Training Ugandans in Trauma Informed Care

"Rose" is a primary student in the 6th grade who lives in a small village in southwestern Uganda.

Since, October last year, Teacher Lydia - a primary school teacher who attended our trauma healing workshop two years ago, through our collaboration with local partner, Nyaka - has been visiting Rose's school to educate the students and teachers about cycles of trauma and violence, and how to support each other to heal.

She's also visits the homes of students and families in need of deeper support, like Rose. 

Here is Rose's story:

"[Before] I had not yet learned about trauma, my actions and thoughts were quite different from those after learning about it. Then, I would react very fast... and negatively... 

Trauma healing has helped me to know how to control my stress by resourcing. This has helped me to improve on my academic performance and being open to my teachers and guardian... It has also helped me to give respect to old people and never to underlook those under my age.

I stay with my grandmother who used to abuse me whenever she is drunk, saying that she has no hope in me... this made me think of dropping out of school. But when the trauma healing team from Nyaka visited us at my home, my grandmother was counseled.

Since then, she has become my friend.  Also, I promised to remain in school.

I request that the trauma healing program be extended to other classes, especially where there are teenagers."

* * * * * * 

This International Women's Day, we're celebrating Rose and her grandmother, and all the other women and girls who will be the first in their families to break cycles of trauma and violence. 

And we're celebrating YOU.  Because your support creates a ripple effect that empowers superstar Healing Advocates like Teacher Lydia, with knowledge and skills to impact others - like the 839 students, teachers, and caregivers whose healing journeys she is empowering, too.

With gratitude - from our hearts to yours,
Gratitude Alliance

This is Teacher Lydia. As a 6th grade teacher at Nyaka Primary School, she educates children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in a community in southwest Uganda that has also been impacted by sexual violence.

Thanks to your support, Lydia attended our 3-day trauma healing workshop last year.

The workshop was so impactful that she immediately started teaching her students what she learned.

When we returned this year, Teacher Lydia's students already knew how to express how they were feeling and how to apply skills like deep breathing, play, and exercise to "resource" themselves when they are sad, angry, worried, or stressed. 

She also started a healing club for girls - so they could build supportive connection with each other, and activate the community to stop gender based violence. 

And now, Teacher Lydia is on a mission to spread healing to others in her community. In the last month alone, she's taught mental health and healing skills to students and teachers at 4 local primary schools, and will teach at another 5 schools this year. She's also doing home visits to students and community members who need deeper, one-on-one support.

And she's just getting started. 

Breaking cycles of harm starts with prevention - with supporting kids who are impacted by trauma to heal their wounds before they transfer them to others.

So Lydia isn't just supporting hundreds of students today - she is impacting thousands of lives in the future.

It only takes one person to spark a ripple of change for an entire community. 

Thank you for being that spark.

Wtih gratitude - from our hearts to yours,
Gratitude Alliance