I met Dr Jill Trenholm in Bukavu in eastern Congo in 2011. We both stayed at what is called the Swedish Mission, a haven in the midst of a kind of chaotic city. It used to be the Swedish Consulate but has since long been managed by Swedish and Norwegian missionaries as a guest house. It is a great meeting place. Many connections have been established there. So with jill Trenholm.

Jill is by now “Doctor” but by then she was still doing her research for what now is an approved thesis.  She is a nurse by profession and her research  is about the very complex phenomena of war rape and its consequences in eastern Congo.

Since her theme for the research goes hand in hand with the work of Peaceful Heart Network we exchanged a lot of thoughts and experiences. I also introduced her to some of the people and organizations we have been working with giving trainings in how to relieve symptoms of trauma caused by acts of war. 

During her research Jill recognized the importance of finding  tools for dealing with mass traumatization, and finding TTT as one possible way. She mentions therefore the work of Peaceful Heart Network in her thesis  “Women Survivors, Lost Children and Traumatized Masculinities- The Phenomena of rape and War in Eastern Republic of Congo” (Uppsala University, 2013):

“I would lastly like to recount observations made while accompanying a Swedish therapist /Gunilla Hamne/ of alternative therapy using a technique called Trauma Tapping Technique (TTT) (www.peacefulheart.se), whom I met in Bukavu. She travels around Africa, teaching, free of charge, TTT which is very similar to what is known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) (Ruden , 2011). 

She first introduced this technique in Rwanda with genocide survivors. The technique consists of a series of tapping using the fingertips on certain parts of the face and body or so called meridians accompanied by deep breathing while thinking about the traumatic event. It is believed that it disarms the body´s stress response originating from the amygdala thereby relieving symptoms of post traumatic stress (Ruden 2011). 

It is unique in that it requires no equipment or medications, is easy to learn with minimum verbal communication and can be self administered as well as be performed on another person making it always accessible, once learnt. I accompanied her and several local people trained to teach TTT to several of their teaching sessions amongst diverse groups.

I witnessed the ease at which the technique was learnt. I also returned to some of the groups to see, for example, the boy ex-child soldiers´use of the technique independently. Women affected by violence claimed they slept well for the first time following a tapping treatment. There are other variables that could have influenced their relief notwithstanding human attention and touch. However with increasing anecdotal evidence of its positive effects on wellbeing, it seemed to be something worth further investigation in settings suffering from mass traumatization.” (p 32-33 )

If you want to read more about Jill Trenhom´s research on women survivors of sexual abuse, child soldiers and traumatized masculinities in the conflict area of eastern Congo pls check these links:

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jill_Trenholm/publications

http://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A639033&rvn=1&dswid=-6554

http://www.uu.se/en/media/press-release-document/?id=2098&area=3,8&typ=pm&na=&lang=en

http://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf;jsessionid=bce380dcb7a138a1897c288dc420?pid=diva2:639033

“You know, my head was full of thoughts like prejudices and hate when I came to this meeting. I got irritated even when trying to talk to the women sitting outside when they didn´t understand my tribal language. I thought to myself: What kind of meeting is this? Why am I supposed to sit with these people?

But after that tapping exercise my mind got clear. Then I could suddenly listen to the others and even get the message from the film that was shown.” (The film shown was An African Answer – about reconciliation after the post election violence 2008 in the area. Link to trailer). 

“It was a very strange but comfortable feeling of being relaxed.”

Emmily Korir (in blue and white dress) belongs to the kalenji tribe in western Kenya. During different occasions there have been clashes between kalenjin and the other tribes in the area especially the kikuyus and the luos. The conflicts have grown out of different views on how to share land resources and other conflicting interests and lack of good communication.

The meeting she is mentioning was organized by Joseph Wainana – as part of a program on reconciliation initiated by USIP and Initiatives of Change. Wainaina (i the picture together with his mother) had invited representatives from  different tribes and counties, youth and elders to discuss and communicate on how to build and sustain peace in the area.

Two days later came an sms from Emmily:

“Thank you for educating us in that activity. I did it with 32 women yesterday, and that were very happy about it. They said they would go home and do it with family and neighbors, she commented. Tomorrow I will do it with single mothers.The school is closed, so with the children I will do it in January. For youth I will do it next week when we have a Youth Forum. Actually I also did it with a passenger who was in the same bus yesterday. Otherwise, thank you so much for your concern. Have a good night.”

Imagine the possibilities!

It seems authorities working with refugees in our neighbor country Finland are more open to new approaches than what is the case in for example Sweden.

This last months we have been invited to two different municipalities In Finland to present workshops on trauma and ways to relieve the symptoms of trauma.  

When coming to a new country carrying the memories of past atrocities and dealing with symptoms of trauma like insomnia, headache and difficulties to concentrate – it is very hard to learn skills like a new language or participate in trainings or be able to do what the authorities expect from you. The past is always present and interferes with the ability to concentrate.

Like one of the Congolese refugees participating in the training in Borgå said:

“We call it Peace-sickness. We didn’t know we were sick until we came here to Finland. While we were still struggling to survive we didn´t have these symptoms. But here where it is calm, the past caught up with us.”

TTT is a simple way to give arriving people a possibility to have a better start in the new country.

During the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 over 800 000 people were killed. Thousands of the perpetrators are still in prison. From the acts of violence they did they suffer from trauma. This creates a lot of problems for their rehabilitation and their possibilities to reconcile with society. The staff also express that they have no tools to change the well being of the detainees before they get back into society. 

Peaceful Heart Network was asked to do trainings in TTT to see if the releasing of the inner wounds can contribute to the healing of the individuals and in that way to the healing of the society in general.

A theory we hold for true is that when individuals suffering Post Traumatic Stress reactions from inner wounds interact in a society it is hard to create stability and peace, since aggression and fear are part of these reactions. With TTT our intent is to help heal the individuals, and in this way contribute to the healing of the society in general.

The person doing the trainings is Murigo Veneranda, herself an orphan and survivor of the genocide and the detainees are mainly perpetrators of the genocide. The project has in that way become an act of reconciliation in itself.

 “Some survivors of the genocide ask me: “What are you doing in the prisons with those criminals? Why do you help them?” tells Murigo.

“I understand what they mean, because just two years ago iI would have said the same. Then it would been impossible for me to do this work. I was full of hate and feelings of vengeance towards those who acted the violence during the genocide. Now it is different. And it is all because of TTT that I have no problem with that anymore. “

“Now, for me this shows that everything is possible. The detainees as well as the staff are my colleagues now.”, Murigo says with a big smile. “It was like miracles happening in the prisons, Murigo says laughing. “You know, after the trainings we all shared sodas (soft drinks), and were dancing and singing together. “

So far Murigo has given trainings in six of the 14 prisons in Rwanda:  Nyamagabe, Muhanga, Nyanza, Huye, Rusizi, Rubavu. All in all she has trained 370 detainees and 160 staff. Still more to come.

Murigo Veneranda, herself an orphan of the genocide, is teaching TTT in the Rwandan prisons where most of the detainees are convicted of crimes committed during the genocide.   

After the crisis in Libya a lot of people lost family and property and had to flee the country. One of our Trauma tapping colleagues in Chad, Cherif Choukou, is working with chadiene refugees  for IMO – International Organization of Migration close to Moussoro.

Many of the refugees were traumatized so Cherif offered trainings in TTT. After experiencing that his “medicine”, the tapping procedure, has truly helped them heal a lot of their inner emotions, they now call him “Doctor TTT”. 

“Thank you for teaching TTT” said the marabout, traditional leader, and the children to Cherif Choukou (in white shirt).

These two orphans lost their parents in Libya and came as refugees to Chad. They didn´t sleep for many weeks and had little appetite for eating. After learning TTT from Cherif they say that they suffer less and can eat and sleep again.

Some of the pioneering Trauma Tappers in South Sudan. Trauma is a big problem in the country after 50 years of war.

TTT has been planted in the world´s youngest nation South Sudan. Peaceful Heart Network was invited to do TTT workshops during a training of 200 peace mobilizers organized by Initiatives of Change (www.iofc.org)  and the government of South Sudan.

The people of South Sudan have lived with war the last 50 years. A majority of the population has experienced violence and atrocities at close range. Trauma is now a big problem. The fascinating thing is that the authorities openly talk about it and eagerly want to do something to help those traumatized.

A group of 20 of the 200 Peace Mobilizers got extra training in TTT so that they should be able to teach the technique to others in their communities and states where they come from. In the deep shadow under a beautiful mango tree just beside we discussed experiences of trauma, symptoms of trauma and practiced the TTT. It was too hot to be inside. 

This group is the Trauma Tapping pioneers in their country. Maketh Kuot Deng – one of them sent this email some days after the training was finished.

“Dear, I hope God has guided you safely back home to meet your family. I will be happy to hear from you.

We are working well with TTT in our state Jonglei . People enjoy it, they see it as the best way of killing trauma in South Sudan. It is welcome.”

Maketh Kuot Deng and Nyakun Peter Koang, two of the Trauma Tappers in South Sudan.

One of the participants – Ajing Chol Giir  – made a song for the tapping. We performed it for all the other participants. Music is one of the new components we encourage trauma tappers to use when teaching TTT. It makes the healing more powerful. Music and dance is one of the traditional ways of healing in many cultures, especially in Africa.

Ajing´s song is in the dinka language – one of the biggest languages in South Sudan. 

Ajing Chol Giir explains the text of the TTT song he has written “If you wake up with war nightmares, just tap …..”

We got an email from Ajing the other day:

“Hey dear Ulf, I am very glad to connect with you at this time.   I am also very lucky and proud that i have got to know somebody like Gunilla Hamne who amicably taught me a very important technique. I am using it now on many war traumatized people. My trauma song is doing great and the children are now using it in their playing in my home village. I will send u guys a video as soon as i put it together.” 

 Watch Ajing´s song here

Amandu Night Joy and Angelina Paulino Rial.

Nyabika Ruei Kuang

TTT training with 200 Peace Mobilizers in Juba, South Sudan. Also several of the 25 facilitators learnt the technique.

When Murigo Veneranda started her multiplying effect experiment together with the refugees in Kigeme camp she trained 8 people. She told them to train five people each. After a couple of weeks they called her and said. “OK, now we are 40….” That was a month ago. 

“It is now over 500 refugees who have been trained in TTT” she says over the phone. “They will still teach others. Imagine if we could reach almost everybody in the camp!” 

There are 17 000 living there… How far can we reach?

As we wrote here in the blog before Murigo Veneranda has started a multiplying scheme of TTT in the refugee camp of Kigeme in the southwest of Rwanda. There are 17 000 refugees who have had to flee the violence in the neighbor country DR Congo. The plastic houses look like sugar cubes on the hill where they have been placed by the UN refugee commission UNHCR . 

Murigo started out by training 8 people, among them the president of the refugee committee Benjamin. When I came with her some time later they were 40, since she had told them to train 5 people each. 

We met in the local bar, since we are not allowed to enter the camp itself without special permit. Squeezed on benches all managed to get in, sharing some soft drinks and chatting about what had happened since Murigo was there last time.  

Mr Safari translated for me from French to Kinyarwanda and Swahili. His name is Safari which means Travel. He got this name because he was born when his mother was fleeing from Rwanda to Congo. And now he has been forced to flee……back to where they came from. Forced travels. 

All those who had come were very enthusiastic and eager to know more about how to deal with those internal images of violence and atrocities that many of them live with after being attacked in their villages back home. They demonstrated how they did the Tapping. We showed some videos and did our best to answer all their questions.

“Can we use TTT for children? Some scream of nightmares almost every night”

“Are those who just talk to themselves like a crazy traumatized?”

“Some don´t eat at all, can that be a symptom of trauma?”

“How often can we use TTT?” etcetera

Since then the multiplying effect has continued. Now they are more than 500 Trauma Tappers in Kigeme refugee camp. We will see how Murigo will manage to meet them all. She is planning to go there soon. 

Murigo Veneranda (left), Chairman of the refugee committee Benjamin (right), Safari (with the cap).

Like sugar cubes of 3×4 meter, are the plastic houses for the 17 000 congolese refugees placed on a hill top in the southwest of Rwanda.

“We are very grateful for TTT” wrote our colleague Margherita Zilliacus from Finland after teaching TTT in Senegal and Sierra Leone.

One of our Tapping colleagues, Margherita Zilliacus from Finland, has been doing TTT training at a rehabilitation center for drug addicts in Dakar in Senegal. The social workers who participated found the method useful and gave it a new name: Nioko Bokk which in their language wolof means “This is for everybody”.

Already after the first couple of sessions they said that it had helped them with symptoms like pain, congestion, tiredness, sleeplessness, stress, headache etcetera. They will now continue to use the TTT for the clients at the center and in a prison for women.  

Margherita also went to the neighbor country Sierra Leone volunteering for Fambul Tok – a world renowned organization known for their community approach to reconciliation,  restoring trust between people after the ten year long (un)civil war (www.fambultok.org)

Me and our colleague Robert Ntabwoba worked with them a couple of years ago doing TTT trainings with their groups of Peace Mothers, i.e. widows of the war.

After her visit Margherita wrote: 

 “I went with Liliana (one of the Fambul Tok staff) to the village of Woama in Tankoro chiefdom. The chairlady of the Peace Mothers told me they still use TTT since you were there, every time they meet and also for themselves and others. They find it very helpful. They send greetings to you. Liliana is great. She really appreciated your work here. We also did TTT trainings in other villages.”

You can see the chairlady Sia James doing TTT in our video from Sierra Leone.

We got an email from Joseph Ochieng, an activist and
TTT trainer from Kibera, supposed to be Africa´s largest shanty town,
telling about his initiative to reach out to vulnerable women and children
in an other neglected part of his country Kenya. He himself was trained in TTT during a workshop in collaboration between Initiatives of Change (www.iofc.org) and Peaceful  Heart Network in Nakuru, north from Nairobi in Kenya:

“Jambo,

I trust that you are doing fine. 

I recently went to Nyanza province near Lake Victoria to meet a group of women at Bar-Ober in Siaya county that I know since an outreach program of our organization Pillars of Kibera (pillarsofkibera.org). I am humbled to let you know that the Trauma Tapping Training has come to be a tool of great help to the vulnerable women and the youth in Siaya. 

They suggested that if we could do a short documentary on Trauma Tapping Technique, it could be screened in their communites during meetings, in schools and in other institutions.

I also got opportunity to meet with the principal of Butere primary school and had a lengthy discussion with him elaborating the concept of TTT and how it could be of use in schools in the rural areas, where children have a lot of challenges that affects their studies.

I must say that i am very touched and honored by your efforts to contribute to some solution to the challenges that many people are going through. The TTT offer an opportunity that I wish we had more of.

Thanks once again for the support and opportunity that you offer to me by standing with us. Best greetings Joseph of Pillar of Kibera.

We humbly realize our limitations in spreading trauma relief. One of them is finances. We currently fund everything out of our own pockets and with help from those of you who donate. Normally money is the best way to help us, because our main costs are transportation and water for trainings. On rare occasions we need materials. This was one. 

Thank you so much to Swedish Printing company GL-Tryck for enabling us to spread the pocket size instruction booklet in french and english in both D.R. Congo and Rwanda in thousands of copies that we could never afford to print ourselves. 

If you ever print in Sweden and care for what we do, honor this printing company. They helped us print two boxes of Trauma Tapping instructions and speed delivered for our project in D.R. Congo as a donation.

In the photo you can see liberated child soldiers at BVES with the Trauma Tapping pocket instruction. Thanks Marina Wiking for the layout help and Caroline Piers for the French translation. We are very thankful. You have all made a difference. Special thanks Hans Mossberg and GL-Tryck from Ulf and Gunilla.

VISIT THEM NOW: www.gl-tryck.se

P.S. If you feel like contributing you can click here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-us-heal-traumatic-stress