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Do you have a Heart Story to share?
Do you feel inspired to share your Heart Story
with the world?
I love story-telling to explore pivotal moments in people's lives. I am fascinated by what we can learn and how we can be touched by the essence of human experience, and how this may inspire us into reflection and action in our own lives and communities. I have conversations with different people who I meet. Their stories are shared here. Let your heart be touched! I would love to have a conversation with you about your story!
"Life is like a game of Monopoly, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. If you can accept your destiny, it will help you to grow.”
Sophie | Senegal
TOGETHER, I invite you to:
Explore how you can live with greater joy and ease.
Co-create amazing Heart Projects and events.
Share inspiring Heart Stories to uplift others.
LA MAISON ROSE
“In every baby there is a gift. At the end of your life, you should ask, what did I do with this gift? Mothers have an important role to awaken this latent potential within. The work at La Maison Rose is aimed at helping to manifest this gift inside each woman and girl who stays there.”
When I first arrived in Dakar I offered yoga classes alongside my day job, mainly to expats. I enjoyed it, but at the same time a feeling had been growing inside me. I wanted to share yoga more widely, with people who may never have heard of it or be able to afford a regular class. So I went in search of an organisation I had heard of through the grapevine: La Maison Rose (The Pink House), located in Guediawaye, one of the poorest neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Dakar. The founder, Mona Chasserio, is a striking French lady in her 60s, who exudes resilience and a conviction for her lifelong work: she spent 20 years living and supporting women on the streets of Paris, including several years of living on the streets of Paris herself. For Mona, however, this is not so much of a job but a calling. She underwent her own personal transformation in 1988, an ‘awakening’ which has shaped her life’s journey ever since.
Six years ago as part of her ‘retirement’, Mona established the only home for vulnerable women and young girls in Senegal. La Maison Rose provides a safe space for women who have been sexually abused, raped, experienced domestic violence and abandonment by their families. Whilst the Senegalese constitution provides that men and women are equal under the law and prohibits discrimination, rape is widespread as a means of violence against women in Senegal. According to a study by UN Women in 2012, 50% of cases of violence against women reported to the police are rapes. In hospitals and courts, rape constitutes a third of all recorded violence against women. Yet, many cases go unreported and of those which are, 47% of those rapists charged are released without trial. What Mona and her team have observed over the years is that the watchful eye of society exerts a powerful grip: instead of recognising the trauma that comes with being raped or having an unwanted pregnancy, families often prefer to ‘save face,’ (especially when the father is unknown or uninterested in the child), casting their daughters out at a time when they need the most support.
The philosophy guiding Mona’s work is Unies-vers-elles, both universal in its approach and united in action towards the inner and outer transformation of the women and girls that come under her wing. Unlike the few other organisations offering support for women and girls in Senegal, La Maison Rose has space for up to 30 women and girls to live, where they can stay until they get back on their feet. With basic needs for food and shelter provided for, the focus is primarily on inner transformation, supported by practical social care, family mediation and professional employment opportunities. In addition, daily workshops include theatre, yoga, art and circus, aimed at awakening the sub-conscious and bringing women face to face with themselves and their emotions.
Staying at La Maison Rose enables women and girls to take time to reflect on their lives. With support, each woman is encouraged to find solutions for herself and to not be afraid. However, this work is far from easy; it is often a long process of transforming suffering into light, or in Mona’s view, of being reborn. Mona says that she “feels like a warrior, as you need to cast your spear right where the wound is deep in order to be able to transform their suffering.” The transformation of suffering at La Maison Rose is a practical example of a well-known story in Hindu mythology, the ‘Samudra Manthan’, where the Gods and the Demons churned an ocean of milk in order to draw out the nectar of immortality. However the process of churning itself releases a lethal poison powerful enough to destroy all of creation. This poison is symbolic of the challenges that may arise on the spiritual path or in life more generally. It is only through dealing with and understanding these challenges that we can learn and grow. La Maison Rose helps to facilitate this churning in each and every woman and girl who walks through the door.
As Mona says: “In every baby there is a gift. At the end of your life, you should ask, what did I do with this gift? Mothers have an important role to awaken this latent potential within. The work at La Maison Rose is aimed at helping to manifest this gift inside each woman and girl who stays there.” It has been over two years now since I offered my first yoga class at La Maison Rose. The weekly classes are still continuing today with support from a number of different yoga teachers. We sit quietly, we breathe, we laugh and we move through different postures together. I may only see some women for a couple of weeks, others I have known for two years. For some, the yoga classes kindle a genuine interest, for others this develops over time or not at all. Every class is different, as is every woman’s story. Sometimes it can be challenging for Mona and her team to bear these heavy stories. But through them they too learn and grow. As they shared with me: “it is important to provide compassion, not pity; to suffer with someone but not for them; and above all to have an open but solid heart and to see yourself reflected in and united with each person.”
La Maison Rose is always in need of additional funding to support their work. Please give generously!
SOPHIE | SENEGAL
“Life is like a game of Monopoly, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. If you can accept your destiny, it will help you to grow.”
“As my mum went a bit crazy, I was brought up by my maternal grandparents in Guinea Bissau. I was treated like a prostitute, like an animal. There was a lot of violence. Sometimes I would run away and hide to avoid being beaten, calling out with funny noises to make people scared. To distract myself I loved climbing trees, playing in the sand and doing handstands. People called me crazy and wondered why I behaved like a boy. This was my way of dealing with life. For a year now, I have been living at La Maison Rose (a home in Dakar which supports women and girls). We have a circus workshop and yoga class once a week. I love it! It reminds me of the fun I had playing around as a kid. Doing certain poses like a headstand makes me feel better if I have a headache. Yoga gives me more energy and instead of being hunched I now sit straighter. People will respect you more if you stand taller.
Being here at La Maison Rose has helped me to understand my life a bit more. Although it is hard I am learning how to forgive, to share and to live with others. I no longer hit my child (Ismael, 1 year old). Life is like a game of Monopoly, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. If you can accept your destiny, it will help you to grow. I am just about to move to Casamance (Southern Senegal) to do an apprenticeship on an organic farm, learning how to grow and sell vegetables. Hopefully I will be able to earn my living from this. But most of all I want to share what I have learned about yoga with people there, especially what I have learned about the breath, as I could not breathe properly before. In Senegal, too many people just show off their wealth with fine clothing and jewellery. I like people who live humbly on this earth, with their heart.”
CHETAN | INDIA
“I don’t believe God has a form or shape but that when you want something the whole universe will conspire to make it happen. The universe speaks to you in signs; you just need to look for them.”
I believe that gratitude is one of the most powerful practices to create miracles in life. So I decided to thank everything: my eyes, my body, the ground holding me, the trees, the air I breathe…once you start thanking the universe you cannot stop and the more you abundant you will become in your life. I don’t believe God has a form or shape but that when you want something the whole universe will conspire to make it happen. The universe speaks to you in signs, you just need to look for it.
In my search for the unknown I also started to practice meditation. I think this is the key. One night meditating - to be precise on the 12th October 2015 at 20:00 - I got this idea, a complete picture of what I had to do and where my passion lies. When you get an instinct or idea you must do something with it, otherwise it will fade away. This is the law of the universe.
Everyone who is born will meet death at one stage or another but as a human being we should do something great that will help society and the world. This is why I decided to follow my instinct and decided to create a social responsibility network ‘I Take Responsibility’ to help the poor and the needy in India and across the world.
As the saying goes, behind every successful man is a woman. My mother, sister and my girl have all really helped me become the person who I am today. They have encouraged me in all of my projects. We have to believe things happen for a reason; we don’t meet people accidentally. There is no good or bad. We should believe in the power of I am. If you say I'm good, I will feel good. Thoughts create your life.
AISSATOU | SENEGAL
In was already working for Tostan (an NGO working on community development) when I was put forward for the position of Prison Coordinator. I had never been in a prison before.
On my first visit to Thies prison in 2003 I cried and thought I can never do this. The conditions in those days were terrible. My Supervisor at Tostan said I know you can do it - if anyone can it is you. Everyone has abandoned these women, you cannot!
I have seen so many things over the years, many I cannot talk about. One of the most heartbreaking situations for me is when women give birth in prison to children who are allowed to stay with them until they are 3 years old. In many instances Tostan then supports with family reunification and mediation so that the child is taken care of.
My work has been about sharing important information on human rights, offer classes on literacy and provide vocational training on soap making and tailoring to facilitate the reintegration of detainees upon their release.
During my time I have gained the confidence of the detainees. I go and spend the day with them and cook with them. You need so much patience in this job, some days they just do not want to come to class.
You need to have passion for this work and an open heart. I have been there to teach the detainees and prison staff but I have learnt so much more in return. When I have seen makes the problems in my life so small, it helps me to overcome my own difficulties.
"I have been there to teach the detainees and prison staff but I have learnt so much more in return. When I have seen makes the problems in my life so small, it helps me to overcome my own difficulties."
DIABOU | Senegal
“When I first heard about yoga I was interested. Now I feel more peace inside.”
When I was nine years old I got into a fight at school. A girl grabbed my neck really hard and I started vomiting blood. My health has never been the same since. I was hospitalised and had to drop out of school. They also found that I have a problem with my kidneys. When I eat salt I get so swollen I am ashamed to leave the house. I have been in hospital many times over the last three years but my family cannot pay for these expenses.
When I first heard about yoga I was interested. Now I feel better than before. I feel more peace inside. The sun salutations are my favourite. They give me energy. Every day when I wake up I do sun salutations before my breakfast. La Maison Rose also helped to enroll me on a tailoring course. When I sow, I try to concentrate and do my best. But most of all I would like to go back to school. I cannot forget that I am sick, but I try to live my life as if I wasn't.
YOUSSEF | SYRIA
“The waves came over me again and again and I was shaking so much from the cold. I tried to keep calm by focussing on my breath. I was not afraid, I placed my trust and hope in my God.”
Ever since I was young I always loved to read. I would go to the library in Damascus to read about history, science, metaphysics….Reading helps to open my mind and to see the greatness of God. When I was 20 years old I found a book by Shri Yogendra, the title in Arabic was translated as: ‘Yoga gives you a long life.’ I bought it straight away and read through the 300 pages at once. I liked the way of living it described. There was no internet and I could not find a teacher so I studied and learnt yoga through this book. Some exercises I tried, others I didn’t. Lotus position was easy because I am used to sitting on the floor. I also found many similarities with Islam, the rituals, such as cleaning the body and washing the hands before prayer.
In the last 10 years my life has changed so much. I was working very hard as an accountant for the Ministry of Education and Learning and then the war destroyed everything. When I came on the boat from Turkey to Greece with my family, I had my tablet with so many books on it but it got lost in the sea. After the boat capsized, I knew my wife and three children were gone. I was in the sea for 3 hours with the lifejacket around my neck. I cannot swim. The waves came over me again and again, and I was shaking so much from the cold. I tried to keep calm by focussing on my breath. I was not afraid, I placed my trust and hope in my God.
I hope to go to Germany or Austria to join my last remaining son. Maybe I will find a yoga teacher there. I always wanted to find somebody to help me learn. I would be very happy to start yoga again although I don’t think I can stand on my head anymore. Steven Hawking inspires me: he is a great scientist and has done many great things even though he is ill. I hope to be like him, in spite of what has happened to me. We must always thank God. He knows more than us. I am asking my God to help me.
*Youssef is now living in Austria
SIDY | SENEGAL
"I was not ready for this. When I first entered Thiès prison I was so nervous I was unable to say a word. I asked myself how can I talk to these people, bring them back to reason?"
I initially trained as an industrial electrician, I have toured Senegal as a footballer and been a band manager, but as life would have it I have devoted most of my working life to empowering detainees in prisons about their human rights.
I did not tell my family for 8 months that I had started working for Tostan (an NGO working on community development in Senegal) on their prison programme. The word ‘prison’ brings up so many negative connotations. I believe that we really need to humanize the language we use. I prefer to say a detainee, not a prisoner.
I was not ready for this. When I first entered Thiès prison I was so nervous I was unable to say a word. I asked myself how can I talk to these people, bring them back to reason? Before I thought it would not be possible to engage with the detainees at all. I saw them as bandits and criminals.
But after exchanging with them, I realise that whilst some of those detainees deserve to be there, others are there through ignorance, error and bad luck. I realised I am not more important than they are. I got myself together and said to myself these people are humans too.
I cannot describe the satisfaction that comes from supporting detainees come back to their senses, reunite with their families. No money in the world can pay that.
MAMADOU | SENEGAL
“I like everything about yoga. My favourite are the sun salutations. But what I would like most of all is to be able to go to school with my friends. I have never been to school because I have no papers.”
When my house got flooded during the rainy season I started coming to this place (Yaakaaru Guuneyi – Hope for Children). I come here every day and go home to sleep with my family at night. I tried my first yoga class about 2 months ago. I like everything about yoga. When we do different activities my friends discuss who is the strongest and who is the best? They say yoga is hard but I don’t think so. I like yoga because it keeps me active. I think it keeps you in good health. My favourite movement is the sun salutations. At the centre we also do other activities, like acrobatics and learning to read and write. I can now recite the alphabet up to ‘z’ and count up until 20. What I would like most of all though is to be able to go to school with my friends. I have never been to school because I have no papers (birth certificate). I think that is the only reason why I cannot go to school.
Since this story was shared, through the support of a dear friend, Mamadou has been able to get a birth certificate and go to school.