Trauma, mental health and well-being with prison volunteers

It’s been a real privilege to spend the last two days delivering some training on trauma, mental health and well-being to twenty three members of a prison ministry here in Kenya. 

The training was prompted by a real desire in the team to understand better some of range of issues relating to trauma past and present, and how that knowledge can then help them become more trauma informed when they are carrying out their ministry in the prisons 

To sit alongside them today as they reflected on the materials that I had shared, and considered the different ways that it could feed into their work, and positively impact their practices was very memorable.   

It was a real ‘together we can make a difference’ conversation, with a passion to help improve the lot of the inmates at the heart of all the discussions. 

For me it was also another of those moments when I find myself thinking ‘I don’t understand why I have managed to end up with these incredible opportunities in my life, but thank you God that I have’. 

My prayer is for those twenty three as they go out to the prisons, a bit more equipped than before, and for the inmates that they are going to support - may lives be transformed in beautiful and significant ways.