UKRAINE - TRAINING MORE TRAINERS

Oleg, our Executive Director at ILDC

in Ukraine.  

Luba, Lena, and Tanya - our newest trainers for

Wounded Children Healing Homes

Lena - traveled from Ukraine to Kyrgyzstan to conduct

training for us.  An AWESOME TRAINER!

A group hard at work defining key strategies to work with 

a scenario of a child who has experienced trauma.

THE GOAL - SUSTAINABILITY!  We just completed a course of training for SOS Children's Villages - the participants were village mothers, staff and management.  As well, we had three trainers who where preparing to carry the training forward as the national trainers.  We have already trained one  person as a trainer.

When we (foreigners) conduct a training, we work with an interpreter.  We have excellent interpreters and the work is both easy and as we are told effective.  However, the training can be a bit slower and often the opportunity for extensive clarifications and conversations are hampered by the use of interpretation.  Our goal has always been to train nationals to conduct the training we take into the country.  We want to leave a competent group of nationals to carry on long after we leave.

This goal has seen much success in the past.  We have many trainers in Ukraine who are conducting trainings such as the Life Skills Training for Orphanage Youth, countless different modules in leadership, parenting and child welfare.  We have trainers in the churches, schools, orphanages, government offices and even in a number of NGO's.

Today, we have turned over a one day training to four nationals.  The training is a foundation training to understanding and applying strategies when working with children who have experienced trauma.  We call the foundation training - Wounded Children Healing Homes - after the book by Jayne Schooler and Betsy Keefer.

We were able to get this book translated into Russian, print 1000 copies and as well get permission to have the Russian language version on line on our web-site and the web-site of ILDC (coming soon!).  This expands this training even further.  Soon any Russian speaking person can go directly to the web-site and download and read the book.  This book creates the foundation to the trauma series of training we will be offering at ILDC in Ukraine and hopefully soon in Kyrgyzstan as well.

We now have four trainers who are prepared to conduct this day of training.  We are pleased to see this capacity expand.  One trainer - Lena  - has even been trained to do a number of different trainings we have offered - and we most recently sent her to Kyrgyzstan to conduct a month of trainings with Social Service there.

We believe we are seeing the foundation to a sustainable system of training and education that will strengthen families, keep children safe and move children out of orphanages and into permanency with a family.  Matthew 28:20  says "....teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you."  James 1:20 "Pure and undefiled religion is to visit orphans and widows in their need..."

And finally, Deuteronomy 32:2
Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, 
like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. 

We thank you for your interest and support in strengthening the wonderful people of Ukraine -  one class, once church and one person at a time.  Our footprints will wash away with the tide, but the foundation of knowledge, skills and abilities will remain with those who carry forth to teach!

WE BELIEVE - IN A UKRAINE WITHOUT ORPHANS