What It Takes to Heal from Trauma
Child in Family Focus – Kenya took in Mary, a thirteen-year-old girl, after she ran away from home. Mary had been physically abused by her father and she required a helping hand to heal. Carol, a counselor and deputy director at the home, was able to use the skills she acquired from the Trauma Free World training to help Mary on a path toward recovery.
Carol believes that “healing from trauma is not only possible, but necessary for a fulfilling life,” and she is able to help children like Mary heal from their emotional wounds. All of this is possible thanks to the resources that Child in Family Focus – Kenya has provided their homes and caregivers. Without Child in Family Focus – Kenya, children like Mary would be unable to find the help and support they need to recover from the trauma they have experienced.
Who is Child in Family Focus?
Child in Family Focus – Kenya is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting family-based care for orphans and vulnerable children. They collaborate with A Child’s Hope Foundation and local partners to ensure that children grow up in safe, permanent, and loving homes. They are also working diligently to transition from institutional care, or traditional orphanages and children’s homes, to family-based care, where families can find the support they need to care for their children in their own homes.
To achieve these goals, Child in Family Focus – Kenya emphasizes finding social workers who can locate children’s families. Doing so allows children the chance to be reunited with their parents and gives the family a second chance to live together. They also train counselors who can help children and families heal, and grow together. Individual and family therapy is a huge part of rehabilitating homes and giving hope to those that feel lost.
How They Restore Children to Their Homes
An example of transitioning from institutional to family-based care is the story of Nainsi, a young girl in Kenya who was abandoned by her family. Nainsi suffered from acute cerebral palsy and her family could not afford to care for her. After she was rescued and her parents were located, Child in Family Focus – Kenya was able to provide therapy services and a safe space for her family to heal. Nainsi’s mother showed great signs of improvement and was eventually able to care for Nainsi on her own. This was a dramatic change from the mother’s previous attitude toward taking care of her.
Without the emphasis that Child in Family Focus – Kenya places on reuniting and rehabilitating families, Nainsi’s mother never would have received the support she needed to learn how to care for her daughter. Her mother’s improvement allowed Nainsi to have a personal, loving home to live in. Stories like these are only possible because of the dedication organizations like Child in Family Focus – Kenya have to elevating children’s lives.
How Can You Support Child in Family Focus - Kenya?
By supporting like-minded organizations, such as Child in Family Focus – Kenya, you are providing children around the world with second chances at loving homes. That is why we are delighted to work alongside Child in Family Focus – Kenya; they are dedicated to improving the well-being of children and their families, no matter how daunting the challenge.
“The partnership with A Child’s Hope Foundation (ACHF) has been one of a very special kind. Not only does ACHF network us and avail opportunities for great and strategic collaborations, it also grants us opportunities for peer learning aimed at increasing knowledge and skills that go a long way in improving child protection service provision. Alone we did so little, but together we continue to do so much.”
-Peter Muthui