These past three days I’ve had the joy and privilege of delivering a 360Life workshop to a select group of 13 members of Good News Global Malawi. Those present comprised the senior leaders of GNG in this beautiful country, and some other key prison chaplains and volunteers. There are so many more who wanted to be part of the training, but lack of budget got in the way, and so the focus instead was on really training up these few so that they are empowered to go out and disseminate the knowledge more widely.
There are a number of key take-aways from the 360Life training but this time round the one that really stood out as filling a massive gap in local knowledge and provision is an exploration of the links between mental health issues and trauma, and how to practise a more trauma-informed approach to ministry. This is obviously something that applied to the GNG folks, but there were also teachers from the college complex where the training was delivered coming in to ask if I could deliver the training to them, and one participant who is an ex-soldier said how much the security forces across the country also need it.
For the participants of this training, who spend so much time going into prisons and ministering to the inmates, many of whom demonstrate all sorts of mental health issues and challenging behaviours, this opportunity to explore things from a trauma-informed perspective was a real eye-opener and thought-provoker. I felt so incredibly humbled as I listened to them share about the conditions in the prisons, and the circumstances that they have to face, as well as the realities of life for the prisoners themselves. It is not unusual for 500 prisoners to be sharing a cell designed for 50, and as a result to have to sleep sitting up. And for hundreds to be trying to access one lavatory. Suicide rates are increasing at an alarming rate, both amongst prisoners and prison officers. Many prisoners experience several years waiting in prison before their case is heard, even if they are then found to be innocent, or with no charge to face.
The folk that I have spent the past few days with are an amazing bunch of people. I am in awe of what they do, as they live out this calling that they have on their lives. I pray that the training that I have been able to give, and the knowledge that I have been able to share, will have long-lasting and wide-reaching positive impacts, on them, on their families, on their colleagues, and on those whom they serve in the prisons.
Here are a few of the comments made in the evaluation that I think sum up how well received the training was:
‘The 360Life training was one of a kind and was just cool. It is very useful in the sense that it has enlightened me highly about mental health related issues. I am no longer the same and my ministry will no longer be the same again as I am going out very informed.’
‘The 360Life training is very informative and has helped me to open my mind to know more about mental health. After going through trauma healing subject, 360 has taken me deeper into knowing more of a person and how I can handle cases through counselling and guidance.
It will help to change my ministry in the sense that the new approach will be different from the past. I will be going back to prison well informed and knowledgeable.’
‘The training has been transforming and changing. The way I see people with problems with mental issues now is different. I am now more of a help to them than being judging.
I am going to use the material in my ministry and I hope that by the help of God more are going to be healed mentally.’
Lifting up prayers for the participants as they return to their homes and prepare to put the training into practice. Lifting up prayers for Malawi – the warm heart of Africa, but struggling so much with mental health issues, and a massive lack of resources to deal with it. And lifting up prayers that one day I’ll be able to return, for longer, to deliver more of the training to more of those who so desperately want it.
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