IZERE Centre, NYINAWIMANA,  Rwanda - 
July 2010 Trauma Relief Mission 

We have received a request from Father John Mary Vianney, a priest of Byumba Catholic Diocese in the northern district of Rwanda.  He heard from a seminarian, KATANGA Raphael (salesian of Don Bosco) about our work with traumatized people. 

Father Vianney has asked for us to come to his diocese as there are many cases of children and youth who suffer from HIV/AIDS, loss of family, disabilities, genocide survivors and other.  They have requested a team come in July 2009 to train and treat.  Dr. Caroline Sakai is willing to go in late July and stay two weeks.  They want to have us train about 30 people who can then assist others in their community.  The people of Byumba at NYINAWIMANA have built a center that they call the IZERE Center.  The word seems to mean peace and reconciliation.  

Those who have been trained will treat others at the IZERE Centers in the other communities.  They  want us to also treat some cases of trauma at the IZERE Center. They have about 300 people that they would like treated but we may have to limit the amount of people treated during depending on  
how many ATFTF Trauma Relief therapists are deployed.

They propose to make a small ATFT group formed of the 30 newly trained therapists who will treat others at the IZERE  Center.  They want us to supervise the newly trained therapists as much as possible before our departure.

      
Goal: To improve on the lives of the people affected by genocide, war, poverty and physical handicaps. 

Strategies:

1. Begin a program focused on treatment of the effects of trauma caused by genocide and  
     psychological effects of poverty and being physically handicapped.

2. To identify people affected by genocide (trauma cases), poverty (orphans, widows, handicapped  
     people, and traumatized people) and to group them according to their needs.

3. Sensitivity training and education aimed at creating peace, forgiveness, unity, reconciliation and 
     confidence among neighbors, and to cultivate a spirit of collaboration and mutual help.

Activities in IZERE center.
   -To provide physical and emotional treatment to all people
   -To continue training; Members of the IZERE Centre will train and supervise others
   -Counseling
 
   Expected results
    - Reduction in the cases of trauma
    - Increased knowledge about trauma and how to
       diagnosis it.
    - Ease education of traumatized children
    - Good relationships among people (peace, forgiveness,
       reconciliation).

  

                                                                                                                 Suzanne Connolly TFT-Adv

*Note: ATFT Foundation is an IRC Section 501(c)(3) public charity to which contributions are deductible for federal (USA) income tax purposes in accordance with the provisions of IRC Section 170.