How can anyone recover from trauma?

Dec 9, 2021

- Tom Albinson with Jake Tornga

How can anyone recover from the trauma of forced displacement?

How can anyone recover from the trauma of forced displacement – the involuntary uprooting by the forces of human hatred and violence loose in our world? Dzaleka refugee camp (Malawi) is filled with over 60,000 such people today.

IAFR is bringing trauma care training to refugee churches.

IAFR is partnering with SIL to bring trauma care training to churches embedded within Dzaleka refugee camp and the surrounding host community. Together we are helping these churches become healing communities.

Amazing Grace

Grace is among the refugees in Dzaleka. She completed the first level of trauma care training back in August 2019 and has since taken what she learned and led 170 other women through healing groups in the camp.

A refugee pastor noticed how the healing groups are transforming lives. He welcomed Grace to host them in Ebenezer Academy, a school refugee churches are building in Dzaleka with assistance from IAFR.

Marceline was giving up on life.

Marceline participates in one of the healing groups. She recently told IAFR’s Jake Tornga how the group is changing her life.

"I am a mother of 10 children. My husband died. Not long ago I felt like the burden of caring for my children was too heavy. I wanted to die and so I decided to take poison.

I was rescued by my neighbors who told me about these teachings. Our healing group facilitator really helped me. I love the teachings so much! I cannot miss even one day."

Multiplying Healers

Grace identified 20 women with potential to serve as healing group facilitators, so we made sure to invite them to the training intensive we held in the camp last month.

Beyond Healing

Grace has expanded her ministry by founding a local nonprofit that teaches women how to make soap and learn tailoring skills to help make ends meet.

The investment in healing is yielding other benefits that are helping our friends survive and recover from forced displacement in this forgotten refugee camp.

Missionaries are our most valuable asset!

Whether in Africa, Europe, or the USA, it takes relationships of trust to facilitate healing and strengthen hope. That’s why our IAFR teammates are our most valuable asset as we pursue our mission of helping people like Grace and Marceline survive and recover from forced displacement

CLICK HERE to support an IAFR missionary!

Helping people recover from forced displacement requires more than meeting physical needs. Recovery work requires building relationships of trust, strengthening a Life-giving worldview, and facilitating emotional healing and well-being. That is why the ministry of IAFR is relational at its core. Join with us by supporting an IAFR missionary today!

Give to where it is most needed

If you prefer, we invite you to make a special donation to where it is most needed by giving to the IAFR Sustaining Fund. We are deeply grateful for our Sustaining Partners who invest in the mission of IAFR in this way!

CLICK HERE to give where it is most needed today!