COMPLETING SOME "UP RIVER" ACTIVITIES

AWESOME COUPLE OF WEEKS - Today we are completing some amazing "up river" activities.

MINISTRY OF LABOR AND SOCIAL PROTECTION - TRAINING THE TRAINERS - We had three days of training last week developing some very talented workers from the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. These trainers will be conducting training all over the country once their development process is completed. We have an agreement with the Ministry to develop these trainers (who are workers and leaders in the country right now) to become trainers for their peers. We have an aggressive schedule in place to complete this process by the end of the year.

BISHKEK HUMANITIES UNIVERSITY - After two years of planning and working toward this project to implement a one year specialization for child and family work into the present social work program - we have all in place to begin the courses this Fall. Over the last two years we have had many different activities to lead to this result - lots of lectures in the university, we have invited different experts to consult on the project (Eileen Lally from University of Alaska, Dr. Tatiana from Tomsk University in Russia, and Chris Tappan from New Hampshire Child Welfare System.) These experts have taken the Ohio University Partnership Project which the Institute for Human Services has designed and have helped us put together the new courses for the starting in the fall of 2011. Chris Tappan has led in this project and we are very thankful for her help and commitment to this. She will continue to take the lead and return to work with us in the Fall once the course work begins at the university.

SOS - FAMILY STRENGTHENING PROJECT - Our training has continued with the NGO, SOS. We are excited to say we have now completed 10 days of training with these social workers - helping them better understand working with families and children of abuse, neglect and abandonment. This program is very well respected around the world - over 130 countries have SOS projects. We are honored to be working with them doing what we can to strengthen them with skills, knowledge and methods of working with crisis families and children who are in need of services.

SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND CONSULTATION - Two years ago we invited Dr. Jordan Greenbaum to come and work with the different partners we have here - helping them to better understand the impact of abuse and neglect on the orphans in care. She came and was deeply touched at the needs and how she might be able to offer her expertise. Once again, she is here - however this time she brought Peggy Woodard with her. Peggy is an expert for the State of Georgia in working with children and families where abuse has occurred. They have been doing many lectures and training: hospital staff in Bishkek, SOS workers, orphanage staff, orphanage directors, NGO workers, and other LAMb partners who are working with children and families.

CONFERENCE TODAY AT DAYSPRING - Today ends the training events for this time in Kyrgyzstan. We are completing this time here with a conference at our Dayspring Family Life Resource Center - we will have many different workers, ministries, NGO's and parents in attendance for the conference. Our topics are rich and deep: working with children who have been sexually abused; helping families of children who have suffered trauma; understanding the dynamics of abuse with children in care; being the support for the family and the child when trauma overshadows each day. We are so excited to have Dr. Jordan, Peggy, Jayne and others here willing to share their expertise. Our conference at Dayspring is just the beginning of many times we will invite our neighbors, NGO partners, churches and others to come and learn - to share and to work together with us - for our dream - A KYRGYZSTAN WITHOUT ORPHANS.

STAY TUNED FOR OUR NEXT BLOGS - AS WE SHARE THE "DOWN RIVER" ACTIVITIES NEXT....ALL IN HOPES OF A KYRGYZSTAN WITHOUT ORPHANS.