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How Forgiveness Helped a Rwanda Genocide Survivor Heal

Jun 21, 2021 | Announcements, Choose Love Ambassadors, Choose Love Youth Ambassadors, Events, Fundraisers, FUNdraising, General

Month of Fun Fundraising Event: Saving Starfish with Yannick Kabuguza

June 21, 2021 at 6:30 pm ET

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How can forgiveness help you heal from traumatic loss and pain? Yannick Kabuguza hopes to help you in your journey by sharing his journey of PTG – Post Traumatic Growth and the power of forgiveness.

Yannick was born and raised in Rwanda. He is a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, and the inspiration behind the best-selling book Starfish from Africa by William Lavin, founder of the Where Angels Play Foundation.

Yannick talks about his forgiveness journey and how he works on healing from traumatic pain, loss, and physical disfigurement.

“I can show love without any revengeful thoughts in my heart. Nothing’s better than this, especially when you do this to someone who did wrong to you,” says Yannick. “Revenge is the poison you drink to do something very bad to your enemies.” 

Scarlett Lewis will talk Yannick about his journey of survival and triumph over tragedy. He’ll share his remarkable story of healing through understanding the power of PTG, experiencing havening, and practicing forgiveness and compassion-in-action.

Let Yannick inspire you to overcome, prevail, and flourish!


Saving Starfish is a Choose Love Month of Fun Virtual Event

June 30th would have been Jesse’s 15th birthday, so we are putting one of the last messages that he left for his brother JT — “Have a lot of Fun” — into practice with a month of fun events, activities, and experiences for all ages.

A ‘Month of Fun’ virtual fundraising events to celebrate and honor Jesse Lewis who was killed in the Sandy Hook tragedy. This month-long event will support the Choose Love Movement’s next generation social and emotional learning programs and resources that are available at no cost to everyone.

Registration is free but donations are encouraged. Donations can be made online or by texting FUN2021 to 91999. The Choose Love Programs reach two million children in 10,000 schools worldwide. Every dollar of your contribution covers the social emotional learning needs of one additional student for a whole year. Your silent auction bid may change a child’s life, a community, and our world for the better.