"Ready, Steady, Go"

Little did I know this fall that in less than six months, I would be planning my first psycological training in Ethiopia.

On September 2, 2008, I received an email from Yewoinshet Masresha, founder and director of Hope For Children-Ethiopia, responding to my inquirey about recycled eyeglasses for the HFC children, staff and care-takers. Realizing that I was a psychologist, her affirmative response was followed by a request for more psychological training for herself and her staff.

My first thought was to contact the EMDR-Humanitarian Assistance Program, an organization that focuses on training therapists in crisis situations or in under-served communities or countries to treat trauma using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

While Bob Gelbach, HAP's Executive Director and I began our discussions on setting up an EMDR training in Ethiopia sometime in the upcoming year, an unexpected opportunity arose in Nairobi. Thanks to a generous donation from a close friend of mine, Yewoinshet and one of her therapists, Zebenay, flew to Kenya in mid-November and completed EMDR Level 1 training (pictured above).

Now that Yewoinshet and Zebenay have returned to Addis Ababa and have begun using EMDR with some of the children, I am in the process of setting up periodic consultation with them via the Internet. Time differences and the undependable nature of Ethiopian Internet services are making this a challenging goal.

My goals for the upcoming year fall into three areas:

1. Organizing and funding an EMDR Level 1 training in Addis Ababa for approximately 25 Ethiopian therapists sometime during the fall of 2009. Preparation for this will begin during a trip I am taking to Ethiopia this February to teach the preliminary " Traumatology and Stabilization" workshop to potential participants and to find an appropriate training location.

2. Researching and filming two 5-hour training videos on Play Therapy in conjunction with Paul R. White, LCSW that will focus on techniques and equipment applicable to the Ethiopian culture and economy.

3. The collection, labeling and transportation of recycled eyeglasses to the members of the HFC community, as well as financial support for an optometrist to attend to the visual needs of the community.

Future blogs will keep you abreast of my progress on all three projects. I would love to hear from any of you regarding ideas you may have for fund raising or advancing any of these programs.

Thanks,
Dorothy