Dear, Editor,
I hope you are well and thank you for taking the time to read my email.I have read your article on the situation with Banamungu Idi and Ngirukeye Sylvestre and CVC.
I see you have published Rusekampunzi Celestine Pierre’s side of the story so I feel that I should speak for Banamungu and Sylvestre because they cannot speak to you,in the hope that you will publish their side also thank you.
You have published all of the good work CVC has done for the vulnerable people of Rwanda so you have evidence of our good will and what we have done for the people of Rwanda.
I have known Banamungu Idi for 2 years and began helping vulnerable Rwandese with Banamungu in 2011 because I found him to be a very honest man.He would account for every money I gave him with a receipt or a record of where it was spent.
He was very serious about telling the truth and he has a good heart to help people.Other people had tricked me to get money but not Banamungu ever.
Since May 2012 Celestine has been messaging me on Facebook asking for money for things for himself for example a leather jacket for his graduation.
I have told him NO this money is for medical insurance,school fees and CVC projects like goat breeding and mushroom farming that some villages already have such as Kicukiro.He also kept asking Banamungu for money and he also explained that the money was for the villagers.
He then began to threaten me and Banamungu saying he would destroy CVC .We had been warned by a man named Gavin from the U.K who had dealt with Celestine when he was in another organisation for street children (I will not name the organisation).
He told us of his lies and angry violent temper and how he stole money from Gavin’s church organisation.
Banamungu and I decided not to let Celestine on the CVC committee for this reason but we did not want to push him away because we knew God would want us to help him.
So we decided if he wanted to help with volunteer work sometimes it might help him get better and find some peace in his heart.But he did not get better he just tricks people.
Celestine says in the article that there was a donation of $16,000 from members in Australia that paid US$30 each and this was sent to Rwanda and is no where to be seen,this is because it never happened!
I receive all monies into a bank account in Australia and never have I seen this amount of money.CVC has about 10 people donating about $150 a month!This is very small money and I have given bank statements to Banamungu’s lawyer to proove this is the truth.
Celestine also tells of a bus that he says CVC has,this is also a lie.The bus he is talking about came from a photo that Mundere Karim found on the internet during the RINA Humanitarian Awards voting that CVC was nominated for.
He joked that if CVC win we should go to the RINA award night in Washington DC in this bus.
There is no such passenger transportation business sending money to Rwanda.This bus in the photo would cost about $300,000 to buy,I think it would take a long time for CVC to get that much money if all we have is about $150 a month!!
This can be proven just by checking the Facebook page of Counselling Volunteers Club and scrolling down to May the 12th 2012,you will see the truth here.
I wrote a book with my Professor,Dr.Patricia Sherwood at Sophia College of Counselling where I teach in Australia called Clay Therapy,Healing Rwandan Genocide based on the Clay Therapy workshops I taught last year to 45 Rwandese,counsellors from FXB,Psychology students from International University of Rwanda and many villagers including Banamungu,Sylvestre and Celestine.
We wrote this book to help severely traumatised people to heal through Clay Therapy because we wittnessed so many people find peace in their hearts from this kind of counselling.
The sale money of this book is with Sophia College of Counselling and will be used in a project CVC had planned for its members that Banamungu and myself wouid make happen.
I have 12 counsellors volunteering to come in the Genocide memorial time in April 2013 to counsel all CVC members.
We planned to do many workshops providing food,water,transport and equipment for all participants of the workshops.This money is to stay in Sophia Colleges bank account until we reach Rwanda in 2013.
None of this money has gone to me or Banamungu or Sylvestre.It is for the villagers only.
I also read that a request to end CVC completely has been made.How sad this would be if the lies of Celestine would be heard and the good work that myself,Banamungu,Sylvestre and the other CVC committee members and volunteers who had put their heart and soul into everything CVC has done would be forgotten.
The 2013 project would not happen and Celestines threat would steal many villager’s chances to heal and make an income for their future through CVC projects.
CVC’s case is being viewed now, it is not settled yet as the Judge waits for my testimony and all the evidence that was asked for so that he/she can make a decision,I have great faith the judge will find the truth.The case is on the 5th September.
I hope that you will let your readers have both sides of the story so they can feel in their hearts what is true.
My wish is for Banamungu to remain President of CVC and for Sylvestre to remain Secretary so that we can continue helping the vulnerable people of Rwanda.I pray to God.
Thank you
Kim O’Meara Adv.Dip. Holistic Counselling.
Honourary President of CVC
Perth, Australia
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