. In addition, we must ensure that everyone working to support our community include consultants from the Rwandan community to ensure the credibility of information being used to create services or raise awareness, especially in the work of healing trauma.
To launch this educational mission trip to Rwanda, our board voluntarily self-founded the first trip. In July 2022, three of our directors visited Rwanda to learn more about the history of the genocide against the Tutsi.
Isoko-Wellness Program combines culturally appropriate mental health resources to positively impact Afro-Black communities and other marginalised groups. These services include: 365 Storytelling Events, Isoko Mental Health Retreats, and Therapy Services.
365 Storytelling Program
365 Storytelling Program uses The Tree of Life (TOL) Narrative Therapy methodology with the Imbeleko approach to counselling practice. Imbeleko is a Zulu name that refers to a blanket made from animal skin, which mothers use to carry babies. Lead contributor for the TOL methodology, Ncazelo Ncube, describes the Imbeleko concept as a way to offer protection, love, hospitality and the knowledge and skills Afro-Black communities naturally use to protect their children and the vulnerable. (Ncube, 2018). The Narrative Therapy American Association approves the Tree of life counselling approach, developed in Africa and used in different contexts for diverse groups.
Traditionally, the People of Rwanda enjoy storytelling. Either in formal events, or during the commemoration period called Kwibuka, which last for 100 days to remember the 1994 Tutsi genocide. Usually, these stories will end with a message to encourage the audience to say “Impore” (I see you, and I hear you) and “Dukomeze gutwaza or dukomere” (Continue to be resilient and to be strong). This practice fosters a sense of belonging.
Drawing from the Tree of Life Narrative Therapy pioneer and co-developer Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo, the purpose of Tree of Life Narrative Therapy “is for people who have experienced hardships to be supported to step into the second stories of their lives. People who seek counselling often experience being trapped by the problem stories of their lives. TOL seeks to help people recognize traces of alternative stories which can introduce a new range of options that they can use to address life challenges.” Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo, 2018.
TOL is an artistic and social movement that will draw attention to human rights, cross-cultural understanding, peace-building, and positive social change. Beyond The Veil Mission created this program to incorporate important goals, including strengthening our voices, human rights, cross-cultural understanding, and building self-esteem and respect for others. 365 Storytelling Program will enrich partnerships and nurture the art of Rwandans living in Canada in partnership with other Black/African descent communities.
Storytelling is the most effective way for people of all ages, abilities, and cultures to make sense of human experiences and life. Having a space to transmit and formulate stories is central to the human experiences.
365 Storytelling Program will strengthen our community in:
Storytelling builds community and bridges gaps in cultural differences
Storytelling is a stepping stone to developing cross-cultural partnerships
Storytelling synthesizes the strengths of the community.
Storytelling promotes human connection/interaction.
The 365 Storytelling Program Aims to:
Build a healing and brave community among Afro-Black people
Develop storytelling skills for trauma-sensitive practices within the community
Promote awareness about strengthening resilience within the community
Create a space for public storytelling and related activities
Nurture and define storytelling culture, traditions, and opportunities within the community
Facilitate a meeting space where storytelling can be used to build community and peace by connecting and sharing stories/experiences