Trauma Healing

Children of the Nations is concerned for a child in all aspects of their growth, including their emotional growth. When a child has been through a traumatic event they are often emotionally impaired. They can become “stuck” in the trauma and this impacts every area of their lives. Our goal is to offer emotional healing for these children and their families.

Working cross-culturally means adapting to the culture—what works best in America, often does not work well in Africa or the Dominican Republic. We have developed materials over the past few years that have proven successful in ministering to hurting children. Children in developing countries who have been through trauma rarely talk about what has happened to them, therefore, they feel alone and isolated with their pain. We have developed group formats that allow the children to begin to talk about their pain while at the same time connect with others who share similar trauma. This connection begins to lessen the isolation and shame of what has happened to them and healing begins to happen.

Children of the Nations is committed to sending trained professionals to work with our children in Africa who have been orphaned by AIDS and other diseases, experienced sexual abuse, and experienced war and its aftermath—both civil war (Sierra Leone) and abduction (Uganda). We are also committed to empowering nationals in our countries by training them in trauma counseling so that in the future they are able to provide counseling to the children from their countries. Therefore, our strategy is to send professionals who not only can provide counseling in our countries, but can assist in training nationals and empower them as they work alongside trained professionals.