This entry was written by Dr. Benjamin Keyes.
Day 1
The day began at 1:35AM when our flight touched down in Kilimanjaro Airport. We deplaned, bleary eyed and cramped from the 20+ hours of travel since we had left Dulles International Airport at nearly midnight on Friday. Many of us commented to each other that it felt like we had skipped Saturday since we had been on a plane all day and by the time we landed on the Continent of Africa it was early Sunday morning.
After going through Tanzanian Customs, our exhaustion becoming more evident in our faces and in our tired and stiff bodies, we stepped out into the cool Tanzanian night and were met by our driver, Juma, who loaded all our baggage on top of the 12-passenger van, tied it down, and we piled in and headed out towards our hotel 45 minutes through the cool night.
When we arrived at the Lutheran Uhuru Hotel, we unloaded and headed to our rooms for a short nap before some of us needed to be up for breakfast and mass in a few short hours. Several of us arranged to go to mass at Christ the King Cathedral and were welcomed by the children and other parishioners before mass began. Mass lasted nearly 2 hours and enriched with the enthusiastic choir.
In the afternoon, we met with Stephanie and Joel who are the regional directors of Courage Worldwide. There, we got a tour of their coffee shop which helps to fund the Courage House in Moshi. The beautiful coffee shop and grounds are serenely located in a property with a beautiful view of Mount Kilimanjaro if the clouds don’t block your view. On this our first day, we were not so blessed, and a solid cloud cover kept the iconic mountain veiled from our eager eyes.
While at Courage Coffee Shop, we enjoyed coffees and smoothies that were delicious and enjoyed the excellent hospitality of the staff and listened to Stephanie tell the story of Courage and the Coffee shop. We then dined in the open air on a dish called Swahili Platters which were exactly what we needed after two many airplane meals. Towards the end of dinner some of the women who are in CLA (Courage Leadership Academy) came and introduced themselves to us and then the sang a beautiful song, Mambo Sawa Sawa, which translates everything is better now that Jesus is on the throne.
We then walked the short .25 mile back to the hotel, our heart and bellies full ready to start our day tomorrow with anticipation.
Day 2
Today we got to meet in the morning at Courage Café with several other medical professionals from Moshi while Dr. Steven Ressler, doctor of internal medicine at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Ressler presented some of the data he collected on patients with other specified issues especially related to gut health and how they can be somatic symptoms from trauma or other mental health issues.
After lunch, we all piled into two vans and drove out to Courage House. With a shrouded Kilimanjaro overlooking from the distance, we got a tour of the new dormitory that is being built on site to double the number of girls that Courage House can accommodate. We toured the rest of the property and even peaked into the school rooms where the girls were taking their comprehensive exams. Just as we finished the tour, Mount Kilimanjaro showed her head through the clouds which is a rare sighting for this time of year when it is normally cool and rainy.
We then did a review of the H.E.A.R.T. Model for a few hours in the TV room of the house. We then went to meet the girls. Joel did a general introduction of who we were as a group and then the girls were assigned to each Mzungu, white person, to teach them a phrase in Swahili. The girls were quick to pick a favorite person and then accompanied by many giggles and lots of correction that taught us all how to say certain things about ourselves. After a brief hour, we said goodbye to the girls and headed back to Courage Café for dinner.
Day 3
The group was split into two teams: Group 1 gave a brief presentation at a nearby hospital and then spend the rest of the day at Courage House and then Group 2 traveled further to the nearby village of Machame to visit their hospital and give a presentation to the first-year medical students. We presented on Compassion Fatigue to 150 students of nursing and medicine. We went over the Hand Model, breathe work, visualization, EFT and tapping and the Purdue Scale. Overall, the students received the material well and many of them had questions about how we could help mobilize more mental health awareness at their college. So overall it was a good day.
Group 2 went to Courage House for the day and continued to work through the H.E.A.R.T. Model. We got to share a traditional Tanzanian meal of rice and beans with the girls over lunch. We spent time with some of the girl’s children (several of the girls have little children around the age of 2 years old).
Day 4
One group gave a presentation on Compassion Fatigue at Mchenga Hospital. Once again, this was well received, and many people were touched deeply by our presentation. We then went to Courage House once more and finished the H.E.A.R.T. Model and then got to spend almost two hours with the girls at Courage House. In that time, we played games and interacted with the girls in various ways. Some of us went a little deeper into some of the girls stories and did some individual work.
The other group made their way to Binti House which is a house for women similar to Courage House accept that the house takes in girls off the streets whereas Courage House gets referrals from the government and social welfare. Binti House teaches their girls vocational skills such as tailoring and gardening and farming techniques as well as business skills. Upon graduating from the year long program, each girl is gifted with a new sewing machine once she establishes her place of business. While there, we presented some basic relaxation and visualization skill. They were very receptive and grateful.
We spent lunch with the girls and then also did groups in the afternoon. One group led a discussion with the teachers while the other group led a session on art therapy helping the girls to illustrate three things: how they present themselves to the world, how that was different from what the felt inside, and how they hoped to be in the future. All the girls received the exercise well and several of them were affected deeply by our visit.
Day 5
Today we had a later start, and all went to Hope International School. This is a middle-class school with a mixture of student from families who are ex-patriots, Tanzanian, Asian, German, and inter-racial families. In the morning, some of us met individually with students or parents while the rest of us set up for the afternoon presentations or led a group with our translators about cultural norms for education in Tanzania and what their experiences were in school.
In in the afternoon, we gave two different presentations to the teachers to help them better understand how they could have a trauma informed educational approach in their work. The first was on working with students who have experienced trauma, and how trauma can effect their ability to concentrate in the classroom. The second presentation was on dealing with disruptive students.
After the first presentation, we led groups in which we discussed the teachers struggles in the classroom with students who seemed to show symptoms of trauma. Two groups focused on how students dealing with trauma effect the classroom dynamic in their school and a third group focused on processing the suicide in April of a former student. The teachers seemed to appreciate the presentation immensely and were very eager to share and learn!
Day 6
Half of our group went to a Lutheran Church and home for mentally disabled children. It was a conference for caretakers, so we presented on Compassion Fatigue and then led two groups. Everything ran smoothly and even the neighboring Vervet monkey family poked their heads into the hall from time to time to listen in on the self-care tips! The other group went to Mchenga Hospital once again and presented Compassion Fatigue and relaxation skills to different staff members.
One member of our group went to Courage House and shared her story with the girls and then shared in their family day (a weekly event on Fridays for the Courage residence and staff) by playing games and singing songs with the girls. A typical Family Day at Courage House begins with lunch as a family included the regional leaders, Joel and Stephanie, followed by some sort of activity or game.
Day 7 Saturday
Today was a light day. We went to Courage Café for a present to a small group of social workers from different agencies in Moshi. We presented on Compassion Fatigue and relaxation techniques that would help the staff work on self-care. We led two short groups as well where the individuals shared their struggles in the areas of self-care and discussed the content they learned from our presentation. We then shared a meal with them and then headed into town to do some souvenir shopping.
Day 8
Rising early, the whole group set off on a safari or journey to the Arusha region of Tanzania where we had a fabulous adventure driving through the Tarangire National Park in an open 11 man Land Rover. The day was cool by Tanzanian standards, topping out at a beautiful 83 degrees Fahrenheit. Among the animals that we saw were elephant families, giraffes, zebras, wilder beasts, and a much hoped and prayed for lioness taking an afternoon nap in a tree. We then got to relax over lunch at the Lodge which is own and run by our guide, Brenden. The Lodge overlooks the breathtaking vista of Tanzania’s beautiful landscape. With the mountains in the distance and the river windings its way through trees, we could have sat watching all day as elephants, zebras and antelope slowly make their way towards the river and refresh themselves in the cool water. It was a much needed day of relaxation and recreation and was well worth the 8 hours we spent in the car traveling to and from the national park
Day 9
Half of the group went to NAFGEM or Network Against Female Genital Mutilation and presented and spent the day presenting and leading group therapy. During our visit we presented on the various levels of trauma and pulled heavily from the H.E.A.R.T. model. We then broke into men and women’s groups and did group therapy. While in the groups, we addressed the cultural norm of suppressing emotions. Among women especially, there are great demands both economically and in the home. Because of that, there is also much rivalry between the women and fear of gossip which feeds a perfect storm of suppressing emotions out of a fear of rejection and ridicule from others. However, once we addressed this and established a safe space in our group, we were able to see some breakthrough with the girls.
The other half of the group went to New Life School which is one of the top boarding schools in Tanzania which takes in children from social welfare referrals, orphans, and children from the community. It is one of the top private schools in the area and has a high rate of graduates who go on to become top performing individuals in their career of choice.
While there we presented on the Hand Model and Compassion Fatigue the staff of about 40 people, educating them on similar skills that we have done with other groups; deep breathing and visualization and tapping. They were an eager and motivated group of professionals! We led a men’s and women’s group as well which worked well for the men but the various different departments represented in the women’s group seemed to be an obstacle to open sharing.
Day 10
Today the same team returned to New Life foundation school and presented on a child development especially attachment styles and trauma informed education. We used creative ways to answer the questions that they had asked and their big issues that they had presented to us the day before. These issues included bed wetting, nightmares, and behavioral issues such and stealing and overeating. We also presented on the cyclical nature of learning and development in the natural stages of child development. We led groups as well and did case consultation on some of the difficult cases that the teachers and house mothers brought forward.
The other group went to Kwieaco (Kilimanjaro Women Information Exchange and Community Organization). This is a group of Tanzanian lawyers and social workers. Our group presented on domestic violence to their staff and were well received. Tanzanian culture is patriarchal and domestic violence in the home is a common issue today and is still a major problem that is not well addressed by communities whether that be privately or by the government.
Day 11
A new team returned to NAFGEM and while there we presented to the girls that live there and the staff on Dysfunctional Families. We also did groups with the staff and the girls both in the morning and the afternoon.
The other team went to Prism which is an NGO that focuses on water treatment evangelization to a rural tribe. This team presented on Compassion Fatigue. They also spent time understanding the mission of Prism and the vision they have for their outreach and evangelization.
Day 12
Half of our team returned to Prism and did individual sessions with those of the staff that wanted counseling. We were very well received and were told how beneficial the sessions were for them!
Meanwhile, the other team headed to Courage Café to meet with World Vision. World Vision is the largest NGO in Tanzania. We met with a few of their officers and presented Compassion Fatigue and relaxation techniques. They were very open with us and did case consultations with the more difficult cases which involved getting adequate water to remote villages.
We finished the day by debriefing with our five faithful translators. This was a tearful session, but it was very hopeful as we got to hear from our translators how they were affected by the material that heard from us throughout the past two weeks. Their perspective of the needs in Tanzania and how the topics addressed those needs was helpful feedback and opened our eyes to the work that we have done here as well as how much more work there is to do. However, several of our interpreters expressed how they felt impowered to pursue further means to help their country. They brainstormed further areas of training that could be addressed on future trips and made it VERY clear that we would be welcomed back.
Day 13
Today Courage Café hosted a big conference called the National Dialogue on Human Trafficking. Representatives from the government, the legal sector, the United States Embassy and World Vision were in attendance and spoke at length about the measures that they are taking to fight the issue of human trafficking. The foundress of Courage Worldwide, Jenny Williamson, spoke and told the story of how she heard the call to start Courage House first in California and then in Moshi, Tanzania. Dr. Keyes also spoke and shared about the devastating effects human trafficking as well as did an overview of the H.E.A.R.T. model. The day finished off with a panel discussion where the main speakers answered the audience’s questions.
Day 14
Saturday. Our last day. Today we said a sad goodbye to the girls that are living at Courage House. It was a sad morning and many of the girls expressed their appreciation for us coming with tears and many hugs. We then headed to lunch and some of us went to a coffee plantation where we got to see the process of making coffee from bean to cup! The rest of the group then went to Courage Café and waited for a departure to the airport. At 10 pm we said goodbye to all those working at Courage Café and our Faithful Driver, Juma, drove us one last time to the Kilimanjaro Airport.
Debrief
As we arrived at Moshi so we left in similar fashion – in the middle of the night. We boarded at a very early 3 am departure and headed for Istanbul for our debrief retreat. With a short stop over the island of Zanzibar we saw the beautiful turquoise waters tantalizing us from the plane.
We stayed in Istanbul for two full days. While there we saw the city by bus and boat under the knowledgeable supervision of our guide Cicek. We got a tour of the Blue Mosque and the famous Hagia Sophia as well as walked the Hippodrome and took in the ancient, rich history of the city. The world famous Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar with thousands of separate shops allowed us to take in the culture and provide for all our souvenir needs! One of the group’s favorite experiences was the world famous Punto of Istanbul which creates masterpieces of Turkish rugs. We enjoyed tea and wine, which is a common Turkish gesture of hospitality at any shop, as the beautiful rugs were displayed for our awestruck eyes to see. We also had a demonstration on how the silk rugs are crafted. It is a true art form!
In the evenings we enjoyed relaxing on roadside or rooftop restaurants and feasting on delicious Turkish cuisine. Some of us even rode the ferry over to the Asian side of the city. Then after much sightseeing and shopping we boarded the plane to Washington ready to return to our families!
