Recently, almost 20 people attended a mental and emotional resiliency program called GROW in Yangon, Myanmar.

The GROW program was delivered by psychologist Dr Robi Sonderegger, who has helped more than 100,000 trauma victims in Africa and the Middle East. It is designed to assist people to grow through critical incidents such as war, natural disasters and exploitation, and tragic circumstances like the loss of home, family and dignity.

Translated and interpreted into Burmese, the training was used to equip the carers and coordinators of the Myanmar Care Network to work more effectively amongst the three main people groups affected by the Rakhine State conflict in Myanmar.

This genocidal conflict has seen up to one million people displaced and more than 10,000 people killed. Tens of thousands of survivors have been traumatised by the rapes and brutality they have witnessed. The need for care in this region is immense.

Feedback from the carers was that the training helped them to recognise traumatised people more effectively and to have hope even in tragic circumstances. Importantly, a number of attendees also testified to being challenged to forgive and be reconciled to their enemies, despite witnessing atrocities perpetrated on their communities.

Please pray for peace in this troubled part of the world, and that God would protect and equip the Myanmar Care Network carers as they work to bring hope to those who have experienced trauma.