Responding to Deadly Conflicts in Western Kenya

HEALING IS LIVING

Both victims and perpetrators of violence experience trauma. Kitale Community Advancement Programme (KAP) has been doing work with victims of AIDS and violence. They have trained counselors who have been helping victims of this deadly pandemic and the violence in parts of Mt. Elgon and the slums of Kitale municipality. .KAP consulted TCSC to further their  knowledge on matters of trauma and trauma healing . They did a basic training in which some of KAP’s staff and its volunteers participated.

The second training which was a six day training of Healing Companion which was done from the 8^th October 2018. The objectives of the training were

• To help the staff and volunteers to become healing companions to help others within their community who have experienced violence
• To teach people to help others to express their emotions
• To teach and practice deep listening skills
• To offer support to people on their journey of healing
• To identify the process of recovery from trauma

The training started with a follow up of the basic training. The first activity was using a healing scale which indicated that most of them had made a tremendous step since the basic training. A healing companion can’t heal others when he or she is still wounded.

Lessons learnt

• There are a lot of similarities between counseling and healing companions such as focus on deep
• Healing companions have their own issues too hence the need to work on them
• A lot of vices happen in the slum areas which go unnoticed
• Land has been a major cause of violence in eastern Mt. Elgon 
• There is passion among the participants to be healing companions
• Trauma is dynamic depending upon the environment, hence there are different ways of recovery
• There is a lot of resilience in the community

Recommendations

• Participants need a three day training of trainers to improve facilitation
• Apprenticeship for the facilitataors  to be able to handle a HROC workshop
• Follow up days are needed to trace recovery
• Quarterly meetings of healing companions to share progress, challenges and experiences
• Need to be trained on other peace building programs to be able to handle emerging conflicts