Hi Everyone,

Typing during a break and no time to proof, but here is a brief summary of what the ATFT Foundation Trauma Relief Team has been up to:

The first day after the team arrived, Caroline led a review of the algorithm training for those Serve Center employees who have already been trained in TFT.  They were all directors of orphanages, centers for handicapped, blind, widows, AIDS facilities and other vulnerable groups.

The next day I led the two day algorithm training for Serve Center Directors who had not yet been trained. At 9am when it was to start we had three people present.  By the next morning there were 24 attendees.  It was a wonderful class.  It ended with a photo show done to music by Gary Quinn.  He had wonderful pictures of the group practicing and participating.  It was a very appreciative and fun group.  We had started out with a few skeptics.  I treated the first one and he was then convinced, but the real skeptic, a clinical psychologist had to see for himself.  Caroline treated him and he then became the most enthusiastic member of the class.  We had three long hard days there but it was so worth it!

We then went to the reception in Byumba.  The Bishop of Byumba said a prayer and greeted us as did other local dignitaries.  The secretary of the sector told of how when he first came to the area, so many people looked unhappy and never smiled.  Now, he sees them smiling and enthusiastic about life.  Before they were not productive and now they are very busy with projects.  He sees a whole community that has changed because of Thought Field Therapy.

The ONLY low point for me was a walk with Father Innocence on the tour of the farmland surrounding the Izere Center of Nyiniwimana Parish.  He said that he had seen my picture before so he recognized me right away.  He said I looked just like a famous American Woman.  Hoping it was a glamorous movie star, I was quite humbled to know that it was Madeline Albright!  I would love to be as smart as her but hopefully most people don’t get us too mixed up visually.  The Bishop is an “agricultural” man and went to work feeding cows and such on our tour of the land.  It was a great time.

We also all were gifted Rwandan ATFT T-shirts.  The Rwandan therapists were wearing theirs and the Bishop, who also was presented one, wore one over his Bishops robe.  It was quite cute with his little red cap and robes.

Caroline and I and the Quinns are working hard to make the Follow- Up Study a success.  We worked on a packet to present to the Rwandan National Ethics Committee and they said they will approve the Study but can not get to it until August.  We worked a day and a night and the next morning on this.  Luckily I had gone through this for the 2009 Study so it was a little easier to get the paperwork this time.  Our Rwandan co-investigator Clementine Darling is facilitating for us.  This makes all the difference in the world.

So, we will have an approved Follow- up to the study which may help the overall study.

Yesterday, we began the process of printing for the study.  And, we worked on the list of people who completed the 2008 study this morning.

We visited the Rwandan Orphan Project yesterday.  This is the facility where Caroline with the assistance of the rest of the team, did the 2006- 2007 study that will soon be published.  It is a Center for Street Children.  This is also the Center where Dottie Webster and I began the quilting project where the orphans make quilts sold in the U.S. and now in Australia and in Kigali.  The kids were in a dismal warehouse for years.   They recently moved, with the help of Sean Jones from the U.S. who is from Paul Oas’ group and who has been here in Kigali since January.  We spent a few hours touring their new location and were all impressed.  It is up in the hills and away from town and quite rural.  We hired a taxi and the taxi dropped us off on the road where we were to be picked up by Celestin, the Orphanage director.  Wrong Place!  We stood on the road making new friends and attracting curios onlookers for some time.  Luckily, we also had invited our good friend and interpreter Prosper along so he was able to call Celestin.  Celestine came on a motorcycle taxi and found us then called for a cab for us.  When the cab came we followed Celestine on the Motorcycle taxi.  At least for awhile! We drove over a very rough road tuned some corners and eventually Celestin disappeared.  A little lost but locals directed us, finally to the Orphanage.

Caroline brought balloons and everyone including me, played balloon soccer all evening.  We toured the new facility and it is very poor, but much better than the previous one.  The quilts they are now making are beautiful.  I am trying to get the Guest House where we are staying to hang them in the guest rooms for sale.  I am also going to try to take them to some other places where they could be promoted to tourists.  The quilts are really looking good.

Today we leave Kigali again for Byumba.  Pick up our printing and arrive in time to have dinner at the Bishops home.  He lives in the compound where we are staying.  We stay there free of charge as his guests and he has made a car with driver available to us. We pay driver and gas.

Next week begins with Caroline leading an algorithm review for the newly trained therapists Monday and Tuesday she will lead an abbreviated DX training. I will lead the Algorithm training for new therapist Wednesday and Thursday.  Friday, 35 of a combination of the seasoned therapists and new therapists will treat 200 people.  The treating of the people will also take place next week as well with the same design.  We will be doing the follow up of the 2008 study on the last Sunday and Monday we are here.

Hope you enjoyed the news.

Suzanne