IZERE Center General meeting report

On December 27th 2011, we had a general assembly of Rwandan therapists working together in Izere Center.

The Objective of this meeting was: Make coordination of all our activities during this finished year, sharing different experience about how TFT is working in our region. Another issue was giving the acquired experiences form the training that we had in Hawaii last September.

Here is the overview of the meeting.

It has been a difficult time for us to meet because of lack of means. (Money for transport, taking care in feeding, water…). Everyone all understood and appreciated what we have done until now. They also gave thanks to ATFT Board for helping for the possibility of this meet.

The presentation of IZERE office experiences.

This presentation was done by Adrienne who is always in the office with other collaborators receiving clients. Adrienne talked about the large number of patients we have seen to date. She mentioned also their different problems and how IZERE center contributed to their final healing.

Categories of peoples helped by TFT in Izere Center:

Adrienne showed that many people helped at Izere center are widows, orphans, youth, handicapped people, families (couples).

The most important problem is that of trauma. People have been traumatized for various reasons. The consequence of this trauma is always the manifestation of a serious depression, high level of culpability, guilt and anger. For these, the idea of many patients is that of suicide.

Adrienne talked about the visit that she always does to the patients. The outcome of this visit is always positive as she said.

Among the problems are:

• People who come to the IZERE center do not find water to drink when they are in need of it. This is a big problem for a therapist to treat a patient who is in lack of water.
• There is not sufficient furniture in the office such as: tables, chairs, papers, books, ink, therapist materials as bed for example.
• For the visit she uses the motorbike of the Parish. So she must pay for the fuel.
• She mentioned that her collaborators seem not to be interested because they are not encouraged financially. (Part time therapist not paid). Helping such a big number of patients alone is a complicated task.
• Poverty of the client is also a handicap… Adrienne said that when treating some cases, she find that a number of them must be treated by the specialist at the hospital. Because of the mentioned problem of poverty, those patients are not able to go to the hospital because of lack of money. The Parish is doing the best to help them.

After this presentation, people who were present appreciated the work has been done by the IZERE Center even though it was in difficult conditions.

Every therapist who was present shared their experiences. Generally, they are all said that they are using TFT in their work. Nevertheless, they said that they missed an occasion of sharing different results of their experiences.

Here are a few examples:

• Celestin is headmaster of SOS school. He showed us that he continues to use TFT is his work as a trainer, to help children among them orphans in order to overcome their problems.
• Fr. Antoine is In charge of Byumba Hospital, Congolese refugees camps, Catholic schools, and other many Christians in the parish. He mentioned that in his daily life he always meets people with serious problems. But with TFT he helped them and the results are positive. He suggested that TFT may be taught to large number of people, especially the refugees and nurses. And, he invited everyone to work in harmony.
• Fabien, a retired policeman working in the prison. When he arrived, he found himself in permanent contact with a best known killer. This life made him think about what learnt with TFT. He started using TFT to help himself first, then he helped the said killer. He healed him with TFT and it was a big contribution because he was able to also form a group of therapists in the prison.

Suggestions and orientations.

• Given the importance of this meeting, they all suggested to meet after every trimester. The next meeting will be in March 2012.
• The activities of TFT this year should be oriented in special field as: orphanages, prisons, refugee’s camp, schools and hospital and youth groups
• Train 3 more therapists
• The part-time therapists worked with Adrienne should be encouraged.
• The problem of lack of water should be immediately solved.
• The IZERE Center, in order to continue its work properly needs supporting funds. (Transport, communication, furniture…) .
• The therapists suggested that they should receive the advanced  TFT training, as those received in Hawaii.

We also discussed Dr. Roger Callahan’s retirement. We all appreciated what he has done to help people, and promise to continue what he started.

TFT makes the difference among the people. Even if it demands courage, love and self determination of the therapists, TFT is the best way to help people with different problems in our country. It is our task to help, without hesitation, those who are in need.

Deacon Augustin NZABONIMANA