Reaching out to the refugees with WBA

Ever since I was first introduced to it in 2017, I have done a lot of teaching, training and running workshops on the Whole Brain Approach to Teaching and Learning, that was devised by the incredible Dr John Kelly

. The first CRED partner to really run with it was the Vocational Training College headed up by John Njendahayo, and it is there, with the input of John and Ronnie Bogere, one of the college staff, that we have taken a western-based concept and honed it to fit into the Ugandan culture and context.

Since then I’ve delivered, and continue to deliver, training to other CRED Partners – to Spurgeons Academy in the slums of Nairobi, to the Street-Kids Catch-Up school in Kigali, and to I Live Again Uganda (ILA), who provide trauma counselling in the north of Uganda. Other partners are crying out for me to visit them to start the process of introducing their staff to the concept and exploring how we can integrate it into their programmes.

Back in March, I did some introductory workshops for the whole ILA team, and they loved it so much, were excited and inspired by it, and could see such potential for how it can support their counselling work, that we planned a return visit to take it further. Hence this week I am back in Gulu delivering more in-depth training to two members of the ILA team, Joel and Okot Francis, who will head up the process of embedding it into the trauma counselling and rehabilitation programs of ILA.

It has been such a joy to be working with them, such an inspiration to hear of the work that they are all doing – in the communities around Gulu who still struggle with the after-effects of the war from 1980’s to 2006, and now also serving in some of the communities who are home to South Sudanese refugees.

As Joel and Francis shared examples of the experiences of the people that they serve we considered how the WBA can play a part in the healing process – such an incredible conversation. 

One of the things that gives me a buzz every time is how the same basic information can be taken and interpreted through the lens of the recipients and their organisations to bring positive impact and blessing to those that they serve. This time with ILA was no different. Discussion on how it can help the teachers in the refugee schools who are trying to develop good learning environments for children who have gone through so much terror; discussion on how it can help people understand better the effect of their trauma on brain function and as a result not feel so guilty when they struggle to cope; discussion on how it is tool so relevant to all that it could actually bring leaders from the different tribes together. So exciting!!!

It’s been a humbling time, an inspiring time, a thought-provoking time. But most of all it’s been a time which has been steeped in a real sense of God taking ordinary people who have a huge heart for Him and His world and using them to bring healing to hurting people. And I’ve been allowed to be part of that. What an absolute privilege!!