Searching for Sanctuary
Donation protected
(Latest updates on the bottom of this page)
Our Story
We are Marya and Vital and we have been together for 14 years, ever since we met at Guilford College in 2004. We share a deep passion for healing through massage and bodywork and we have been practicing professionally since 2013. This practice has saved our lives, and we are privileged to have learned wisdom from many other healers across a vast spectrum of approaches.
For Vital, massage therapy was an opportunity to create a new life centered around healing after decades of recovering from trauma. He and his family arrived in the U.S. in 1995, shortly after escaping the Rwandan genocide, where he learned English and put himself through college.
For Marya, massage became an opportunity to provide healing, care, and support for mothers and babies. She grew up in rural North Carolina with a family committed to service work. Marya was introduced to Doula care in college and has been a prenatal and postnatal caregiver ever since.
Massage Therapy in the time of COVID19
Many of us have experienced profound changes and transformations since March 2020. COVID19 certainly stopped us in our tracks! Within a weekend we had to close our business and were suddenly swept into figuring out how to get by.
During the last seven months, we have worked on multiple projects and tried to offer many kinds of services virtually, such as self-care, partner massage, and reiki. Interest was exceptionally and understandably low as one of the most powerful aspects of massage is human touch.
We explored options for continuing to provide in-person care in a way that is safe for us and our community, but unfortunately, since the pandemic began, mobile or ‘in-home’ massage is prohibited while COVID is present in the community. Additionally, since different parts of the country have reopened, massage continues to fall in a gray zone ranging from not covered by liability insurances to completely prohibited by different boards. So, with this uncertainty, and the inability to secure any of the PPP awards, we have had to indefinitely pause our work. Our long-term thoughts began to shift toward creating an outdoor space at our home to provide sessions.
Housing Surprises
In late July, a week away from getting our final supplies to open our outdoor studio, our landlords informed us they needed to return to their home immediately and we would have to move out. Our new business plan would need to be paused as we focused on finding a safe sanctuary.
While Vital has been displaced by war many times before, this has been Marya’s first time being displaced to this degree. Having to move and find a dwelling in the middle of a pandemic seemed just insurmountable. Faced with this challenge, we reignited an idea we had back in 2015 to live more minimally. After a lot of brainstorming and discussions we decided the best option to meet this calling would be to build a tiny house on wheels.
We sorted through our belongings and let go of well over half, then moved out of our house at the beginning of August in the middle of hurricane Isaias! Four days before moving, the house we were supposed to move into was suddenly quarantined due to an unconfirmed case of COVID19. A friend offered us a space in her basement, however it quickly proved to be quite traumatizing, and within the week we had to move again. We have now landed with an old family friend who agreed to house us through the winter while we look for a way forward.
Our Vision
As we let go of the old, new opportunities have also opened. Vital was rescheduled for his citizenship test, which had been canceled back in March as the DMV shut down just 2 days before the test! His test was finally administered on the 15th of July, and at 3:30pm a new US citizen emerged, ready to grow permanent roots.
Our dream is to have a home - our sanctuary - a place we can return to without concern or worry, and eventually be able to share with others. To that end, we have taken the following steps:
-Secured an experienced company with a skilled engineer and master carpenter to work on this build
-Pooled together our 401k, the sale of one of our cars and support from kind friends to make a substantial down payment to begin construction
-Marya has taken a part-time nanny job to help supplement income
-Vital has been hard at work doing all the research and outreach that it will take to manifest this shared sanctuary
-Secured a space in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia where we can finish construction
-Begun plans for a future mobile massage oasis
The Tiny House Project
As we mentioned in our story, we are working with a professional builder on a house shell and have been able to deliver a down payment to start construction. A concept video of what we are creating can be viewed at the bottom of this page.
What exactly do we need?
Everything AND the kitchen sink! Literally, we need a kitchen sink!
To finish this project, the remaining basics we need are:
Tiny House Shell Remaining Cost = $5,809
Tools & Lumber = $2,500
Lighting, Flooring, Insulation, Cabinets, Shelving = $1,960
Heating & Cooling, Oven, Shower, Fridge = $4,018
Water Pump Shed = $500
Truck to haul/move (with hitch kit for 10,000 LB = ~$20,000
Total Needed = $35,787
Ways to Support
We welcome the support of our beloved community in any way possible! It would mean the world to us to have a home that is safe, particularly during these unprecedented times. Please know that support of any kind makes a huge difference.
Check out our Amazon Wish List (for appliances and misc. items)
Got any of the following?
-Truck with the ability to haul 10,000 lbs.
-Lumber, flooring, tile, or other housing materials
We will happily take any donated materials!
Direct Monetary Support:
-Venmo: Due to fee structures, using Venmo with a linked bank account or debit card is the best way to make the most out of your -donation. Our Venmo ID is @Vital-Akimana
-Checks and additional electronic options (Please feel free to reach out directly at [email redacted] or [phone redacted])
We both thank you!
Latest update!
We are humbled and grateful for the spirit of grace and generosity with which all this abundance has been given. Every bit has truly helped and we are now much closer to the realization of this beautiful vision. With sincere gratitude we hope to continue to update you, our community, on our progress.
Below you will find latest.
The Axels are in!! We zoomed with the contractors last week and reviewed our final plans and construction is expected to begin soon. Once construction begins we will have pictures of the progress to share! So our updated timeline for the shell to be complete is around the week of 11/23. We are very realistic that this timeframe could change, so bear with us!
We've got a change in venue! Our dear friends have offered us long-term parking on their farm near Winchester, VA. So we are redirecting from WV slightly further south. We are excited for possibilities of being in community with friends in VA and catching our breath in the mountain air. We will be finding our spot on the farm soon, laying in our minimal utility lines, and greeting some of our new neighbors, the cows. And don't worry! We are still planning on being in the DMV and reopening our massage practice!
Let's Celebrate our Success so far!
Total Raised as of 10/25/2020 = $22,730 of $35,787 (woohoo!!)
Total Still Needed = $13,057
Still searching for: Lumber, trim, interior/exterior paint, and of course a hauling vehicle (we've been looking into used school buses as easy conversions to a mobile studio...more ideas on that to come).
Our Story
We are Marya and Vital and we have been together for 14 years, ever since we met at Guilford College in 2004. We share a deep passion for healing through massage and bodywork and we have been practicing professionally since 2013. This practice has saved our lives, and we are privileged to have learned wisdom from many other healers across a vast spectrum of approaches.
For Vital, massage therapy was an opportunity to create a new life centered around healing after decades of recovering from trauma. He and his family arrived in the U.S. in 1995, shortly after escaping the Rwandan genocide, where he learned English and put himself through college.
For Marya, massage became an opportunity to provide healing, care, and support for mothers and babies. She grew up in rural North Carolina with a family committed to service work. Marya was introduced to Doula care in college and has been a prenatal and postnatal caregiver ever since.
Massage Therapy in the time of COVID19
Many of us have experienced profound changes and transformations since March 2020. COVID19 certainly stopped us in our tracks! Within a weekend we had to close our business and were suddenly swept into figuring out how to get by.
During the last seven months, we have worked on multiple projects and tried to offer many kinds of services virtually, such as self-care, partner massage, and reiki. Interest was exceptionally and understandably low as one of the most powerful aspects of massage is human touch.
We explored options for continuing to provide in-person care in a way that is safe for us and our community, but unfortunately, since the pandemic began, mobile or ‘in-home’ massage is prohibited while COVID is present in the community. Additionally, since different parts of the country have reopened, massage continues to fall in a gray zone ranging from not covered by liability insurances to completely prohibited by different boards. So, with this uncertainty, and the inability to secure any of the PPP awards, we have had to indefinitely pause our work. Our long-term thoughts began to shift toward creating an outdoor space at our home to provide sessions.
Housing Surprises
In late July, a week away from getting our final supplies to open our outdoor studio, our landlords informed us they needed to return to their home immediately and we would have to move out. Our new business plan would need to be paused as we focused on finding a safe sanctuary.
While Vital has been displaced by war many times before, this has been Marya’s first time being displaced to this degree. Having to move and find a dwelling in the middle of a pandemic seemed just insurmountable. Faced with this challenge, we reignited an idea we had back in 2015 to live more minimally. After a lot of brainstorming and discussions we decided the best option to meet this calling would be to build a tiny house on wheels.
We sorted through our belongings and let go of well over half, then moved out of our house at the beginning of August in the middle of hurricane Isaias! Four days before moving, the house we were supposed to move into was suddenly quarantined due to an unconfirmed case of COVID19. A friend offered us a space in her basement, however it quickly proved to be quite traumatizing, and within the week we had to move again. We have now landed with an old family friend who agreed to house us through the winter while we look for a way forward.
Our Vision
As we let go of the old, new opportunities have also opened. Vital was rescheduled for his citizenship test, which had been canceled back in March as the DMV shut down just 2 days before the test! His test was finally administered on the 15th of July, and at 3:30pm a new US citizen emerged, ready to grow permanent roots.
Our dream is to have a home - our sanctuary - a place we can return to without concern or worry, and eventually be able to share with others. To that end, we have taken the following steps:
-Secured an experienced company with a skilled engineer and master carpenter to work on this build
-Pooled together our 401k, the sale of one of our cars and support from kind friends to make a substantial down payment to begin construction
-Marya has taken a part-time nanny job to help supplement income
-Vital has been hard at work doing all the research and outreach that it will take to manifest this shared sanctuary
-Secured a space in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia where we can finish construction
-Begun plans for a future mobile massage oasis
The Tiny House Project
As we mentioned in our story, we are working with a professional builder on a house shell and have been able to deliver a down payment to start construction. A concept video of what we are creating can be viewed at the bottom of this page.
What exactly do we need?
Everything AND the kitchen sink! Literally, we need a kitchen sink!
To finish this project, the remaining basics we need are:
Tiny House Shell Remaining Cost = $5,809
Tools & Lumber = $2,500
Lighting, Flooring, Insulation, Cabinets, Shelving = $1,960
Heating & Cooling, Oven, Shower, Fridge = $4,018
Water Pump Shed = $500
Truck to haul/move (with hitch kit for 10,000 LB = ~$20,000
Total Needed = $35,787
Ways to Support
We welcome the support of our beloved community in any way possible! It would mean the world to us to have a home that is safe, particularly during these unprecedented times. Please know that support of any kind makes a huge difference.
Check out our Amazon Wish List (for appliances and misc. items)
Got any of the following?
-Truck with the ability to haul 10,000 lbs.
-Lumber, flooring, tile, or other housing materials
We will happily take any donated materials!
Direct Monetary Support:
-Venmo: Due to fee structures, using Venmo with a linked bank account or debit card is the best way to make the most out of your -donation. Our Venmo ID is @Vital-Akimana
-Checks and additional electronic options (Please feel free to reach out directly at [email redacted] or [phone redacted])
We both thank you!
Latest update!
We are humbled and grateful for the spirit of grace and generosity with which all this abundance has been given. Every bit has truly helped and we are now much closer to the realization of this beautiful vision. With sincere gratitude we hope to continue to update you, our community, on our progress.
Below you will find latest.
The Axels are in!! We zoomed with the contractors last week and reviewed our final plans and construction is expected to begin soon. Once construction begins we will have pictures of the progress to share! So our updated timeline for the shell to be complete is around the week of 11/23. We are very realistic that this timeframe could change, so bear with us!
We've got a change in venue! Our dear friends have offered us long-term parking on their farm near Winchester, VA. So we are redirecting from WV slightly further south. We are excited for possibilities of being in community with friends in VA and catching our breath in the mountain air. We will be finding our spot on the farm soon, laying in our minimal utility lines, and greeting some of our new neighbors, the cows. And don't worry! We are still planning on being in the DMV and reopening our massage practice!
Let's Celebrate our Success so far!
Total Raised as of 10/25/2020 = $22,730 of $35,787 (woohoo!!)
Total Still Needed = $13,057
Still searching for: Lumber, trim, interior/exterior paint, and of course a hauling vehicle (we've been looking into used school buses as easy conversions to a mobile studio...more ideas on that to come).
Organizer
Marya Millard
Organizer
Riverdale, MD
